Umm, no-one's a failure unless you give up. You can be a loser, but only a failure if you truly hate yourself. It's not normal to hate yourself, you're just emotionally exhausted.

I don't know your situation, but recognise the symptoms. Feel free to PM me

Hey bro! I'll be blunt. You have two things going against you. 1. The place you're in, and 2. Your outlook on the situation. At this moment, you're not seeing any way out. The reason for this is that you do not recognize the terrain. You are on unfamiliar ground! What you're seeing is that you are not able to produce the results you would like to produce, so you conclude that you have failed and are continuing to fail. You're now operating on negative energy. I've been there!

Here's what you need to do to switch to positive, productive energy. First of all, forget about quantity. Forget about how much money you need, or how much effect you need to produce. Instead, focus on the quality of effect you can produce. Start with a task that you can be held responsible for on a regular basis. Whether it's doing the laundry, washing the dishes, or preparing the meals. Now pour every bit of yourself into the task. Make it as perfect as you can possibly make it. Keep doing it until you perfect it. Do it for the love of your wife and child. Continue to do this in all honesty, without gaiving up, and what you need will come to you. The skills you learn in producing quality with the smallest things can be applied for producing quality with larger things. It's a law of nature.

Pos is right Gurutalon, a positive attitude goes a long way... Try getting hold of a copy of Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman

http://www.amazon.com/Learned-Optimi.../dp/0671019112

It step by step guides you to shifting from negative to positive ways of thinking. Oh and before you think its just another self help mumbo jumbo psycho book, Seligman is president of the American Psychological Association and is as big as any big wig can be (obviously his strategy did ok for him!). Well give it a go as sometimes positive things happen to positive people and even your studies will improve along with the feel good factor.

Cheer up..there are other TEFL courses if you don't pass the CELTA.
Some language schools see it as an advantage but not a prerequisite.
Other language schools have their own training programmes on the job.
You have a degree in English so you have the background.You just need
to get some experience now.Check the papers for teaching jobs at
language schools,you just might be lucky.

Or just start out what something really really small that you can perfectly do, and build out from there.

I have a TEFL certificate and have looked at schools and every one I have applied at either said they want experience or a CELTA.

Perhaps you could try applying for work at the various Wall Street Institutes? I don't know if there are any by you, but there are quite a few in the centre and west of Switzerland. I know they need receptionists, lab assistants and teachers who must have excellent English skills. Maybe you could contact one of them and tell them your story? I know it's kind of intimidating to pick up the phone - or even better book a slot with a Service Manager - but please don't think they are the Borg. The ones I met are all very warm, sympathetic people. I'm sure you'd get a fair hearing

Alternatively, put up 'English Conversation' notices in the Coop. Charge whatever you like, the less the better. Once you've a fan base, it'll spread quickly and soon you (could) be busy. I'm sure there must be many businesses in the region that feel they need to brush up on their English. This all may seem like do-gooding advice, but I really believe if you put the fear in a box and lock it away, you may be able to step over the element in yourself which is inhibiting your esteem. There's dignity in labour and if you have to work for peanuts to find it, then perhaps so be it.

Maybe print out 10 A4 notices offering English conversation hours and take them to 10 different businesses in your area - factories, hairdressers, police/gemeinde office. There can't be that many competitors, can there? (I know in the cities it's kinda competitive). It'd take an hour of your time and potentially provide you with income, and that blessed feeling of relaxing after a days work. I know how it is to be constantly anxious re. work and money; you go to sleep with it and you wake up with it. Claim your weekends back! Work for yourself to help yourself. Hope you don't feel discouraged or that I'm trying to tear you a new one, but the behaviourist approach works best for me! Good Luck

Sometimes when you are feeling overwhelmed and can't see what your options are, it can be helpful to seek out some help for a while to allow you some time to get back on your feet. Have you thought about talking to a doctor? Being down for a long time can get your brain chemistry out of whack.

Beyond that, whether you choose to try some meds for a while, the key is as another person said, to reprogram your thinking. We can get so lost in our negativity that it helps to take conscious control of your thinking.

If reading books is not your thing, Louise Hay has some great audio CDs to help with self esteem affirmations, and stress reduction.

The best thing you can do for your family is take care of yourself. Do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself right now.

Starting your own little business is the way to go..start marketing now..
there is so much demand out there!

Tgif.nl - I am surprised that you consider a whole country to be populated by idiots - what is your nationality? and if its so bad why don't you leave?

Another possibility is working in the Far East for a couple of months
to find your feet and get the experience in Tefl that you need before
you teach here.English teachers are really in demand there..everyone
wants to learn English!!

Nail-on-the-head time, there.

Let's be honest, from what we know of you gurutalon, you would be unhappy in France, Spain, China and anywhere else including I dare say Zurich too.

It's time to stop feeling sorry for yourself and waiting for the world to fall in your lap - it never will. Get that lardy arse of yours in gear and stop wasting your life.

You'll look back at your time here - and it may be for a very long time as your wife seems to be studying here, her qualification can only be used in Switzerland - and hate yourself for not maximizing the situation.

You can write about your experiences - and not in a grumpy Oh-how-I-Hate-Switzerland mode. You can work for charities. There must be other English-speakers in your Canton - form a club. You're living in one of the most beautiful parts of God's earth, dammit. Nor do you fear for your life nor wonder if there's a landmine in the field nor whether you'll eat tonight.

Get exercising and get thinking positively. NOW!

Agreed! Little upsets me more than people who choose to live here and complain about it! chris

Just a small point there - not everybody "chooses" in the strict sense of the word to live here. But you are in the complaints corner, so expect some complaining!

Totally agree, not all of us are here by choice!!!

Well, if ever I need a friendly kick in the ass, I know where I can get it! You are right, Uncle Max, getting the word out is the way to go. However, I cannot deny the lawyer in me. If you want to start your own business, in any country (not just in Switzerland or Germany), you have to pay taxes. So, you should be very certain to have that lined up (whatever it is you have to do in Switzerland, I am not quite sure) before you advertise, especially at the Gemeinde or Police. Once you have done that: Go for it! Change your life - only you can.
Idgie

Sure! But those who choose to live here and complain about it are my complaint. I personally don't know any expatriate who is forced to stay here, but I'm sure it's possible.

Think about anyone who has married someone and left their home country, come because of work, family, child, any number of reasons. Sure it's not like they are imprisoned, it's just that they might rather be somewhere else. Hard to understand for those that are in love with the place, but true nonetheless.

I've chosen to live in quite a few places, and I've always had a complaint or two about all of them - maybe you even grumble from time to time.

We all have to choose to live somewhere, sometime - should we be forbidden to complain about the country we live in? "If you don't like it then you can leave" is actually quite a simplistic dismissal of someone's grievance - hence the complaints corner was created for a bit of understanding from those who don't want to hear that last statement

Just because someone chooses to live here doesn't mean they should live here with rose colored glasses or with their fingers in their ears yelling "lalalala" whenever something they don't like crops up.

No place is perfect, and there will be something that bothers everyone about where they live. Are you saying you have absolutely no complaints about living in Switzerland? Not a tiny, teeny niggling one?

It is like a marriage. If there are no arguments, then someone's giving in all the time and it isn't a healthy relationship.

And there are those who live here and don't necessarily choose to, and who may be a part of this list. Or those who chose to live here and are having trouble "fitting in". Or those who love it, but do have a few complaints. Or a multitude of other scenarios. But to say "love it or leave it" is simplistic and lacks insight.

__________________

He's not only complaining about being here, the man is having a hard time meeting his livelihood. He has a family to support, he's not able to work, and not able to figure out how to get started.

In regards to complaining about this place, I totally encourage it. Not all of the problems you are running into are because of you and your person. Know who you are, and know this place is flawed and it really sucks in lots of ways.

Don't count on finding mercy and compassion here from the locals. Don't let this place beat you, because it will try to. You'll have to struggle and fight, and yes, it is winnable.