It's been more than four years since the recession began. While many Americans changed their spending habits in the wake of the financial crisis, it appears that many people are reverting back to their old ways.

At the beginning of 2011, Americans paid down more than $32 billion of credit card debt. However, at the end of the year, Americans appeared to have increased credit card debt by about $64 billion.

The recession was a painful experience for most Americans, but there may have been a silver lining. The financial crisis taught many people that they cannot spend more than they earn. However, some may have forgotten that piece of advice as evidenced by the increasing debt levels.

Although credit card debt is unlikely to increase to its highest amounts, the amount of credit card debt accumulated in the fourth quarter of last year was 154 percent more than in 2010.

A good way of controlling credit card debt is to stick to a budget, although that is sometimes easier said than done. Some may find it helpful to only use debit cards or to have their credit limits reduced so that they don't find themselves overspending.

When credit card debt becomes unmanageable, it can feel like a hopeless situation. Although there are ways to try to control credit card debt, unemployment, an illness or another situation out of your control can make it impossible to pay back. When that happens, it may be beneficial to explore what other options may be available. For some, bankruptcy is the best option to eliminate debt, and to begin down a path of financial security.

Source: The Christian Science Monitor, "Credit card debt: Are consumers returning to bad habits?" Odysseas Papadimitriou, Dec. 31, 2011