cocopuff3315

I'm going to have to apply for welfare I'm unemployed and can't maintain anything right now... I feel like I'm officially at the end of my rope and need to finally quit drinking.

Dee74

What have you tried so far to keep you sober cocopuff?

D

Gal220

Staying sober was the best thing I could do for myself financially and for my employment. There is no way I could maintain my job the way I was going. I think a lot of people have been there. Fear of losing my job or being publicly disgraced or even criminally charged for working as an alcoholic were big motivators for me to quit. I could see where I was headed, and wanted no part of it. Trying to fix the external problems in my life (relationships, finances, etc) was a waste of time for me until I quit drinking.

It sounds like you're at that point too. What is your plan to get sober? If I can do it, you can do it. But it does take more than just feeling sorry for myself and wishing I wasn't drinking.

ippochick

i'm on benefits here in the UK, because my mental and physical health have been bad. i'm about to move into a flat of my own after splitting with my husband so I will also be claiming Housing Benefit.

i'm using this fresh start to really dig into sobriety and get things back on track, especially with my daughter who has been living with her Dad since my last big drunk in September last year.

i'm planning on going to college in September to study for a qualification which will lead me into a degree in Social Work. i'll take the spring and summer to realy make sure i'm ready to start my life again properly.

i don't know what the future holds. i do know i'm not ashamed of claiming benefits - i worked hard and paid in for 20 years, until a breakdown in October of 2012. i am learning to see this as an opportunity - i would never have quit my well-paid job to study, so the fact that in the end i just couldn't hold that job anymore is something i have to learn to see as a blessing.

be well.

NJDOC

Interesting thread

Brian316

Well I was unemployed with no benefits last summer. Just did odd jobs for about 6,months and when I got cash I spent it at the bar down the road. Eventually I lost my house and my family. But I finally got hopeless enough to seek sobriety for real. I hope you don't have to get that hopeless. I can tell you it feels better to work and stay sober than it does to be unemployed and drunk.

bigsombrero

I understand your predicament and perhaps it might help to view your situation in a different light. First off, I was in a very similar position. I had to leave my job because of alcohol-related problems. I received unemployment benefits in my first few months sober, and then they ran out. I had to take out my entire savings to live on, and then that ran out also. I then did odd jobs, and even rented out my apartment to tourists in order to make ends meet. I even spent the night once at the airport baggage claim because I had nowhere else to sleep. I brought a suitcase so that it looked like I was a traveler. Pretty sad stuff, and humiliating and it also made me really angry. I was getting SOBER for gosh sakes. I didn't deserve this. I know what you mean when you feel "at the end of your rope".

For practical advice, you might want to try going on sites like elance.com or odesk.com, sometimes you can pick up some data entry work online that will at least help you get by. Check craigslist in your area for jobs that you might be able to do to make quick cash. Can you sell anything? Your big screen TV or old car? I would assume if you are really considering welfare then you might not have many things of value left, but it's worth a shot.

Finally, there is nothing wrong with going on welfare. There is a reason that Canada has welfare benefits in place - to take care of its citizens who are struggling. It's made available because people need it. Today, maybe that's you. If so, swallow your pride. You've paid taxes, and they are for this very type of thing. It's okay.

Above all, staying sober is key through all of this. If you go on welfare while drinking then it's a recipe for disaster. Get sober. Now. Picking up a drink won't get you a job and it won't make money appear in your bank account. As you become healthier and more comfortable in your sobriety, you'll find that you are able to get out there and get the employment you need.

Good luck.