In debt with mental illness - bipolar.

Fuzzy_Logic_2

Hello all, this is a really difficult thing for me to talk about and I've been in denial about it for years, but lately it is affecting my health. I'm a man in my 30's and also a single parent with a child. Here is an outline of my situation.

In 2007 I ran up debts with my bank (Nationwide) for around £3,000 and also a debt with credit card for £2,000 (Barclaycard). This was mostly accumulated during the summer and in a space of a few months.
I moved out of the place I was living in April 2008.

I had a break down and was referred to a Psychiatrist in Feb 2009 where after 2 months of tests and consultations I was diagnosed with bipolar. Since that time I've been made aware of some of the symptoms and the main one is when I'm manic I have out of control spending sprees. The debts that I ran up were when I was clearly manic but at the time I was out of control and knew nothing of my condition. This mood disorder means I go from high times(mania) to severe and crippling depression. I'm now on medication Seroquel and Lamictal, these do help but every day life is still a struggle.

Last year I had a letter from the bailiffs so I returned it to sender then few weeks after I had a phone call from them. I said that the person they were after did not live at the property any more and they told me they would remove my number. I heard nothing until 3 weeks ago when another letter from different bailiffs arrived so I returned it to sender. Now they have sent another one and I'm too scared to open it. In the past three weeks since I received the first letter I have gone into a bad depression that always includes anxiety and paranoia. My cpn is aware of this and she suggested I deal with the debts but I was not sure so looked into changing my name by deed poll and even considering moving.

I'm now swaying towards trying to confront them, sort them out however I can as I cannot go on living like this it is making me very ill. I don't work due to sickness, am in receipt of employment and support allowance and I don't have any savings either. I own a car that is worth no more than £500 and have no major assets so I looked at a DRO but I'm unsure what is constituted as an asset.

I rang my local CAB and they don't have any appointments for a few weeks but have a drop in service tomorrow that I'm considering going to. I can't open this letter until I have someone to help/support me with this. In the past I have always had problems with managing money and getting into debt but always managed to avoid paying them. Now on medication I see the world in a totally different light and am starting to realise that I can't run from debt all my life. I don't own any credit cards or have any overdraft facilities with my bank, only have a basic bank account.

Can any one give me any more information or advice on what to do please?
Is it worth changing my name and avoiding them or is it better to face up to it and try to sort it?
Is there any specific help for people like myself?
Which way do I turn or do next?

I've been lurking around the forum for a few days, reading topics and getting information, now I'm asking you dedicated and knowledgeable members for your help. If there is any more info you need I will gladly give it.
Thanks in advance for any replies.

Krisp_3

Hi there!

First of all, congrats on your first post and letting us know some of what's going on with you. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you.

Just so you know, I too take Lamictal, but for Epilepsy, not bipolar. I hope your side effects weren't too bad for you - they can be rough (I know this!).

I don't have any experience of bipolar myself but I know someone who does - his description sounds very similar to yours, I have to say! He went ahead and got diagnosed some years ago though, so is some way ahead of you in dealing with it, coming to terms with it and so on. He was in a real money mess due to his mania spending sprees, but is pretty much sorted now, thankfully.

As to what to do? Go to the CAB drop-in tomorrow and take that letter with you. if you get to see someone, tell them everything and open that letter. You sound as if you know that really, you can't go running from this for ever, especially as you have a child to think of (is he/she living with you?). As to how this will pan out with whoever the letter is from, I don't know, but if you make a start with dealing with this, the quicker it will get resolved.

I am sure that there will be others on their way soon to help and advise. But I didn't want you to think you were being ignored. You will cope with this, you will deal with whatever comes up. Your bipolar status will likely make it more challenging, but it's not insurmountable.

Take care

immoral_angeluk

Moving, changing your name etc will not solve the problem. There will be a paper trail and they will eventually trace you, having added on massive charges for the priviledge.
What you should do is go to your local CAB, or call CCCS or National Debtline. I would recommend, personally, going along to your local CAB with your CPN in tow for support.

It sounds from the face of it that you may be eligible for a DRO, Assets constitute things like property, high value possessions etc (antiques, etc)....
Have you paid into a pension previously which is not currently being paid out? Are your debts below 15k? Do any bailiffs have walking possession? Do you have any secured debts or utilities?

gonzo127

well a big start and probably a very difficult one for you would be to try and create a SOA http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html - now you dont even have to put in your debt details just yet if it would be easier, but use the SOA to work out how much you can realistically afford to pay off your debts each month (and remember to post it up as we might be able to offer other advice and help)

and once you have worked this out it will help with how best to deal with the these, also depending on how your money looks it might be worth while building in a bit of 'extra' emergency funds to cover the probably mania spends that could happen - of course untill we see the SOA we cant say if this would be possible but in your situation i would say a worth while budget should include this possibility.

as to changing your name - doing it legally via deedpol will leave a link between your 'old' name and your new one so is not worth while as a escape - especially if it is possible to deal with them 'properly'

have you checked out Christains against poverty? as they will also do face to face meetings which sounds like the type of support you require and could be quicker than the CAB

tobstv

I am not a bi-polar sufferer, but my husband was diagnosed 8 years ago... First of all it is really scary and takes a long time to get back on your feet, but it can be done! We were in a ridiculous amount of debt - your £3000 pales into the insignificance :-D. My husband was an in-patient for a while, so the nurses offered to call the credit card services - apparently it really scares them :-D We did not use it in the end, as it was a choice between keeping a good credit rating and having some peace of mind.. The debts were run up over 3 episodes of hypomania and it was incredible how much you can spend in a very short period of time... Do not ignore the situation - sadly even when I called and begged the bank to stop my husband from accessing the joint bank account, as he was sectioned - there was nothing they could do. If you put your mind to it, you can deal with any debt and the most important thing is not to let the illness beat you! We found that once my husband belived he was going to get better, everything gradually started falling into place.. The problem is - it takes a long time - it took him nearly 5 years to get back to where he was before the breakdown. You could ask your consultant to write a letter to the bayliffs and explain the situation - this could help. Your CPN or Social Worker should also be able to write and explain the reasons for your debt and some particulars about your condition. Do not be scared to ask the health professionals - they should be able to help. Hang in there - this too will pass...

Fuzzy_Logic_2

Krisp wrote: »

Hi there!

First of all, congrats on your first post and letting us know some of what's going on with you. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you.

Just so you know, I too take Lamictal, but for Epilepsy, not bipolar. I hope your side effects weren't too bad for you - they can be rough (I know this!).

I don't have any experience of bipolar myself but I know someone who does - his description sounds very similar to yours, I have to say! He went ahead and got diagnosed some years ago though, so is some way ahead of you in dealing with it, coming to terms with it and so on. He was in a real money mess due to his mania spending sprees, but is pretty much sorted now, thankfully.

As to what to do? Go to the CAB drop-in tomorrow and take that letter with you. if you get to see someone, tell them everything and open that letter. You sound as if you know that really, you can't go running from this for ever, especially as you have a child to think of (is he/she living with you?). As to how this will pan out with whoever the letter is from, I don't know, but if you make a start with dealing with this, the quicker it will get resolved.

I am sure that there will be others on their way soon to help and advise. But I didn't want you to think you were being ignored. You will cope with this, you will deal with whatever comes up. Your bipolar status will likely make it more challenging, but it's not insurmountable.

Take care

Thank you so much for your reply. I've only been on Lamictal for 2 months and not noticed any side effects, yet. My child does live with me and has done since they were 4 (16 now), I get no support from my their mum. I will go to the CAB tomorrow with the letter and also other letters stating the benefits that I'm on. Kind regards.

Fuzzy_Logic_2

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

Moving, changing your name etc will not solve the problem. There will be a paper trail and they will eventually trace you, having added on massive charges for the priviledge.
What you should do is go to your local CAB, or call CCCS or National Debtline. I would recommend, personally, going along to your local CAB with your CPN in tow for support.

It sounds from the face of it that you may be eligible for a DRO, Assets constitute things like property, high value possessions etc (antiques, etc)....
Have you paid into a pension previously which is not currently being paid out? Are your debts below 15k? Do any bailiffs have walking possession? Do you have any secured debts or utilities?

Unfortunately I can't get my cpn to go with me tomorrow but may take my mum with me, she is very supportive and knows the whole story.
As for assets the only things I have are TV, PC & Monitor, few external HDD's, stereo amplifier, bike and a cheap guitar. I don't own any high value possessions.

Never paid into a pension and my debt are around £5,000 but unsure of the exact amount until I open the letter. Don't know what you mean about walking possession and no secured debts or utilities. Thanks for your reply.

Fuzzy_Logic_2

gonzo127 wrote: »

well a big start and probably a very difficult one for you would be to try and create a SOA now you dont even have to put in your debt details just yet if it would be easier, but use the SOA to work out how much you can realistically afford to pay off your debts each month (and remember to post it up as we might be able to offer other advice and help)

and once you have worked this out it will help with how best to deal with the these, also depending on how your money looks it might be worth while building in a bit of 'extra' emergency funds to cover the probably mania spends that could happen - of course untill we see the SOA we cant say if this would be possible but in your situation i would say a worth while budget should include this possibility.

as to changing your name - doing it legally via deedpol will leave a link between your 'old' name and your new one so is not worth while as a escape - especially if it is possible to deal with them 'properly'

have you checked out Christains against poverty? as they will also do face to face meetings which sounds like the type of support you require and could be quicker than the CAB

Thanks for the link and your reply. I will look into doing an SOA in the next 24 hours and also post it up for you all to see. I think the changing my name idea is now going to go out of the window, can't run forever. Will also check out Christians against poverty too.

Many thanks to you all for replying so soon and with such useful information.

tbourner

The guys on here can definitely help with your debts.
Can I also advise joining up to http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/forum/ if you havn't already? I'm not sure how many on there can help with bipolar disorder but they were a great help to me when I was having bad panic attacks and anxiety. It's a horrible scary situation but there's always someone willing to listen and lend any hand they can.

Fuzzy_Logic_2

tobstv wrote: »

I am not a bi-polar sufferer, but my husband was diagnosed 8 years ago... First of all it is really scary and takes a long time to get back on your feet, but it can be done! We were in a ridiculous amount of debt - your £3000 pales into the insignificance :-D. My husband was an in-patient for a while, so the nurses offered to call the credit card services - apparently it really scares them :-D We did not use it in the end, as it was a choice between keeping a good credit rating and having some peace of mind.. The debts were run up over 3 episodes of hypomania and it was incredible how much you can spend in a very short period of time... Do not ignore the situation - sadly even when I called and begged the bank to stop my husband from accessing the joint bank account, as he was sectioned - there was nothing they could do. If you put your mind to it, you can deal with any debt and the most important thing is not to let the illness beat you! We found that once my husband belived he was going to get better, everything gradually started falling into place.. The problem is - it takes a long time - it took him nearly 5 years to get back to where he was before the breakdown. You could ask your consultant to write a letter to the bayliffs and explain the situation - this could help. Your CPN or Social Worker should also be able to write and explain the reasons for your debt and some particulars about your condition. Do not be scared to ask the health professionals - they should be able to help. Hang in there - this too will pass...

I really appreciate your first post here and for posting with your story in this thread. It does help to know there are others out there with similar problems to me.
All this bipolar stuff is new to me although I've known for many years that I had mental health issues but I chose to hide it and self medicate. I was too afraid to tell any one of what was going on, so much stigma surrounds it and I was worried I may lose my child. At the moment I'm too scared to open the letter or contact them direct so I will see what happens at the CAB tomorrow. I will also speak to my cpn when I see her next to see if anything they can do to help my case.
Kind regards.

Fuzzy_Logic_2

tbourner wrote: »

The guys on here can definitely help with your debts.
Can I also advise joining up to if you havn't already? I'm not sure how many on there can help with bipolar disorder but they were a great help to me when I was having bad panic attacks and anxiety. It's a horrible scary situation but there's always someone willing to listen and lend any hand they can.

Had to remove your link when quoting as not allowed to post them as a new user but thanks I'll certainly look into the forum you posted.
You're right about the people here helping too.