Anxiety, fear and paralysis: Being a military family in the era of government shutdowns

(CNN) — As military families lurch from one pay day to the next, they’re suffering collective anxiety, unsure if paychecks will arrive as the government shutdown passes a month with no signs of resolution.

Just days ahead of pay day, the Trump administration has shifted Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security funds and accepted an ethically dubious private donation to ensure that service members receive their upcoming paychecks.

A welcome last-minute reprieve from missing mortgage payments or defaulting on medical or credit card bills is still not a respite from the stress of anticipating and preparing for impending financial hardship.

“People panic, people worry about paying bills,” says Coast Guard spouse Jessica Manfre, who is a senior case advisor for Coast Guard Mutual