Another option for do it yourself debt negotiation is to get a loan for consolidation. You can obtain a loan for a considerable amount which is repayable over a longer period of time. Also, you can use this long term loan to offset your immediate outstanding debt, this will leave you with a single monthly payment and sometimes a lower interest rate. This type of plan will give you similar results to what a debt settlement company would do for you. In the loan for consolidation plan, you will save yourself a huge amount on the interest or fees you might have paid for the entire lifetime of the debt.
Sometimes it may be hard to find lenders for these types of loans, because you're normally seen as credit risk if you have bad credit. You just need to know where to look and how to find a legitimate lender. Most regular banks will not do this, but many times they can lead you to someone who will. When doing this always make sure that the lender has good standing with the Better Business Bureau. Many times you can even look in the phone or on the Internet to find advertisements for debt consolidation loans for those with bad credit. Most types of debts can be consolidated so it would be a good idea to find out all debts you have and how much of a loan you would need.