Dealing with Debt and Depression.

MagsF

Hi,
I just registered today for this site because I wanted to get some advice about an old credit card debt I have, when I came across your thread.
I just thought Id post and hopefully let you see that things will eventually start to look up. Ive been through most of it in the last 10-15 years, including the depression.

I was a nurse, and ran an operating theatre in a large teaching hospital. Not an easy job, but for the most part I enjoyed it. I was married, no kids, and suffice to say when I ended my marriage, I had over £20 debt to pay off.
I managed the bulk of that with working hard and virtually no play. I was working extra shifts on the agency. But that took its toll on my health and I ended up leaving my job through quite bad depression. I sold my flat and moved to a council flat, which paid off a few more debts. I was on incapacity benefit for about 6 years. During this time my mother had a couple of strokes and my brother died of bowel cancer. Didnt help the depression. But some things are just not meant to be that bad.

So I started to feel better, and did a couple of courses at the local University with a view to getting a job in an office or reception ..........
So I got off Incapacity benefit, and got sorted out for claiming Jobseekers Allowance.... but before I went to sign on for the first week...I was taken very suddenly ill. I was rushed into hospital where they found I had a perforated bowel, and I had a colostomy for 6 months. That was me right back on Incapacity benefit. Still, I had the colostomy reversed in March this year, and I have just been feeling so much better since the first operation just over a year ago.

Since then, I looked into restarting my nursing career, but found that the courses to re-register either stopped or full for the forthcoming year.
So....what did I do? I applied at the last minute to University as an undergraduate and I actually got accepted. Imagine, at 48 years of age becoming a student for the very first time!! So here I am a year after thinking Id nothing left in my life, feeling great, exams are upon me, Ive lost almost 3 stones in weight, joined a gym, and life could not be better!

So to anyone out there who feels like I used to feel, its bound to change at some stage, life cant be that bad for that long. One day things WILL just get better and you have a new direction in life.

I hope that helps to lift spirits a bit.....especially at this time of year.:beer: The only way is up after all!

So now I'll go scour the rest of the forums to find some advice on my last nasty bit of debt, my credit card with just over £8k on it. Just looking for alternative ways to pay it off....

Merry Christmas everyone, and Im sure things really will be different very soon :rotfl:

Lucy1982_2

Thanks

I know that things will get better, I just need to make a change and start the ball rolling, but as things are food related for me, I am going to start by making tomorrow a chocolate free zone and move on from there. I am also going to make a meal plan from now until the 1st Jan as that takes the stress out of food.

Congrats on getting into Uni (Which one?) I loved every minute of my time there and would recommend it to anyone young or not so young!

Good Luck and go beat the credit card debt!

MagsF

I know you can do it :j
Im at the University of Paisley studying Science. I live in Paisley so its a nice walk there, not too long and enough to get a bit of a stretch:)

My food thing were crisps and nuts Im afraid :eek: and I could just sit there and eat them til I couldnt eat any more....I still have them of course, but Im more able to stop after a few.

Anyway, the best of luck to you, I'll watch your thread and see how you are doing
I always find it so amazing that there are so many people in the same boat that you didnt know about before. Its a great idea this, to start a thread. Helps you feel much less alone!

Take care:A

Lucy1982_2

There is nothing worse than feeling alone. But I will let you know how I get one with the Chocolate challenge and my meal planning tonight.

I am at OH's parents for Christmas and his Mum is a wonderful cook, so I don't stand a chance dieting there. But that doesn't stop me at home and if I can get into the mind set before we go I can at least try to be as good as I can be.

I wasn't clever enough to do a subject like Science, I did English Literature!

SortingIt_2

Hi Lucy,

Just been catching up with your thread. Sounds like you have been a tad manic - easier said than done, I know but, you can only do what you can and I am sure that your boss won't expect any more than what you are capable of. I was in that position too for a while, my boss was off for 3 months and I had to take on her work and my own whilst managing a team of 8 on top of that...it was a nightmare but I cracked one evening whilst drinking wine and crying my eyes out and thought enough was enough I was not going to let work get me down any longer and just did what I could. For me a to-do-list (in priority order) was very helpful and it was a great feeling when I crossed one off.

Try not to be too hard on yourself over the christmas period. I too have put a little weight on recently but am in the mind that it is Christmas so I am not going to set myself any goals that I know I will never keep given the time of year! 2nd Jan is my start as know I will have a hangover come new years day and crave stodge!!

Congratulations on the £2 credit....!!!!!

Take care xx

Lucy1982_2

Morning.

I know I have been a bit manic, I attacked the christmas presents in a nearly final wrapping frenzy I still haven't got it all done.

I am just going to try and take one day at a time. Today I am going to try and do without chocolate, I know I can do it and feel better for it. Work shouldn't be to bad today (hopefully!) I have managed to do the most demanding things and have to tidy up a few bits now, chase a lease for my Boss and resource a couple of bits. What I don't do will just have to wait until the new year.

I want to try and leave a clear desk on Friday night so I will be work towards getting as much paper off my desk in the next few days as possible. So work jobs for today (I will update them)

- Do some more filing
- Try and tidy bosses desk up a bit for him
- Start working my way through 3 files and update them for new year.

I think that might be enough for the Christmas sort out today and I will list some more tomorrow. I just hope that there are no nasty phone calls today and I also hope that my Bosses Dad is ok.

Speak to you all later x

Lucy1982_2

Ok thought I would do a little lunchtime update.

So Jobs for Lucy done 0, Jobs for Boss done 2. Christmas jobs done 0. Hmmm need to try harder!!

- Do some more filing
- Try and tidy bosses desk up a bit for him
- Start working my way through 3 files and update them for new year.

Still I might leave it until after lunch now.

Lucy1982_2

Right another update I think.

So Jobs for Lucy done 1, Jobs for Boss done 2. Christmas jobs done 1. Getting better

[STRIKE]- Do some more filing[/STRIKE] finished for now :rolleyes:
- Try and tidy bosses desk up a bit for him
- Start working my way through 3 files and update them for new year.

Had a nice ham salad for lunch so far no chocolate for today, but I am wondering whether hot chocolate counts. I might see how I get on and have one later.

Pay day tomorrow so I can start hitting my debts big time again and I have £40 for OH's Christmas present if we ever make it to the shop to finish our Christmas shopping!

Feeling a little calmer at the moment, I feel like I am beating the huge pile of work I have to do, just need to tackle the huge amount of stuff to do at home now. it's never ending.

Lucy1982_2

Wooo Hooo!!! It's PayDay!!

I actually ended up £2.60 in credit But now the real hard work starts. I have sorted out my money transfer. I have £30 spending money for the Christmas week and I will be putting £30 petrol in my car (Mum has said she will give me some petrol money as she will be using the car while I am away)

Unfortunately no chirstmas bonus.... We never get one, but you can always hope!!

Loads of work to do again today, but I am going to try and get more done. So:

Jobs for Lucy done 0, Jobs for Boss done 0. Christmas jobs done 0.

[STRIKE]- Try and tidy bosses desk up a bit for him[/STRIKE]
- Start working my way through 3 files and update them for new year.
- Sort out of office for emails
- Chase the signing of a lease
- Get hold of some building plans
- Put Christmas party photo where people can see them!

I think that will do for now, I don't want to scare myself :rotfl:

Lucy1982_2

Jobs for Lucy done 3, Jobs for Boss done 0. Christmas jobs done 3.

- Try and tidy bosses desk up a bit for him
[STRIKE]- Start working my way through 3 files and update them for new year.[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]- Sort out of office for emails[/STRIKE]
- Chase the signing of a lease
- Get hold of some building plans
[STRIKE]- Put Christmas party photo where people can see them![/STRIKE]