Hiding a layoff from the family, bad idea? - 8 months and counting

My spouse does not know yet that I was let go as a mechanic. Bills are coming up and I cannot keep this quiet. Did it get easier afterwards?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 8 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Shame is common after a layoff even when it is not your fault. Saying it out loud to one person first helped me.