Hiding a layoff from the family, bad idea? - 13 months and counting

I was laid off 17 weeks ago and have not told my family because I do not want them to worry. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. Bills are coming up and I cannot keep this quiet.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.