it has been a big fear of my for a long time; to end up homeless and unable to find mental health services. i'm not homeless right now, but i am having a hell of a time. :frown: i see homeless folks downtown, a few i recognize because they're always downtown. what the fuck? are these people just throw away people? even i have a hard time looking them in the eye and just smiling or saying "hi". but it makes me feel horrible. i'm sure i'm hypersensitive and i just block it all out so i don't break down and cry every time i see a homeless person in true need. i'm not talking about the street kid that enjoys being a street kid, asking people for money to go buy beer or drugs. i worry about the ones that are mentally ill. i'm not asking you all anything. i'm sure if i dig more i can find an organization that's already in place to hep these people, but do they walk the streets or do they sit in a building waiting for the mentally ill homeless folks to come to them? guess i'm just frustrated with myself and humans in general. i'm selfish and so is just about everyone else.
I've worked with the homeless before, have experience and have volunteered at a shelter over Christmas couple of times. Some of their stories are very sad, and it makes you realise that it could happen to anyone. If they are known to mental health services, then you kind of know the area they will be in each night, but so many people go unnoticed, in more ways than one.
I worked for Mercy Hospital.. I hate to break it to you.. The Homeless get treated really good here in the City of Pittsburgh Pa.. Mercy and other behavioral units travel to locations where homeless people are.. providing them with some health care, mental assistance, D&A counseling, food, warm thremo sleeping bags for the winter.. At least they got that part right here, now just to assist people with homes.. I kid: They do have emergency mental health units that also travel 24/7 to people in crisis whether you have a home or not, just give them all call..
If you are serious about your fear of becoming homeless, there's probably a lot that you can do to prepare for that as a possibility. Maybe contact one of these organizations ahead of time. Or join one of the communes? I hope that you don't become homeless. If you think you may be eligible for federal disability payments, you may want to apply asap. I think there is typically a 2 year wait to get these. It is indeed heartbreaking to see the suffering and injustice of the world. For me, it has become necessary to believe in karma in order to stay sane. That is, that somehow all those who have suffered injustice will eventually receive some divine compensation either in this life or in a future incarnation. Now, I'm not saying that I know that it is true, but rather it is necessary for me to believe this. I think I can function much better this way. I can be happier and also more capable of doing some good. There are shelters and organizations that help the homeless. I've also read about tent cities in California. oh, if you find some good homeless links, could you add them to the "all in the family" resource post?
I think that is a fear a lot of us have. Again, like a lot of us. I am not downplaying your fears and concerns, instead I am letting you know that you're not alone. Yeah, because if you want help, that's the place to be. Maybe panhandling. Maybe getting mental health help. In the city there are far more opportunities than if you're in a small town or out in the woods. Typically. To much of society, yes. I know, it's sick and depraved, until they are there, then they may realize what it is really like. Get over it. Next time you see someone homeless, smile and say hi. At first it'll be a pasted on smile. But after some experience, it'll come naturally. There are some people that you just can't smile at under the best of circumstances. That's just the way it is, I'm afraid. Yeah, you'll have those. And you'll also have, like you said, the druggies or the drunks. Actually, they are mentally ill as well, and odds are that most if not all of the homeless that are on drugs or are alcoholics have more mental health issues than just their addictions (no, I can't give a source though it should be easy to find if you want it). Then there are those that are there by their own choice. Sounds crazy, but it's true. Some prefer it. And many, really, of those that are there by choice actually are studying it or wanting to experience it to further their knowledge and experiences. I knew of a college girl that went homeless for a year by her own decision. She had a bachelors degree already and wanted to go further but had no idea what to do. Another friend of ours told her to be homeless for a bit. She did, for a year, and she went to school to be a counselor. She found her way. Not a problem. And if you were I don't think it would bother any of us. Well, most of us (there's a few yupiies in here). Yeah, that's normal. Ok, after answering all of the concerns you posted, let me speak from experience. My experience is when I was a kid and had to run away from home. The first couple times were horrible. I had a very hard time making it. Then one time I met a couple of guys that were experienced, and they showed me the ropes in just a couple days. I ran away from home a few more times, but everytime I came back at my own decision. After I became an adult I ended up homeless a few times. Each time was a breeze because I had already been through it before. The best thing anyone can do is write up a plan. A "what if this and what if that" plan. This is important, because it will give you some direction if it happens. Is it because you lost the place you call home? Is it because you lost your job? What caused it? How can you rectify it? Next, do you have a car and is it paid off? If you do and it's not, get it paid off ASAP. If it is paid off, great! Have you ever been camping before? Well, if so, then this could be a bit easier. Go to a second hand store (since it sounds like you're short on dough) and get some camping gear. Mess kit, a good reliable backpack, a small light weight tent, and either one really big tarp or two small ones. I prefer the really big one, myself. Sounds crazy, but if you lose your home, those items listed just because your new home. Now back to the car- If you have a car, that just made it a lot easier. Make sure you have a repair manual and a few tools so you can take care of it yourself if need be. And if you have a car, you also have a place you can sleep. Cars make good shelters when the need arises. I used to have a small single axle travel trailer. 16' long. I had a small pick up that would pull it. THAT was a huge blessing a couple times. Also, now that I don't have it, I have a full size truck, and that opens the doors for me. I went down to Wal MArt a couple years back, and found they had a sale on heavy duty duffle bags. I bought 2 sets of them, and it was one big one and two small ones in each set. I used all of them. I started compiling gear. I started stocking up on spae clothes. Thermals (since I live in the mountains that is a priority). And then one day I got a hell of a good bonus, and I full a large duffle bag with Mountain House food packs. All said & done I have 3 weeks of food and evnough gear that I could survive almost anything. But then I am different, Boogabaah. Unless I have no alternative, I'm going to the hills. That's a lesson I learned as a kid. Stick around civilization if you have a need. But if you have no need, head for the hills. Me, I know how to, for the most part, live off the land. So if I end up homelss again, I can say "screw this? and GTF out of Egypt. This really is more of a primer. I hope it helps. And if you have any more questions please feel free to ask either here or in PM.
I`ve been homless for one winter in Germany but since I didnt drink alcohol I mostly found nice people who let me stay over night at their home. Well, it was a sort of hippie town, that helped. I dont think this works in "non hippie" towns.
Unfortunately,many mentally ill homeless people wind up in prison ,when they should have been in a state care facility instead of on the streets. But at the same time I think that there is more available to help homeless in today's world,then at any other point in history.
I want to apologize. My initial post in this thread was a bit too much. Sadly I have seen people end up homeless and then "go off the deep end" because they had no idea how to handle it or what to do or any of that. End result, as I said, they go off the deep end and get in with people that do them nothing but harm. One was a girl I wanted to date, but she knew everything and didn't need any help when she lost her apartment. Her end result is she got in with a guy and he got her onto meth. Now she looks horrible and can't be trusted with anything. She'll sell anything she can get her hands on so she can get a meth hit. Again, my apologies. Should they be in a state facility? A prison with doors is no better than another prison with bars. They need help, yes. But they learned their distrust from somewhere- the School of Hard Knocks. It is very hard to beat those lessons. And as I personally learned, relearning is not always a good idea. I know how much I have been screwed over by cops because of my disabilities. They do it for kiocks. To them it's enjoyment. Yeah I learned there's a few good cops out there. A few. VERY FEW. (and I come from a family of cops!) So when people say that you have to unlearn from your past so you can relearn to better your future (a common statement made by counselors), I say they're full of shit. Unlearn the distrust that I learned the hard way so I can get screwed again? Oh, I see. Counselors are somehow better. Not so. I know it and so do the mentally ill homeless people.
I saw a homeless guy on michigan avenue in chicago argue with another homeless person about stealing his spot then he finally walked off, peed on a building right there, 9 am in the morning infront of allllll these people, then he flips off the crowd of spectators, walks around to the side of the building, drops his pants and finishes it off by dropping a deuce. I giggled.
The state facility is designed to care for the mentally ill,and you're right it's not a nice place to be. It is however a far better place for the mentally ill to be than the prison system,that treats them like any other offender and houses them with people that will abuse and use them far worse than any of the counselors/patients will.
my personal attitude towards the homeless, or at least the one i've tried to maintain, is to treat them like any other person. treat the ceo executive in the 2,000$ italian suit the same as the bum who found his clothes in a dumpster. that's not to say i'd walk down a dark alley on the word of a homeless guy, but i try not to treat them with any self righteous condescending sympathy or callous anger ("get a job you fucking bum!") ive encountered quite a few homeless folks. seems like the majority are either mentally ill or addicts (or both). i met a guy like that once i was in honolulu 6 years ago and i saw this cool lookin homeless guy sitting by himself on this rocky beach. 40 or 50something year old black guy. long dreadlocks. just sitting there playing the most mellowed out chill jazz guitar i've ever heard with his electric. no amp. his guitar case was closed and he wasn't in a busy area so he wasn't begging for money. the most amazing part was the huge flock of birds that surrounded him, listening to him. it was so cool. i had a conversation with the guy. apparently he used to teach guitar at some music shop. dude seemed a little off but i dont think ill ever forget the cool man named Blaze playin guitar for the birds in honolulu.
ive been in a state mental hospital with former prison inmates. i heard "id rather be in fucking prison" quite a few times.
