Increasing rents putting strain on me and my family

[Grace53]

Hi I'm a British migrant with no family here I have a husband that suffers from depression and doesn't work and my daughter has anxiety I work full time but with the increasing rent rises I'm struggling financially im alone have a big burden on my shoulders and fear we will run out of money I don't get any government assistance my husband won't claim for Centrelink im a support worker so I'm caring for people all the time some times i feel sick with worry mght end up living in a tent or my car my daughter is still at school 15 I'm 53 and life gets tiring and hard for me I will keep going till the money runs out hopefully my husband will help out and get a job its frustrating as he smokes and wastes the money i earm

[Grace53]

How can people survive with the mounting stress of rent increases and Bills I'm a single income earner with a casual job as a support worker I have a daughter with anxiety my husband has undiagnosed depression and I'm the only one working it's getting hard I'm 53 with a 15 year old daughter working full time my husband looks after the home but spends the money on cigarettes my rent is increasing my husband refuses to claim for Centrelink my landlady could charge us alot more in rent but doesn't as were good tenants im fearful the money will run out of I will get sick and not be able to work also I'm only permanent at weekends so pick up extra shifts in the week im tired feel alone and sick with worry all the time I have a stressful job looking after the disabilities and special needs kids I have a beautiful daughter's smart and so kind but gets anxious at times.i need to look after her so scared something will happen to me and i wont be able to provide my husband's dad died he was left half his house but his brother is living in it and he won't kick him out and sell the property but we could end up homeless im feeling so tired and alone it's effecting me having this burden on me my husband buried his head in the sand I keep thinking I we will end up in a tent or living out of a car with my daughter and husband Im a middle income earner but a lot of my money goes on rent and tax I try to keep going for my daughter my husband hasn't been sexual for years and hadn't worked for 6 years I don't know how much more I can take sometimes I'm working 10 hours days 6 days a week but barely scraping even

[Sophie_M]

Hey there Grace53, 

Thank you for your post and welcome to the forums. We can hear you’re feeling overwhelmed, and you're dealing with a lot in caring for others and feeling burnt out. We’re so sorry you’re feeling this way, but want you to know that by posting here, and sharing your story with our community, you’ve already taken an enormous step and shown such bravery and strength.  

We can hear you're dealing with a lot and it sounds like talking to someone would be helpful so you don't feel the burden of these issues all by yourself. Have you tried speaking to a GP, often they can steer you in the right direction for some support either for yourself or your husband. We wanted to share some resources that may be of interest, some of these may not be relevant for your situation but in dealing with the pressure that you're under, it's important to take care of yourself.

• When your inner critic is giving you a tough time 
• The Beyond Blue Heads Up page on working with a mental health condition  
• The Beyond Blue Heads Up resources on taking care of your mental health.  

In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to give the lovely Beyond Blue counsellors a call on 1300 22 4636 or speak to them on webchat here. There are also some really good pointers here for staying connected, and finding support through a trying time.  

Thanks again for sharing here. We hope the words of our lovely community members above brings you some comfort through this difficult time. 

Kind regards,  

Sophie M 

[Grace53]

Thanks for your kind words I will take some of your advice on board if the worse comes to the worse we can return to family in the UK but after 16 years living here we have called Australia home my daughter only knows Australia but at least we would have some support from family thanks

[HappySheep]

Hi Grace53,

Oh Wow. I'm so sorry you are going through such a stressful time! You really are carrying a load that's way too large for one person. It really sounds like your situation is unsustainable long-term and you need some help.

What happens when you try to talk to your husband about your financial situation?  Or about getting help for Depression? Just by visiting a GP he could start to get some professional help which may make things easier on both of you.  I know with depression it can be very hard to take any kind of action at all. Is there any way you can sit with him to work out a plan, one tiny step at a time?  Is there a reason he will not approach Centrelink?

Can you approach Centrelink yourself and at least get some information on what sort of assistance they could provide you both?

The most important thing for you to do is to take care of yourself.  You will be no use to your daughter or husband if you become unwell with all this stress.  If you think you need help, go and see your GP.  Do you have friends or family you can debrief with? Let off some of the pressure?

Please take care of yourself.

Regards, HS.