Hi, I’m Erin. I'm a 31 year old trans woman from North Carolina, and I need help to cover rent, basic living costs, and fixing my car so that I can do delivery work again until my lease at my current residence is up in April. I have been struggling for a long time, but this is the worst it's been and I don't have another option besides hoping for the goodwill of strangers.

I've been in a rough spot with my mental health for a long time: I'm diagnosed with bipolar disorder, ADHD, clinical depression, and generalized anxiety disorder and am unmedicated. I have been reluctant to seek treatment, as I have a reasonable distrust of medical and psychiatric providers as a trans person. This has been motivated by several close friends and loved ones experiencing inhumane treatment and abuse when seeking mental healthcare.

I struggle with severe PTSD (undiagnosed) from a major traumatic incident where my roommate took their own life 3 years ago and I was the one who discovered their body. This has been the main contributor to my difficulties functioning. Since then, all of the most challenging symptoms of my mental illness that were at the forefront (depression, near-constant anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD flashbacks since the incident, crying until I literally cannot move or breathe) have left me unable to comfortably function in life without the help of my loved ones.

During a hospital visit about three weeks ago, I was referred to a clinic locally in the Triangle that can help me (I do not have Medicaid) with healthcare I need. This will likely include psychiatric care, a referral to a specialist for formal PTSD diagnosis, and a treatment plan that includes specialised trauma therapy such as EMDR therapy. While this will greatly help me in getting back on my feet, I am facing financial challenges staying safe and housed while things fall into place, because loved ones and friends do not have much disposable income to spare.

I'm coming to you, the Internet, in desperation to ask for help in staying housed, fed, and safe during the next few months while I work closely with my best friends, my mother, and those that can offer non-financial support, to rebuild my life, heal, and achieve independence again. I have only been able to be housed these past nearly 3 years thanks to my best friend covering my rent and utilities at the places I have lived, but she isn't able to help me financially in these few coming months. I am determined to recover and find out a way to move forward, but I can't do it alone, and I am in desperate need of help. While I do have a car, it is not currently driveable and I need help fixing it so I can have income through delivery work.

I have not been good at proactively seeking the kind of help I truly desperately need myself and it has taken a toll on the emotional health of those I care about the most. Things cannot deteriorate any further and it is clear things simply have to change for me. I just need help getting there and any help, even if it is just to spread the word, will be invaluable and life-saving.

Thank you so much for reading this far.

My best estimates of the expenses for the next 4 months (including a rough estimate of deposit/first months' rent at whatever my new residence*) are below:

~$1000- Needed to fix my car to have it driveable for delivery work

~$2800- $700 monthly for rent and utilities (lease ends April 2026)

~$1400- Groceries and personal care essentials (~$350 monthly)

*~$1500- First months' rent/security deposit at new place of residence (This is flexible/subject to change as I'm still seeking housing for after my lease ends)