Please tell us your questions on mental health & debt

Gabby_girl

I'm suffering from clinical depression, stress and anxiety and am being hounded by phone calls and letters from work, both relating to my absence, and other issues which could really wait till I'm fit to return. This is making my condition worse - I'm scared to answer the phone or open the mail in case it's yet more hassle from them. Can anyone advise on what companies legally can and can't do to employees in my situation? I'm really not coping at all right now and have felt suicidal on more than a few occasions because of the additional stress this has caused. I'm also worried about my financial position, and would welcome general advice about benefits and other help available.

HappySad

I had severe mental illness all my life and only knew that I could get registered disabled and get disability allowance when I was in my 30s.

As a mentally disabled person you don't know what is on offer for you. Like you can apply for a carer card; so that they go free with you when you visit the cinema. I can go low price to family attractions with the kids. Just getting no fines at the library has really reduced my anxiety with returning books. A nice long list of all the moneysaving options for mentally disabled like already listed and also a list of organisations & charities to support you with your money as a disabled person would be good. I found out that t-mobile has a special direct number that disabled people can ring without having to press 1 then 2 then 5 to eventually get to someone. When you are mentally ill you have to be somehow well enough mentally to work out what is out there for you. When I have well periods I spending plenty of time working out what I can do to make my ill times more manageable..

I look after 2 boys and I find just shopping online means that I don't get the stress & anxiety of having to cart the kids with me down to the supermarket every week.

I am lucky in that my mental illness still leaves me really tight with my money. I have a friend who has lost their house and has no money left due to mental illness.


I want to return to work & start a new business as I can't manage the inflexibility of employment. What is available for a mentally disabled person to start earning some money and not living completely off the state?

As a Bipolar person I found the Manic Depression Federations excellent!!!!! You pay a yearly fee & get a financial support time with legal advice. They is also the option to take out a good travel insurance with their recommended company. They bi monthly (yes BiPolar with a BiMonthly mag) give you advice on the conditions with the latest new about treatment, alternative care, books, tv shows and the latest benefits available and how to apply for them. They worked with the famous BiPolar Steven Fry when he made is documentary about BiPolar last year. They also have an online website with a forum. Oh yes they also run support groups thoughout the country and also run BiPolar courses with BiPolar trainers.

What ever your mental illness find the organnisation/charity & forum for it for your support. This has worked completely for me, as it helped me to diagnose myself 2 years before the doctors did about my condition and then ment that I was able to make effective changes with my life to greatly reduce my extreme condition.

This is a good post...

drummerbabeuk

I suffer from SAD,which I was diagnosed with 20 yrs ago.I am ill from September to April every year .Some years are better than others but for the past 4 yrs I have been under the crisis team from the hospital for about 3 months of the year. As you can imagine ,just getting through the day and staying alive are the most I can try to manage.I have always done all of the finances in our family and my husband has been blissfully unaware of the financial problems my illness has caused; loss of earnings,late payments,unable to work out figures to stick to a budget,using credit cards without keeping track etc... We are now on a DMP with CCCS but some companies do not seem happy with that ,even though I really am trying my best.Is there any advice for someone like me with a debilitating mental health problem like this which affects me up to 6months of the year every single year.Any help at all would be very welcome.Thank you.

HappySad

Gabby_girl wrote: »

I'm suffering from clinical depression, stress and anxiety and am being hounded by phone calls and letters from work, both relating to my absence, and other issues which could really wait till I'm fit to return. This is making my condition worse - I'm scared to answer the phone or open the mail in case it's yet more hassle from them. Can anyone advise on what companies legally can and can't do to employees in my situation? I'm really not coping at all right now and have felt suicidal on more than a few occasions because of the additional stress this has caused. I'm also worried about my financial position, and would welcome general advice about benefits and other help available.

Do a search for depression charities & also try Mind to see what help they can offer. See if they offer membership that offer free legal advice. They may offer free legal advice with out membership. Also were you work they might offer free employee confidential without you having to give your name employee legal support. My partner's work offers this for his whole family.

It looks like your work is harassing you. Document all calls and what is being said by both of you and also when they call.

Are you a member of a union? They can definitely help you.

Try mentally disabled forums & post your concerns and someone could offer advice.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

A comprehensive 'diagnosed - now what?' type article would be helpful.

When someone is diagnosed with Bipolar, for example, they have enough difficulty getting access to information about the medication they are prescribed, never mind anything telling them they may be entitled to DLA and exempt from the new equivalent of the Personal Capability Assessment for Income Support, a Freedom Pass and that their money problems/hiding in case a letter comes through the door can be part of their illness.

Then there is practical advice dealing with the money side of things. The impulse control of a person with uncontrolled Bipolar malfunctions, so it isn't as easy to say 'change your credit card over and pay it all off' because new, sparkly things may be absolutely irresistible in a way a healthy person just wouldn't experience, especially when insight is poor and spending enormous sums of money is an expression of the delusions the person suffers.

absolutebounder

simone6333 wrote: »

Ive recently bought a house but cant find anyone who will give me life insurance on the mortgage. One of the factors is I have been ill with depression and off work for the last year. I wouldnt even mind if they made death due to the Bipolar Disorder an exclusion but my parner would be left with a mortgage he couldnt afford on his own if I died. ? Any ideas

Some insurers can often do it. try a good broker or http://www.the-insurance-surgery.co.uk/illness/depression/insurance.php?ref=200&gclid=CPqtxIXfk6ICFSU8lAodOAQgjg

HappySad

drummerbabeuk wrote: »

I suffer from SAD,which I was diagnosed with 20 yrs ago.I am ill from September to April every year .Some years are better than others but for the past 4 yrs I have been under the crisis team from the hospital for about 3 months of the year. As you can imagine ,just getting through the day and staying alive are the most I can try to manage.I have always done all of the finances in our family and my husband has been blissfully unaware of the financial problems my illness has caused; loss of earnings,late payments,unable to work out figures to stick to a budget,using credit cards without keeping track etc... We are now on a DMP with CCCS but some companies do not seem happy with that ,even though I really am trying my best.Is there any advice for someone like me with a debilitating mental health problem like this which affects me up to 6months of the year every single year.Any help at all would be very welcome.Thank you.

Yes I know what you mean. As a mentally ill person you REALLY need big time to apply the teaching from MSE so you don't get into debt in the first play. Also completely simplity your spending. I only have one credit card that automatically pays off in full straight away. Everything is paid monthly by direct debit. I have numerous reminders on my iphone to ensure I don't miss anything that I need to.

chadarooney

Like so many other I have been diagnosed as being bi-polar, but I had 4 years before that suffering without the diagnosis and the correct medication. I accumulated alot of debt and have been deperately trying to deal with it. I consulted a wonderful debt councillor who arranged payment plans with all my creditors, but I struggle every month. I am registered disabled on incapacity benefit, I receive DLA, but can't use it for anything but debt payments, I am also a single parent. I know that my only choice is to go bankcrupt, but I don't really know the implications of this. Its bad enough trying to make it through each day, but having so much debt just makes everything worse.

ash4becks

chadarooney wrote: »

Like so many other I have been diagnosed as being bi-polar, but I had 4 years before that suffering without the diagnosis and the correct medication. I accumulated alot of debt and have been deperately trying to deal with it. I consulted a wonderful debt councillor who arranged payment plans with all my creditors, but I struggle every month. I am registered disabled on incapacity benefit, I receive DLA, but can't use it for anything but debt payments, I am also a single parent. I know that my only choice is to go bankcrupt, but I don't really know the implications of this. Its bad enough trying to make it through each day, but having so much debt just makes everything worse.

just wondering how much debt you in rember to everyone if your not a home owner dont have any possions over a grand then you can get a debt relif order for £90 if debt under 15k x

TreeofLife

This is a great thread and I hope it can make a difference.

I have suffered from depression for all of my adult life varying in severity, I have tried counselling, medication talking to friends but it isn't going to go away. As a parent of two children I find life really hard and I feel very alone carrying the burden of life without support, I have to draw on my own resources to keep going but often they are hard to find and sometimes not there at all. There are periods (of varying length but usually several months) when I have very little recollection almost as if they've been erased when I am unable to function, unable to open post, find if difficult to go outside, don't want to see anyone etc. Not many people know as I'm too proud to tell them and I don't want their pity and when I visit the doctors it is hopeless as I disguise my true situation (subconsciously).
I wouldn't consider myself to be indebt as such and do not have a credit card and am not a spender however I do live off an ill-advised re-mortgage which is dwindling fast, I have had a CCJ registered against me (for a debt I don't owe), debt collection agencies write to me because I missed one payment and things spiral , my finances are a mess because I am not able to manage simple day to day tasks (like getting up in the morning) let alone dealing with all the administrative things you need to do. I do try think that something is sorted out and find that some institution has got it wrong and I have to sort it out again and again and again, BGAS, Nationwide, E-ON, LLoyds Bank etc etc screwing thing up all the time.
I was working part-time setting up a web-site to promote the area in which I live and was getting Working Family Tax Credit but I had to stop as I was not coping and yes I didn't reply to their annual form and now they are asking for £3000+ back, I do owe them some of money but nothing like that amount but who can help me sort it out......no one. I'll not get Legal Aid as I have a house, CAB won't help me either for the same reason, I can't afford a solicitor....it is what happens you get on a downward spiral and you can't get off.
I'm lucky because I can do things but the back log is sooooo great I get overwhelmed and struggle.
My priority is always my children and I spend time with them bringing them up well, with good manners, teaching them respectful and to think for themselves, we don't have much but I do have time with them.
I've been applying for part-time term time jobs but I haven't been successful as there are few in this area.
There is no help for the likes of me, I'm on my own, I have no hope of help especially from the medical profession who just want to give me medication and a few weeks of therapy.
What would help me would be an amnesty on payment of taxes, debts etc, I'd be able to get myself straight with a clear conscious. I'd like an adviser to help me through when I am over my dips and can help pull things round to being on track again.
Mental Health and Debt is a terrible thing and affects so many people I hope this threads helps people in difficulty.