chocolatebeauty’s blog

Well, it’s been nearly one year since I filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Let me reflect back on the months prior to me making the big decison on filing for bankruptcy.  Earlier in 2005, I had started experiencing what it’s like to have anxiety attacks and working for a company that was seriously understaffed in our department.  Seemed like every week we were “borrowing” people from other departments so that we could make our deadlines for the day.  On top of that, they took away our individual incentives that were based on individual performance. They then decided to incoporate a building wide incentive program.  If everyone made their quota for the quarter, we would get a “bonus”.  During this process, I got jipped and wasn’t compensated the extra $3.00/hour I should have received after they took away the individual incentives. Basically they told me that they can’t have a operator making more than a superviso. I feel like if you worked your ass off, you deserve what you worked for.

Anyway, becoming stressed out over the bills piling up and the bullshit I was dealing with at work, I was fed up.  I ended up in the ER on March 20, 2005 and had to be given an IV for dehydration and medication to calm me down. I had the WORST anxiety attack ever. Prior to me going to the ER, I had been put on blood pressure medications for 2 weeks and Zoloft.  ER doctor told me to stop taking the Zoloft. So after getting finished at the ER and speaking to the doctor about my condition, I was advised to quit.  So I go home, type up a resignation letter, and have my sister drive me to work. So I walk in, arm bandaged up from being stuck with a needle for my IV, and hand over my letter. My supervisor was like are you working? I was like are you kidding me.  I just left the ER and I am quitting. Needless to say, my fellow employees were shocked, but many knew that it was coming but not as soon as it did.

So I quit work and my financial problems really started piling up. My grandmother was making my car payments for me, but I told her it wasn’t her responsibility to do that.  I started looking over my bills and I knew that I had to file.  There was no way to get out of my situation.  So, I went and met with a well known bankruptcy attorney.  And he right away told me that I would definately be a good candidate for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. So I paid the $820 to my attorney to file bankruptcy.

Honestly, one year later, I couldn’t have felt any better about the decision that I made to file. Sure, it stays on my credit report for 10 years, but I have my overall health better and I don’t have bill collectors constantly calling my house. I am at peace with myself and know that filing backruptcy wasn’t the end of the world. If you think filing is a bad thing, you have to sit down and consider what you are currently going through and if you think that you will resolve your financial problems in a timely manner or are you going to keep on sufering from the stress, anxiety, and the constant calling from collection agencies. Trust me, I had to think long and hard before I made my decision to file. One year later: stress free and on my way to a fresh start.