It's 3AM here and I'm up at the keyboard. It's been 20 years since my problems, so that may help explain some of the long term consequence from what you are going thru.
Credit counseling is very different from those consolidation rackets. In Canada, there is something you can go thru which amounts to a proposal to your creditors. It may be pennies on the dollar, but it freezes the interest charges and is better than a full out bankruptcy. It's administered thru the courts and I think the US has a similar provision within their bankruptcy laws. Financial trouble can gather very fast. Sometimes, that 2 month setback can take years to sort out. A bankruptcy will rape your credit rating and your self esteem, but 7 years of no credit cards will return you to a clean slate. It's real tough to face your bank manager at a time like this, but they may be able to give you some good advice as to how to recover. Even if you owe money, they would rather see you clear it up and take the loss than spend the next few years hounding you for repayment they may never get. It's actually cheaper for them in the long run.
I sure hope this helps. It was painful aquiring this knowledge, but I'm nearing retirement now and things are looking good for me. I would hope you can do the same.