Getting Out Of My Toxic Household

I am a queer, disabled, mentally ill writer who loves creating the weirdest art I can imagine. I also do freelance editing and offer my services as what I call a professional cheerleader, reading WIPs for writers and telling them all of the things I love about it. In 2015, I faced the most intense depressive episode of my life. I have to quit both my jobs, and eventually move back in with my parents, and I got on anti-depressants. In 2016, I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic condition which causes me to deal with regular pain and makes it very easy for me to injure myself. With my chronic pain, my depression, and my anxiety, I haven’t been able to hold a job for the past two years, and I’ve also been denied for disability help from the government. I also don’t currently make enough money to qualify for health insurance, so I can’t afford proper medication and treatment for my EDS. Part of the reason I feel so hopeless and constantly drained of energy is the fact that my household is a toxic one. I have dealt with emotional abuse, manipulation, shaming, and gaslighting all my life, and the constant presence of my abuser makes my mental illnesses significantly worse. This also in turn drains me of the energy needed to maintain a lifestyle that would help my EDS. I have a few forms of income—my writing, editing, and the work I do on Twitter. And with these three things combined, I believe I will be able to afford to pay rent on an apartment. I have a friend who understands my conditions and wants to get an apartment with me, but for me to be able to get the apartment with her, I need to cover the move-in costs, and it will likely take me far too long to save that up, in my situation. Once away from my abuser and the toxicity in my house, I believe I’ll be able to lead a much more happy, productive, healthy life. But I just need this leg up first. My goal is to save up this money before March, which means I have two months from the beginning of this campaign. The costs include the security deposit, the application fee, the admin fee, the dog fee and first-month’s rent. All of that totals up to about $1,500. I always expect there to be surprise costs and complications (for example, I still owe money on some medical bills) so I am setting the goal for this campaign at $2,000, to prepare for any unexpected costs. I plan on giving back to the community for all of these donations—I give advice, encouragement, and motivation for creators on my twitter account (@writer_gem), and I love to share my art when I can. Even a buck or two would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for listening to my story! Gem