Help Heather with Home, health and hope!

Hello fellow earthly beings. I’m in a hard spot and I’m in need of help. 

 

I’m coming to the internet hoping to crowdsource and get unstuck. ✨

**I have been navigating significant housing insecurity for several months. My ex was awarded the marital home as part of our divorce. I withdrew the last of my equity and have drained all of my financial resources. I have been nomadic and moving about with 4 kids and a dog. And have acquired more debt and  I’m starting from scratch. I need help in the form of money. 

I navigated divorce pro se as an Autistic adult operating a business doing direct service work providing 1:1 yoga and peer services to folks in recovery via Milwaukee County while trying to take some graduate level courses while breastfeeding for 7 consecutive years.

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I have no idea how that was even possible..!?

Anyways, I crashed pretty hard with Autistic burn out, new traumas added to the treasure chest and have been struggling. Being neurodivergent, having trauma and being a psychiatric survivor leaves me with little options to safely navigate conventional systems and services. 

It forces me to mask and that harms me - it is almost impossible. And if/when I do mask- it usually results in a somatic meltdown where my nervous system has to process and release in real time. 

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I have been hacking it pretty well considering and I’ve hit a low point. ‍️

I spent most of my professional career doing peer based crisis mental health work and had to drop out of grad school when COVID hit because I was the primary financial provider for my family during that time. (Very sad - I had a fellowship to attend). Add Secondary trauma/compassion fatigue.‍

Furthermore, During all of this, I navigated significant health challenges after having Covid twice. Including POTS, small fiber neuropathy, brain fog, cPTSD, adrenal problems (HPA axis issues ) forcing me to take steroids and a large quantity of other pharmaceutical medications, and variable other systemic health issues including Lyme disease. My brain and body were a wreck…(and I legitimately feel like a completely different person). ✨⚡️

I spent significant amounts of money on medical services not covered by insurance including IV therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, acupuncture, somatic work, etc. - my health is relatively stable as a result. *still autistic AF* and still have PTSD, big emotions and variability in my emotional regulation skills (bc said burn out…). AND still showing up as best I can.

 *recovering perfectionist + decolonization work* ⛓️‍☮️

I’ve landed in Racine Co and it has been quite a bumpy ride. ️

Finding joy and having variable good days in all of this has been keeping me going. I’ve had help from various humans along the way and am grateful for all the parts and pieces that got me to this moment.

I am damn tired and it is not within my capacity to consider getting a job, trying to perform or sell my time and energy for money. It seems I’ll need to sleep for a few weeks and process continued significant experiences I have navigated in 2024. Probably hang in the woods with my dog, make stuff in the kitchen and exist and breath without any demands. Go skating with my kids and keep twerking in the kitchen. 

(demands revv my nervous system from like 0 to 500mph in a millisecond) super fun!

My living in the past year has essentially been a DIY trauma healing program that is affirming for my AuDHD brain. Making art has been a really important part of my process. I’m hoping I’ll be able to get back to a ‘neutral’ place financially, incorporate some work in my life through my art and sharing healing practices and more. I need to continue this process AND get these financial things taken care of. 

Currently, I have a significant WE Energies bill (already received assistance)

$2,700

Need to renew my car insurance ASAP + car repairs for heat to work properly.

$2,300

My phone service was cut off.

$500

My car payment is delinquent.

$3,000

My dog needs grooming and has some vet needs. 

$1,500

Basically, I need cash and haven’t had stability in life to seek gainful employment + my access/accommodation needs right now are not reasonable for most employers. 

*cue commentary on ableism, disability justice and more…

My time and energy are my most valuable resource and I will be working on getting better so I can live in my purpose and passion and share more about healing arts, etc. 

There is a lot more commentary I have about ableism, classism, and sanism in all of this. I’ll save that for another day.

If you can help, I’d be over the moon with appreciation.

Peace and Love

In service and solidarity

Heather