Thanks, eva25, I'm sure many people will find your post helpful, especially those who are new to this and find themselves in a tough place. Definitely agree the first year or so is the most difficult. It gets much easier with time, not to mention you grow stronger as a person (if you allow for such).
The "famous PATM thread" contains a ton of knowledge, but if you're in a dark place you probably don't have the time or patience to sift through all of it.