Find a job or go back to school?

Last year I made a few of the wrong friends(one of them which I fell for).He was broke but needed a phone so I gave in & bought him one.The package came with two phones,so he gave the other to his friend.I trusted him to pay for the bill,since the phone was now his.A month & a half later I get a call from at&t saying that I owed them over $1200.I immediately tried contacting my so called "friends" but "coincidentally" they had disappeared.Long story short, I had to pay for phone charges,cancellation fees,& for the actual phones.I was 18 & over $2000 in debt. I had to quit college & get the first available job which was min. wage.As soon as I quit school,I no longer had medical through my mom so I tried seeking benefits through my job.I NEED medical because I have 2 incurable diseases that need treatment.2 months into my job,1 of my diseases flared up &I had to quit because the pain was too much.What do I do? Im not the person I was before. I'm a good person. I dont deserve this, do I??

I didn't buy the phone at an actual at&t store but at a small cart at a random mall. The guy knew that I was buying it for my friend(he was there with me) and didn't explain that if my friend didn't pay the bill that it would be under my name and under my credit. I asked the phone guy that even if I signed the papers, if my friend didn't pay that it would all on him and the phone guy said yeah. He gave me false information and took advantage that I had little to no knowledge when it came to signing those papers. Yes, I know that it is my fault for signing those papers but you have to admit I'm not the only one at fault. I'm blaming everything on everyone else.

You made several bad choices and are suffering the consequences. You won't get anywhere in the world by blaming everything and everyone for all your ills. As to whether you deserve it, I have to say yes, natural consequences.
So move forward with your life, and don't be a sucker. They didn't do it to you in a vacuum, YOU enabled them to play you. Once you've paid off this debt, talk to your parents and see what they advise. I'd say go back to school fulltime and get back on their insurance if you can.

If your community has a Victims Services Agency it would be the place to go to get some counseling on what your legal options might be.

The American way. Society, led by the corporation (the telephone company) are out to screw the weakest to the wall. Not much you can do but be more cautious. I'd be tempted to tell the telecom to go to hell if I were you. That $1200 is nothing to them. It's immoral for them to squeeze it from you.

think long term solutions - even with short term problems ... School!

Good luck!

You should find a job and go to school.

Stupidity is now and always has been a capital offense. Now you understand why, don't you?