Hard time at Christmas

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Anyone else having a hard time around Christmas this year?

I purposefully didn't decorate this year as I didn't see the point off all the trouble of decorating, besides my decorations are scruffy so it'd have just made me feel worse. I have no one to spend Christmas with, no Christmas presents to open on Christmas day, and I barely have enough money to eat. I often go for a walk as there's nothing else to do, only this leaves me even more depressed because you see no one is on the streets, everyone is in their homes with friends and family. You can't really talk to anyone about how you feel, not at Christmas.

I'm not anti-Christmas at all, it's just no fun when you can't actually have a Christmas.

As well as Christmas blues I only have £20 to last me until 8th January which is no where near enough to survive on or to pay for what I need up until that date, and I have my ESA appeal hanging over my head. My ESA appeal is on 4th January, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do during the appeal, if ESA is stopped that means no money and a lot of trouble trying to sort things out, I'd also have to sign onto JSA again. I can't cope with being on JSA, I can't work so being forced to apply for non-existing jobs I can't do with the constant threat of being kicked off JSA so losing my only source of money is stressful. I'm scared.

While I can't help you with the x-mas blues, nor directly with your appeal as we have different programs here, I might have an idea that could help.

Around here, we have what might best be described as advocates. These people dedicate their lives to helping people with mental and social issues navigate the world of laws and social benefits and courts and etc. You'll need to do some searching; check mental health groups, and church-ish charities, etc. They might be able to give you tips or even go to the revue with you.

Mind you, it took me forever to just FIND these people around here, once someone told ME they existed, so hopefully you have better luck than I did...

Hi, I hope things improve for you, I'm guessing you have no family you'd rather be with? If you feel like chatting at any point feel free to message me. Regarding the money problems, I thought I'd mention have you tried speaking to the Citizens Advice Bureau? They might be able to help.

I don't celebrate Xmas because I'm not christian, thus consider it pointless and I'm way too lazy to decorate my home, but I bought yummy extra food for my cats.

As every year I've exchanged a gift package with my sister and don't understand why she gave me so many pocket calendars again. She's fallen into this habit about four years ago and I get at least eight pocket calendars a year, once it were ten. I can't handle so many of them, it's merely confusing, but I don't know how to talk to her about it since I'm afraid she might take offense, so I give some away.

I'm the only one of my blood-relatives west of the Mississippi. It's a miserable feeling that comes from knowing that I am no longer a part of their holiday festivities, so I try to offset this by performing services for others.

I plated up over 500 meals this morning at a local shelter.

I'm tired, sleepy, my back and feet are killing me, and if I so much as smell another slice of turkey, I'm gonna hurl.

But there were people who have been discarded by society that had a hot meal served to them without being told to "move along", and for a brief moment, they were happy.

Merry Christmas!

In relation to your money troubles, if you dont have a relative to "borrow" from you can apply for a crisis loan from the JC, this ive had too do many times because they take weeks to decide if you are eligible for the handout.

Im alone for Xmas (by choice) - and the fact that my local town is deserted means it will be fun to wander around it 2morrow pretending im a survivor of a Nuclear war, followed by eating food ive brought down by the river, then sitting at home building door barricades (from pretend zombie invasion).

So yea, Xmas is only as boring as you want it to be - im enjoying the quiet because it inevitably wont last - oh the joys of not knowing what benefits your meant to be claiming, or where your bloody job centre apt card has gone...?

Christmas day, definitely hard. It's hard realising I have no one in my life to spend Christmas with or to care when I'm alone on Christmas, apart from my boyfriend who is thousands of miles away. It's just so hard being alone and having such huge worries about money.

My Christmas has almost been the same, no money, no job, can't work, not on disability yet, DSS lost my re-determination paperwork for food stamps and health insurance so I have nothing to give. Only family I have is my aunt and mother and they're both fighting, I have no one, and nowhere to go. Depressing... I feel your pain, I hope things get better for you

uuummmmm.........ditto

no idea why I own decorations and wrapping paper. didnt recieve a single merry xmas from anyone, Im not feeling well so I had 2 slices of toast.

just me n my 2 cats, .........they had turkey for dinner

just another tuesday, kinda crappy at that