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More than a fifth of Brits currently in debt are lying to their partner about the amount of cash they owe – if you are hiding your problems the only way to ever solve them is to deal with your debt head on.

According to the Post Office, the average person in the UK has £9731.51 worth of debt. However, on average, people will only admit to half of what they owe  – £4,603.17 – when talking to a partner or family member. It says nearly a third of people also admit to hiding the extent of their debt from other family members.

The report also revealed the serious emotional and physical consequences of covering up that debt, ranging from sleepless nights and anxiety, to turning to alcohol and problems at work – simply, if you hide your adverse debt you only make the problem worse and will make your journey out of debt more prolonged. Talking to a professional will not solve problems overnight, but it is a positive start.

The Post Office says more than three quarters of people who have an amount of hidden debt have never confessed to the true extent of their adverse debt. And of the 22% who did confess the true extent of their dishonesty, the majority were caught out rather than choosing to come clean.

Doug Strachan, director of financial services at the Post Office, says: "The recession has put a massive strain on many families and people may be, for the first time, experiencing levels of debt that they cannot control.

"The most important thing to remember is that if you do need to borrow money make sure you are responsible about it and set out a clear re-payment plan. Managing the debt effectively can mean there is no need to experience the terrible emotional and physical symptoms hiding debt can result in."

SOURCE: Post Office, 22/04/10

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