Every loan-issuing business would love for you to believe bankruptcy is the end of the world. The life-altering last resort you should avoid at all costs.

They want you to keep struggling. They want you to keep watching your debt go up while you struggle to make minimum payments. They want their money.

And certainly, when things go well, you should pay back your creditors. But stuff happens, and bankruptcy is a perfectly legal and ethical way to deal with the problem when you’re in a state of financial distress.

Indeed, most people wait way too long to file.

See also: 5 Signs Bankruptcy Could Solve Your Financial Woes.

So if you’re still on the fence, stop and consider these four ways your life should improve once you’ve received your discharge.

You’ll have a clear path to living within your current means.

“Downsizing” after a job loss or major medical event is harder than most people imagine. Debt can be an absolute trap that keeps you stuck right where you are. You can’t move to a smaller apartment if you are upside down in a house. You can’t move at all if you’re so busy paying credit card bills that you can’t afford a truck.

Everyone loves to lecture about living within their means, but until they’ve had their income drop by 70% overnight, for example, they just won’t have any idea what it’s like.

Once the discharge is done you’ll have some room to make new decisions that fit with your new reality. And it will feel great, because the stress of not being able to pay your bills will finally be gone.

Collection calls will stop.

You don’t even have to wait until your bankruptcy’s over to enjoy this benefit. The moment you file you’ll get the protection of an automatic stay, which ensures your phone will stop ringing.

If some of those collectors have initiated a lawsuit against you, the lawsuit stops in its tracks.

See also: Basic Facts About the Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy.

You’ll regain physical and mental health.

The chronic stress of being in debt is known to cause both mental health issues and physical health problems. It can be even worse if you’re facing the loss of property, as in a foreclosure.

And while it may take some time to recover if you’ve been dealing with high levels of financial stress for years, you’ll get that chance once your debt has been cleared.

With more energy and a clearer head, there’s no telling what you’ll accomplish.

Your credit score will go up.

This is the big (good) surprise of bankruptcy. While naysayers like to tell you bankruptcy ruins your credit, the truth is your score tends to go up after the discharge. You’re no longer burdening your credit report with dozens of items in collection. You don’t have all these cards that are near, at, or over their limits. Your debt-to-income ratio improves.

The bankruptcy does remain on your report. But if you carefully build your credit in a strategic way, you’ll find it won’t matter much.

See also: 4 Steps for Rebuilding Credit After a New York Bankruptcy.

Ready to get started? Let’s set up your free consultation. It’s time for you to breathe a breath of financial fresh air.