When you are in dire straits

Its tempting to paper over cracks

Ignore the signs of failure

Sweep things under the carpet

Gloss over everything

Perform a good whitewash

Conceal the evidence

Start grasping at straws

Get into a vicious cycle 

But it just delays the inevitable

Reality will come back to bite you

Its just the tip of the iceberg

So better bite the bullet

Take the bull by the horns

Face the music

Get to the crux of the matter

If it were only that simple

To solve your biggest problems

By finding the appropriate idiom

Just say it out loud

And all will be well

Hold on a minute

Idioms do not fix things

They only describe the situation

Putting a label on it will not change it

Its like putting lipstick on a pig

There is no such thing as a magic bullet

You have to make a conscious effort

To recognize the extent of the problem

Then find the proper solution

Make a plan and then execute it

Far easier said than done