Scared and Confused

The first time I posted here, I'd been using this site to research and learn. I thought I had figured out exactly what I needed to do. But I'm scared to close my account and send those letters to Magnum Cash Advance and PayDayOne. I had a lady e-mail me about debt consolidation/settlement. Do you guys recommend going this route or trying to settle it myself. I honestly don't care about settling for less than what I requested; I just want this to go away. I'm very scared of everything I am reading about these evil companies.