If you're one of the millions of Americans in considerabledebt, it isn't just your pocketbook that could be affected, but your health, too.Credit card balances, loans and other monetary obligations can blossom into anever-present source of pressure.

Although consumer debt is trending downward -- in July, itfell 1.8 percent, continuing a decline that began with the recession -- Americans arestill facing a daunting $2.42 trillion shortfall collectively in nonmortgage consumer debt -- an average of $10,413for everyone 18 and older.

"Debt-related stress results in physical symptoms such as sleeping problems, overeating or undereating, increased blood pressure anddifficulty concentrating," says Elizabeth Carll, a New York-based clinicalpsychologist and author who specializes in stress.

"Emotionally, it increases anxiety and depression, and insome cases, it may worsen an existing health problem. On the extreme end, thereare cases of suicide tied to a perception of an insurmountable debt."

The good news is that copingstrategies can help. While working to turn that mountain of bills into a moremanageable molehill, heed these four tactics to prevent emotional overload.                       

1. Be honest. Heather Ropp Beal, an elementaryschool teacher in Mount Pleasant, Mich., who racked up nearly $155,000 in debtthanks to college loans and consumer debt, initially ignored the escalatingproblem. "I like to hide my head in the sand and pretend that it's happy andsunny in the world, even when I know deep down it's not," she says. "But I alsokeep chipping away at the problem so hopefully, one of these days, like in aboutfive years, I will be debt free."

It isn't just lying to yourselfabout your financial situation that can whittle your sanity -- you need to behonest with your partner, too. "Studieshave shown that up to a third of us lie to our partners about our spending,"says Linda Abrams, senior staff therapist with the Council for Relationshipsand director of the organization's Spring House, Pa., office.

The solution, Abrams says, is to recognize and explore eachother's "financial personalities" and come to agreements on how to deal withfiscal issues. "One person might really need security and that's where theyfocus, while others are risk takers," she says.  "People need to look at their financialhistory and what they're coming to the relationship with, not only theirexperiences socioeconomically, but the lessons they've been taught aboutspending and saving, secrecy and openness. It's important to acknowledge andwork with each other in terms of those financial personalities and decide whatcompromises each is willing to make."

2. Don't dwell on thepredicament. While you should honestly face the issue, obsessing over the circumstances of your situation can be damaging mentally andphysically. Michael Thomas, owner of a window-washing business in Longmont,Colo., is currently digging out of $455,000 in consumer and mortgage loans.Last year, as a harsh winter put a sizeable dent in his income, he internalizedthe stress. "I gained about 20 pounds, had a lot of trouble sleeping and wouldfeel like a loser for not being able to pay my obligations on time," he says.

Thomas also shut out his wife from the pecuniary plight. "Ithought I was shielding her from the stress of the situation," he says. "Turnsout, however, she was stressing right along with me. She was getting sick of mymoody behavior, but now we communicate better about finances and take responsibilityas a team."

3. Get out and getmoving. Seek ways to relax, have fun and, as the old saying goes, "get yourmind off of it," if only for a while. "Whether it's meditation, exercise orparticipating in sports, find an activity that helps rejuvenate your mind andbody," Carll says. "Spend time with friends and family. When you're in afinancial bind, vacations may not be a possibility, but you can look foralternatives locally that you can enjoy together."

Ropp Beal, for one, prefers to pack up in the summer andhead north to a favorite Michigan hideaway. "When I'm there, I don't worryabout anything except the weather and going out in the boat," she says.

4. Pay it off.It's obvious, yet important -- creating a plan to methodically eliminate the debt is key to your long-term happiness. "The knowledge that you're working onit will help," Carll says. "Psychologically, it's the light at the end of thetunnel that you will be able to eventually overcome this. Hope is a veryimportant component of decreasing anxiety and depression."

A specific strategy doesn't have to be elaborate, but itshould be realistic for best results. "At the beginning of every month, Brandiand I review what expenses we're going to incur and decide together what we cansave on," Thomas says. "We're paying down balances rather quickly, especiallythe higher-interest debt. We also look at expenses in a whole differentperspective, discerning between what we want versus what we need."

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