Hearbreaking to hear
I'm out of the industry now, and have been for a couple of years. So I'm certainly not telling you what to do, just giving you some thoughts to put in amongst your mix of options.
First. Thumbs up to you, you got off your arse and had a pretty good crack. Not sure about how good some of the investments were, but nevertheless you had a go. Good intent.
Take a TEMPORARY break. You've had a hit, and the industry's probably tough at the moment. Save like crazy for 18 months, as much as you can toward an instructor rating. Let your absence fuel your passion. Come back, knock off an instructor rating, ideally at the school you want to work with, so dont pick your provider on price alone. Never any guarantees, but you may as well do it where you want to work. Don't be too shy, and let the HOO know that's why you chose the school. Treat the 2 month course like a job interview.
Hopefully by then you will be refreshed and good to go.
Some may jump on here and say don't do an instructor rating if you don't want to be an instructor. Valid point, but you may as well say don't be a charter pilot flying a beat up 206 in the middle of bum f#$% Idaho, unless you want to be a charter pilot flying a beat up...........
You just have to be professional and passionate at that stage of your career. If you don't think you would be a good instructor, fair enough, but don't discount it.
Most likely you will get to stay closer to home, easy to supplement with a second job in a capital city, keeps your theory up to date for future interviews, great for networking both within the industry (pilots) and outside the industry (students from a variety of backgrounds). Trust me you will meet all sorts of characters. Instructing is an increasingly valuable qualification to have for an Airline career etc etc.
Good on you. Stick it out. Do whatever you need to do, but stay focused.
Instructor Rating usually tax deductible, so it will be about a third less painful than it looks, and especially if you pay for the course in late June, and put the claim in the same year. Back in your pocket a few weeks later to pay back to the relative that helped you out with a short term loan for a few thousand dollars in order to keep the ball rolling.