Back about the time I turned 30 I was in deep credit problems. I was stuck with a mortgage that was 12.5% which was a good rate at the time. I was single and buying a house is difficult for one income.
I talked to a credit council place and they suggested bankruptcy.
I was not going to do that. They were my bills no one forced me into stupid decisions.
It took me 9 years of working extra jobs and no vacations and no extras but I was debt free shortly after my 40th birthday. Everyone got paid except one credit card company that was impossible to work with. It was just $400 but I did not pay them just because they were total jerks.
When we bought our current house we paid over 1/2 down. We paid it off in 11 years. No more debt for me. It will have to be some smoking hot deal on some prime property to make me borrow money again. I learned a hard lesson about debt.
I hope your son learns the same lesson.