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When Will This Recession End asked:


I am a single mother of the laziest teenager in the world, or so it seems. I worry about his future, even though he doesn’t seem to be. I am working in a well-paying job (the up side) that I can’t stand (the down side) and they are laying off alot of middle and entry level workers – I fall in this category. I struggle in my finances – my savings and 401K accounts are depleted. I am worried about my future. I am in a relationship, a long term relationship, but I am not sure that we will be in each other’s future in years to come.

Though I try to enjoy my life, much of the time I feel burdened by it. I am blessed with good health, but my overwhelming sense of worry causes me to be sad alot. The things I describe are not uncommon, yet I just don’t handle the rigors of life as well as some others I know.

What’s wrong with me?

Moses Filarecki

Love Me asked:


Well this is a psychological and an economic problem. My mom is extremely paranoid. Here’s examples of things she’d constantly say. She says that she has a computer chip in her connected to a computer. She says there’s cameras in our house in the appliances so the city can watch us. She’s always saying that we’re going to be adopted off because the city thinks she can’t take of us (which isn’t true at all). She laughs during some pretty unusual instances, even if we’re watching a movie and something saddening in the movie happens. She’s obsessed with people that appear over the News and over the radio, saying that they work for the city. My sister who just completed her 4 years of college as a psychology major says that she’s schizophrenic. She has paid one or two visits with a Psychologist but I see no improvement. She’d have episodes, most recently she tore up 3 of our books because she thought they were satanic (she’s pretty obsessive with religion). We really don’t know what to do. She was prescribed some kind of drug but she only took it once when my sister grind it up and put it in her juice. Her mental state isn’t directly dangerous at all in my opinion, she just isn’t stable. It’s getting slowly worse though.

The worse part is, she quit her job some time in December because she thinks that people were watching her in her job and when she was on the road (her job was to supervise and take care of mentally disabled adults on the buses). She quit the job with no notice to her supervisor what so ever. We’ve tried to convince her to try and get her job back (we know it would be pretty unlikely that they will hire her again). She’s also complaining of knee pain (she’s about 51) so even if she does find a job it’ll be problematic. We’re trying to get her to apply to Food Stamps (we had Food Stamps but we never renewed) and apply to housing or Section 8 (we’re struggling to pay rent right now) but she never wants to go. We’re barely scraping by with my sister’s job as an assistant manager at Gamestop, the savings in my Mom’s bank account that is about to run dry, and much smaller than usual income tax return that is coming soon. I really don’t think we can continue living under a roof for too much longer. I might be able to work but the pay won’t help much since I’m still in High School so I won’t be able to work much hours, if I can find a job at all.

So my question is, what can we do about my mom? She’s unemployed and she is showing signs of Schizophrenia. She’s complaining of knee pain that won’t go away. The only income in the house is my sister’s and the income tax return that is coming, which according to my Mom is $8,000. But that return is not going to last forever. Who can I go to for help with this? My immediate family consists of myself (age 15), younger sister (age 11), and older sister (age 22) and a pet cat (we have a cousin that can take care of it in the worse cases, shelter is NOT an option). We do have an Aunt but she’s living paycheck to paycheck and has 2 to take care of. Is there some kind of welfare that we can go to for help? Can my Mom apply for disability? How is my family’s future at the moment? Can my mom find a job? Also, do most health insurances cover visits to the psychologist for the symptoms that my mom is showing? Because we really don’t have the money for $100/hr visits. We really need help out of this.

Casey Oerther

Blind Rag asked:


I need to find an over the counter mood enhancer (not an anti depressant) until i can go see a therapist. I’m bipolar, and i’ve been a danger to myself, and was hospitalized for trying to kill myself. I’m an ex cutter, and i know that its unhealthy for me so i try to stay away from that, but it led to me trying to bash my brains out on a concrete wall. I recently had my wallet possibly stolen from me, and it had pretty much everything, including my Health Savings Account card which is what i needed to pay a deductible to a psychiatrist, which i have been on the hunt for. Now, it doesn’t make much of a difference if i can’t pay the deductible. I have a pattern, when i’m in the mental and emotional abyss at the same time, I start pacing. It lulls me into a trance, and once its complete, i do horrible things to myself. I need something to at least help keep me away from this abyss because when the pacing starts, i go where i can’t be seen to do it, and i can’t stop myself though i’m aware of what is happening.
Obviously, i need help, but until i can get it i need a mood enhancer to at least keep my spirits high, because it seems that i don’t pace when its one or the other. its always when mental and emotional collide.
I’ve looked up St. John’s Wort, and those side effects were a real kick to the gut. Especially that it would interfere with my birth control pill. I’ve taken 5HTP before and it didn’t work. What I need it to be is strong, but absolutely cannot interfere with my contraceptive. Preferably something over the counter as i cannot pay $1500 to see a doctor.

what is happening to me is terrifying me, the suicidal thoughts, the desire to completely destroy myself, and I know its hard for my loved ones to watch.

Also, if there’s some kind of mild sedative to calm me down when i start to get angry at nothing and start yelling like i’m fighting the devil that wont interfere with my contraceptive, i’d like to know about that as well.

Una Guilmain

Sara in NYC asked:


I am a single 41 year old woman living in New York City. Recently, the reality that I may never marry and have children has hit me hard. I have always been very independent. I have had varying degrees of intimate relationships over the years – several long term, some flings, I once lived with my boyfriend of 5 years, even a one night stand or two! But it has now been more than 3 years without any relationship of significance. I am fairly attractive, but I’m finding men less interested than they used to be. Many think I am younger than I actually am – which is a problem. Once they find out my age, well…you know the drill. Most men are looking for younger, sexier etc etc etc.

I am beginning to come to terms with the fact that I may never be with anyone. I made a choice long ago not to settle. I will not do what I have watched SO many of my friends do – which is marry out of fear- fear of being alone mostly. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t particularly like being alone but I have never been able to imagine a life married to someone I don’t truly and passionately love.

The realization that I will most likely not have a family of my own is painful. I don’t have anyone I can really talk with about it because it makes my family and friends really uncomfortable. They don’t intentionally shut me down when I try to talk about it but they don’t really want to hear it. I am the one who has always been the positive one, the “life of the party”, the one everyone goes to for advice. I host parties, I volunteer, I travel, go to events- I have a full life. But I am terribly terribly lonely none-the-less. No one in my life has any idea how much pain I am in- daily- emotional and physical.

I have struggled with health issues throughout my 20′s and 30′s due to a surgical medical mistake that has left me with daily physical pain. Most people don’t realize it. I manage it with pain medication, exercise and positive thinking! But I do anticipate my life expectancy to be shorter than average. I am concerned about how to plan for the last half of my life at this point- alone. I always imagined that I would have a partner and a family that would care for me. I have 2 brothers that have lives of their own and I refuse to be a burden to them or to anyone else. It makes me extremely uncomfortable to think about either one of them having to “take care of me” in the end. I don’t want to be that crazy, eccentric aunt that never married and everyone feels sorry for!

I have a job(s) with a combined income of just under 100K a year, liquid savings of 30K and about 50K in a retirement account. But I live in NYC! I am not saving as much money as I would like or that I need. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or suggestions about how I can plan for my long term care. There have been times where I just wish I’d get hit by a bus so I won’t have to struggle through anymore. I am NOT suicidal! I just don’t like what I see that lies ahead for me. I am very aware of all of the blessings I have in my life. I have people who love me, financial security for the time being, so I am sure it may sound ridiculous to some that I feel the way I do. Loneliness comes in all kinds of packages. I would love and appreciate any shared stories or concerns. Thanks for taking the time to read this. All the best…

Erick Masden

Adam Lambert Fan asked:


I’m a recent college graduate and have a job, but it’s only a temp, it’s seasonal that lasts till November (since this isn’t full time, there’s no health coverage, so I had to get own which only covers emergencies). So I’ve been working my @$$ off finding another job that’s permanent and have over $8,100 saved up in the bank now. Had my first interview earlier this week, I followed up; no result yet till next week (can smell rejection right around the corner; but whatever happens will happen then), no luck yet. Applied to another ad on Craigslist tonight. To put it, since I haven’t found another job that offers health benefits yet and I’m desperately trying to move out of my parents house, I thought I’d just cut out an expense; which is my medication. My doc switched me from Effexor to Lexapro about 3 weeks ago; I’m so lucky to come off Effexor without any serious withdrawal so far. So anyway, yea, in order to save money, I’m going to try to taper off my Lexapro now, that way whenever I can finally afford to move out, I don’t have the extra expense, and therefore there will be less bills to pay. My parents are still paying for my medications, esp when I was still in school over the years, so just imagine how much money we could have saved if I wasn’t on these meds–A d*’mn fortune! My mom could have easily booked another round trip to Europe, and I would have an extra $2,000 saved in my bank account now from all the times I had to help pay for refill over the years! So, what would be the best way to wean off Lexapro on my own? I don’t see my doc for another two weeks, so I could use some tips on this now, on how to withdraw and taper off safely. Thanks.

Neil Vanier

Meredith C asked:


I went to a therapist for the first time in my life earlier this week. I felt very comfortable with her, and think that she could really help me. However, she will not schedule me for regular weekly visits until I take some evaluations and tests administered by her assistant. The cost is $350, and is not covered by insurance. Is this normal? She seems nice, but it seemed odd to me. I told her that I was wanted to wait until the new year, because my insurance is changing and I will have a health savings account and can use tax free money to pay for them. But I am having doubts on whether these are necessary, and if I should go to another therapist instead. Does anyone have experience with this? I’m pretty new to this kind of thing.

Sommer Darland

Marjery B asked:


I have a strained relationship with 3 brothers, father. The oldest brother, David, had mental health issues. I borrowed him large sums of money for rent/food. No one else supported me, or supported David. They said they couldn’t afford it-debts. David would have been homeless. David started to do well again. He had a good job. He succumbed to his mental illness & killed himself. David’s life insuarnce money is here. He left no beneficiery. A ******* note was addressed to me as next of kin. My Dad turned the money over to me to distribute as diplomatically as possible. My Dad only instructed me to reimburse myself for Brother’s debt to me and my funeral expenses. My other two brothers want ‘thier fair share’ (equal 1/4 of money) like a week ago-they have debts, etc My first inclination is to set up 529C college savings accounts for my children and nieces and nephews that will never know their uncle-and/or donate to mental health research/suicide hotline.

Gordon