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You really can't help some people. It's very sad. Mental illness is rampant.

I have a neighbor right across the hall who goes in and out of deep clinical depression. I was marginally aware of it before today.

She asked to be put on the list for food to be delivered to her from our local food pantry, during the month of November and December. (The Salvation Army delivers food to some of the residents here normally, but NOT during those two months). Some guys from my church and I are delivering to 8 families. That's all we can fit in our cars.

So we delivered food to everyone on Thursday this past week, and I knocked on her door several times, and she didn't answer. I figured she wasn't home. Turns out she was home.

[i]Another neighbor said she SAW this woman coming back in to our building on Friday, the day after we left the food for her.

Now, to get out of her apartment, she had to step over the food. To get back into her apartment she had to step over the food. Apparently she stepped over it twice.[/i] 😱😱😱

I was sick all day yesterday, to the point where I cancelled a cat scan of my brain, (now that's a case of congestion!), but last night I heard someone knock on her door and tell her that the frozen meat was starting to smell bad, and that she had a bag of fruit going rotten, and there were fruit flies flying around in the hall. I guess I am lucky that I am so congested I can't smell anything most of the time.

If I hadn't been physically ill I would have taken care of it yesterday.

This morning another person knocked on her door, to tell her that her meat was rotten and stank, and that there were flies everywhere. I decided to get into the shower to try to clear up my head, get dressed and take care of it. I was waiting for my hair to dry when another one of my neighbors knocked on MY door to tell ME that the meat smelled very bad and that there were fruit flies everywhere.

He very kindly offered to take care of the problem, and throw the meat away, and move her food box. THAT is when she opened her door.

She told me then, that she doesn't want any of the food, and PLEASE don't deliver any more. At no time till then did she tell me that she didn't want the food. When I told her about all the people knocking on her door, she said she had been sleeping. Apparently she was sleepwalking when she stepped over that food box twice. 🙄🙄🙄

She said she had a lot going on lately, and that she was very depressed. I know that the holidays are very hard on people who live alone, and that if someone is depressed, it is even worse. But this particular neighbor seems barely functional.

I was able to see into her apartment and it appeared that her floor was filled with boxes.

My other neighbor then slid the food box down the hallway, and he threw away the rotten meat. It was such a shame, because there are people who live here who probably NEED meat.

I think about notifying management at times like this. I suspect she has been evicted, because about three weeks ago I heard a man in the hallway VERY loudly telling someone on his phone that her place was full of crap, and that she didn't even have anything to move, not even a dishwasher.

And that is why I will not notify management, or complain. There are already too many mentally ill homeless people in this world. And I fear she will soon be one of them.
You did a great thing.

Also, please take good care of yourself, dear Lady. (((HUGS)))

As you say, probably she is sadly being evicted.
Most people don't/CAN@T comprehend how long term menial illness can erode our mind, heart and soul, until you are barely even there.

We are already on the fringes of society...~We already think it's an imposition that we are even taking up space.
They think she is being lazy, or a sloth or whatever.
Don' t. don' t presume or assume anything. She may be literally holding on by a tiny thread and even if she did not eat that food, you don't know what it meant for her, to see that someone, YOU and others, CARE for her, she may be in a very very bad way, dear.

Sounds like you know she is REALLY struggling.

It's not even that the strongest survive, it's sometimes the ones who have support, consistent mental health support, maybe meds, therapy, etc. .

Hugs.

It it meatal health awareness week now?
It should be a daily thing, not a week in a year;
that's bull patties.

HUGS! YOUR FRIEND LUNA AND FAMILY <3
4meAndyou · F
@LunadelobosIAMTHEDRAGON Thank you my friend. I will try to be more understanding of her weaknesses in the future, if she continues to live here.
Kstrong · 56-60, F
@LunadelobosIAMTHEDRAGON thanks for the encouragement to help those that need help
Musicman · 61-69, M
I am sorry for her, for you and for your neighbors. What a waste of food too. Now some other poor person who really needed that food will go without. Everyone lost all the way around. ☹️
Musicman · 61-69, M
@4meAndyou Will you be a little Leary about helping her in the near future?
4meAndyou · F
@Musicman I can only help anyone here by delivering food. It was a Service Project, and I will definitely not deliver food to her anymore.
MoonlightLullaby · 41-45, F
@Musicman [quote]Now some other poor person who really needed that food will go without.[/quote]

That's what hurts my heart the most.🥺
Abstraction · 61-69, M
#1 Are you ok? I'm worried about your health.
#2 You're such an amazing person. Why am I not surprised that you're reaching out to your neighbours to help. Some people fall into learned helplessness and in a situation like this it just continues to compound. It's horrible to watch because we can only do so much.
4meAndyou · F
@Abstraction My health is fine, please don't worry about me. I just have asthma and severe allergies and sometimes they get the better of me. That cat scan was not even really necessary. It's way past the time anything could be detected anyway.

Thank you for saying something so kind. But please allow me to say that YOU could teach ALL of us how to reach out...to almost everyone...worldwide. YOU are an example to us all.
Abstraction · 61-69, M
@4meAndyou I just have a position that helps me do so. You have done it in many ways through your work and your life.
4meAndyou · F
@Abstraction That is VERY kind of you to say. Thank you!
G0ddess · F
You are too nice to people who don’t deserve it; I’ve noticed westerners often use depression as the excuse to evade responsibility for anything; and it’s pathetic that she wasted the resources that could have prevented another family from going to sleep hungry
4meAndyou · F
@G0ddess All I did was deliver food, as she requested...and it is not up to me to judge people, as to whether or not they deserve things. I think everyone deserves to have food, to be honest.

But I agree that she didn't have to waste that food. Something prevented her from reaching down and lifting up those bags. Personally I think it was her illness telling her that she didn't have the strength, or just didn't HAVE to carry the food in. Maybe she felt she just couldn't handle putting it in her fridge.
Kstrong · 56-60, F
You are showing compassion in those who can't help themselves, keep on doing that. We've not walked in her shoes or know the battles she's fought. We are called to treat others the way we want to be treated and to love .... You may be the only person that is doing that, and her connection to the present... She's someone's sister, someone's daughter... She's still human.... Don't loose heart.
4meAndyou · F
@Kstrong I am definitely grateful. Deep chronic depression is nothing to sneeze at, and it is not a choice. It's a mental illness. It causes my neighbor to be lethargic, to feel as though she just CAN'T take a grocery cart back downstairs, and she leaves it blocking the hallway. She will not cook for herself, but orders take out all the time. And I mentioned what happens if she feels overwhelmed.

I feel sorry for her...but I do at times wish that she didn't live right across the hall from me...🙄🙄🙄
Kstrong · 56-60, F
@4meAndyou thank you for correcting me on that, I feel for her and that she can get through each day ... Keep checking on her ... I've got my own project next door to me too
4meAndyou · F
@Kstrong Stay strong! Only through our strength are we able to help others. 🤗🤗🤗
MoonlightLullaby · 41-45, F
At the end of the day, you know you have a big heart and that you tried. [i]That's all that really matters.[/i]💖
meggie · F
I used to have a mad neighbour like that. Threw all her food out the window, including a frozen chicken at the postman and then said she'd been left to starve. It's very disheartening for kind folk like you though.
4meAndyou · F
@meggie Yes. Disheartening is the word. Your mad neighbor was quite a bit more mad, but I'll bet you still worried about her and wished someone could help her.

And thank you for saying that I am kind. I want to help, but things like this are so...frustrating.
meggie · F
@4meAndyou there's only so much you can do. She was sectioned for long periods and craved attention.
So sad, way too much anytime of year and you were being nice and trying to help. It puts you in a tough situation as what to do.
4meAndyou · F
@Sojournersoul Well, the best thing in this instance is to do nothing. She knows I tried to help her, and at the very least, I won't complain about her to management.
@4meAndyou She is very lucky that you are not.

 
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