Sharon inspires people to get out of debt

Sharon Bull appeared on East Midlands Inside Out on Monday where she told how she had a comfortable lifestyle but developed an addiction to buying expensive clothes and holidays.

In this week’s edition available on the iPlayer Financial expert Jasmine Birtles finds out how to get and stay out of debt.

Sharon told how she managed to bounce back from her problems and now she is a successful life coach and inspirational speaker.

She has written a book to help others deal with similar spending addictions.

She said: “I lost everything - My world as I knew it just fell apart.

“Just like any addiction I got an almighty high from doing that, but like any othr addiction I also had the almighty low.

“Yet I couldn’t stop. I was on anti-depressants and I also was drinking very heavily and I decided that that was it.

She likened her problem to alcoholism and said depression had led her to her habit. She owed over £50,000.

Sharon had attempted suicide in 2011 after selling her home to pay credit card bills.

Sharon said: “Fortunately for me I actually did collapse through the drink.”

Eventually she was able to clear a big chunk of her debts by moving back home with her mother and selling her designer clothes on eBay.

Sharon has written a book, called Stripped Bare, to advise on how people can deal with a similar shopping addiction.

She told the BBC: “There’s no magic formula for this.

“But at the same time I live acompletely different lifestyle.

“I don’t want the material stuff I wanted before.”