I constantly remind Minnesotans, your finances are sick, you are not. If you need a metaphor to think about this, here is one; actors and actresses many times need to be told, you are not the same person as the actor or actress.
You are two different people. So when people criticize the actor/actress, they are not criticizing you, they are criticizing someone else. Same thing with debt. You are not your debt. You are you and your finances are separate and if your finances are sick we need to give medicine to your finances (bankruptcy) not you.