> He next question was whether I was an organ donor.
That's dark. I've been homeless for 5 years (including working full time and having never been an addict). I'm very healthy so for a while I felt like I could be targeted by black marketeers like organ harvesters.
> I completely see why people turn to hard drugs, I consider opioids daily almost.
I joke that if I were to give up and become an addict at least someone would help me because it'd be their job. I've always been a hard worker and hate being unemployed, I'm obviously not waiting around for handouts. The situation is just that impossible to solve, "no man is an island" except the homeless and similarly beat down people I guess including the ones who turn to suicide. It was humbling to ask for help for the first time in my life and be preyed upon or abandoned at best.
Never imagined myself here. Will never consider suicide, but the math and pressure to get rid of myself from my relatives and former friends is obvious. I always thought I had a support system but indeed what "they" say is true: everyone is in it for themselves. I constantly look for ways to be valuable to others, but on a desert island and sometimes literally starving there are few opportunities.
Helping others is the key, while not being exploited by predators.
I'm glad you're still chugging along. Until you need real help you've no idea who your real friends are, I've found. Which is why I feel like I've no true friends left.
From experience I know how hard it is being down and out and without a support system, so I really hope you're able to find a solution.
I know every single homeless resource I ever tried didn't work. They just passed my name from non-profit to non-profit, set up interviews only to be passed again. Literally not one of them was ever of any help.
Wish I could offer a hand, but I've nothing anymore.
Really hope you make it out, it's something I'd wish on no one.
My apologies if this is an inappropriate question (if you feel this is the case, please feel free to tell me so and to bugger off etc).
Mind if I ask the "how" question? Was there a particular 'event' or chain of events that led to your being homeless?
For context, I am researching / hoping to research "hospital admissions" as a precipitating event of (first) homelessness, so I am interested in people's lived experience with that topic (as well as practical pointers on how I could materialize this research in more practical terms).
> I joke that if I were to give up and become an addict at least someone would help me because it'd be their job. I've always been a hard worker and hate being unemployed.
I could totally see how that might be the case. This has "Shirky Principle" written all over it, doesn't it? It's weird how the system is wired like that... In fact, that's partly my motivation for this research, actually; the idea is that, if a first (and otherwise avoidable) episode of homelessness could be detected and avoided prior to discharge, that would be much more beneficial than allowing people into that mess in the first place and then having to prioritise who "deserves" the most help after the fact.
That's dark. I've been homeless for 5 years (including working full time and having never been an addict). I'm very healthy so for a while I felt like I could be targeted by black marketeers like organ harvesters.
> I completely see why people turn to hard drugs, I consider opioids daily almost.
I joke that if I were to give up and become an addict at least someone would help me because it'd be their job. I've always been a hard worker and hate being unemployed, I'm obviously not waiting around for handouts. The situation is just that impossible to solve, "no man is an island" except the homeless and similarly beat down people I guess including the ones who turn to suicide. It was humbling to ask for help for the first time in my life and be preyed upon or abandoned at best.
Never imagined myself here. Will never consider suicide, but the math and pressure to get rid of myself from my relatives and former friends is obvious. I always thought I had a support system but indeed what "they" say is true: everyone is in it for themselves. I constantly look for ways to be valuable to others, but on a desert island and sometimes literally starving there are few opportunities.
Helping others is the key, while not being exploited by predators.