How do I know if my debt is actually preventing me from living with dignity?

I've spent much of my life thinking about what dignity means—not as a luxury for the wealthy, but as something foundational to being human. When debt prevents you from basic choices about your own life, that's when it crosses into a dignity problem. Ask yourself: Am I unable to say no to work that harms me? Can't I afford healthcare or education for myself or my children? Do I lie awake calculating survival? These aren't just financial questions. Dignity means you have some say in your own future. Debt becomes a dignity issue when creditors effectively own your choices. I'm not saying all debt is wrong—sometimes borrowing is rational, even necessary. But there's a difference between strategic debt and debt that makes you powerless. Start by separating survival debts (housing, food, medicine) from consumption or predatory debts. Then ask: does this debt serve my actual needs, or does it serve someone else's interests at my expense? That distinction matters. You might carry some debt and still have dignity. But if debt has made you invisible to yourself—if you've stopped asking what you actually want—that's the signal to act.