Thread:Hannahc12/@comment-28694170-20160701194649/@comment-32738051-20160701213326

Hi Hannah.

Hope you don't mind me dropping in. I saw your earlier forum post but also noticed a lot of other users were already reaching out to you and well, you don't know me...yet. But now that Betty and Jennifer have started with some specific suggestions, I thought I might add a few of my own. Betty mentioned foreclosure law in Canada and that got me thinking of how, here in the U.S., we have a form of bankruptcy that is designed to help people get out from under debt. It ruins one's credit but can give a person a fresh start. There are also debt agencies that can consolidate and reduce debt with similar results, though it takes longer. Perhaps there are similar options available to you in the U.K.? Another thought is crowd funding and here is a site I would highly recommend: GoFundMe. A lot of the users are U.S. based but the British pound is one of the international currencies they support. Just as one tiny example, a very dear friend of mine lost her only child last year and due to his medical expenses, she needed a lot of help with medical bills and funeral expenses and so she and her husband set up a GoFundMe account and in a very short period of time - I think it was less than a week - they received enough to take care of their costs and shut down the fund. She just lost her husband and the expenses are worse this time because there were no savings left and she is now retired. We're working on setting up another fund for her. There is no shame in asking for help - everyone goes through tough times - and I think you may be pleasantly surprised at how much and how quickly the people around you - friends, family, and perhaps even strangers - will be able and willing to help once they hear about your situation. Definitely check into it and see if it can work for you. The last suggestion of course is the hardest one to hear: no matter how supportive your hubby is or how much you love him - rather, especially because of that - it sounds like he has two serious addictions and may need an intervention. I did a quick search on the internet and you may want to read through these - all based in the U.K. - and see if they help you to address his alcohol and shopping addictions:


 * Narconon UK Alcohol intervention specialists
 * UK Rehab Alcohol and Drug Intervention
 * The Lancet Psychiatry Addiction services in England: in need of an intervention
 * The Guardian: How to cure shopping addiction
 * Clinical Partners U.K.: Compulsive Spending Disorder: Help with Compulsive Shopping

Hope this helps.