Kudos to you and your bf for being so responsible with your finances! That's a lot more than I can say for my own credit history that's for sure. You're actually quite lucky that your mom helps you guys out as much as she does. I grew up with my dad giving me tough love and probably wouldn't piss on me if I was on fire lol. However it does not give her the right to take what's not hers especially when you guys could really use that money! Has your mom ever thought about filing for bankruptcy? It sounds like her only option at this point. You say your scared to bring up her debt with her. You should take a deep breath and stand up to her. I know it's easier said than done though. If someone was pocketing my money I would stick it to them. I would demand they pay me back. But then again I can have quite a temper and be a bit much when I'm angry. But really though, I would definitely be pissed enough to speak up, family or not. I'm BP2 and have many anxiety issues, PTSD, and also BPD. At times it's quite debilitating when I'm being careless and not taking meds. But when I was stable I went and got my certification for medical assisting with a student loan. It was a class from 8:15am to 12:45 pm for 9 months and went quite smoothly. And if you absolutely are too ill to go through schooling then have you thought about SSD? Are you on medication for your illness? Do you see any mental health professionals? Actually you AND your mom might benefit from a little professional guidance. As far as being worried about racking up a student loan for yourself goes, the company's are usually very good at working with you. I knew someone that only paid back $20 a month. As long as your giving back something, even if it's $5 at a time, then they're ok with it. These days a education is quite often a must for a decent paying career. And as far as people with less than a highschool diploma having good jobs goes, they usually got that job 20+ years prior when jobs were a dime a dozen or a friend or family member helped them get the job. At least from the people I have known. Well good luck with whatever you decide to do and I hope your mom learns some responsibility and pays you back something!