People & Family

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I wonder if any really see the pattern, much less want to see the pattern:

[quote][c=000000][center][big]Homeless->depression->
mental illness->drug addiction.[/big][/center][/c][/quote]

The problem starts with homeless. Not any other way!

Once it has gotten to addiction we have let gone too far without doing anything. So our whole society is at fault for letting it go too far.

Enough said!

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cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

Many are addicts before they got homeless and that’s why they are homeless. Hard to
Pay rent and bills when they are spending their money on substances

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@cherokeepatti not saying there are not addicts. Saying homelessness draws the addicts because of the depression.

Disgustedman · 61-69, M

I have to disagree.

The homeless are a mix of older workers who are laid off in favor of young workers. The disabled workers who were injured off the job. The kids coming out of fostering, no home, no family. The mentally ill, they're discarded by family/friends and fall into cracks despite govt help.

Some are addicts who simply become worse. Others become "Street Kids" little hope, little future, they enter the criminal justice system. After all, better to lodge illegally in a house, then freeze.

The vets, the disabled vets. Sure there's places for them, but the backlog is anywhere from 5 to 5000 for help, lodging and therapy.

We give billions to countries to be our friends, maybe it's time we told them to pull up their pants, grow a pair and help our people first.

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@Disgustedman everything you just said except the last paragraph backs everything I said.

Your conclusion is a capitalist conclusion that your own examples do not back up!

Capitalism is the problem! The drug pushers are the capitalist! They sell the drugs that keep the homeless people homeless!

Disgustedman · 61-69, M

@DeWayfarer No, capitalism isn't the problem.

I'd go further but I've learned that people who decry capitalism, use that as a whipping post to avoid personal responsibility.

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@Disgustedman Right. I have learned quite the opposite!

In fact I have often been called various types of names. All for the sake of capitalists.

Have a good day though.

Please notice I haven't used anyone as a "whipping post" on this post nor have I called anyone any names.

In fact you'll be hard put to see either in any of my posts for the full six and a half years that I have been on this site.

Gusman · 61-69, M

I have been saying this for years.
We as are society should accept a portion of the blame because we do not protest enough. We do not badger the politicians and Government enough. If all of us who care, continually brought this massive problem to the front of the line then governments would be forced to take action, or lose their seats.
But alas, apathy rules, as long as it does not directly affect the majority of society then the marginalised are on their own. I can see that Australia's homeless population will continue to grow and grow.
What will successive governments do? Increase immigration of course.
The current intake is 190,000 a year, plus 13,750 humanitarian migrants, plus 66,000 temporary migrants who stay for several years. The aim is to bring in 260,000 by 2024/25.
For some reason we have a lack of workers?
All the while, Australians are being thrown out onto the street, Collateral damage.

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@Gusman Well said. And not the I haven't noticed you saying it.

Just hoping putting it in a different way would make it clearer for some.

Roundandroundwego · 61-69

Privatized housing always made people homeless.
The Americans spent at least 2.1 billion to remove the homeless in 2022.
That's way more than it costs to house them -Us - permanently.
That's not an accident. Americans as a nation hate the poor and don't ever intend to house every person! It's war. Socialism isn't compatible with war.

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@Roundandroundwego it's worse than that because it doesn't need to go to socialism. The very wealthy just refuse to pay enough for work.

Base the minimum wage on what the cost of living is for that area and it just wouldn't be a problem.

Now it's done on the state level where it should be on the city or district level.

And that's not socialism. It's still capitalism.

They claim that ⅓ of your income should go to housing. Well base the minimum wage on that on a 40 hour week for the local area and the problem is resolved.

Convivial · 26-30, F

It's a mix of reasons... But i do think you have it back to front

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DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@Convivial I have been homeless all across this country! Every time I see drug addiction I see the homeless first.

Not every homeless person is a drug addict. I sure am not nor ever have been!

Convivial · 26-30, F

@DeWayfarer i wish you well and hope you find an answer to your situation

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@Convivial yet looking at the homeless problem as you are will not either resolve it nor prevent the problem from beginning.

And that's even more sad. 😞

Pitsilizater · 31-35, M

I know so many addicts and not one of the has ever been homeless as far as I know.

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DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@Pitsilizater been all over this country and have not only known homeless drug addicts I would have married one.

They are out there. And in large numbers.

Pitsilizater · 31-35, M

@cherokeepatti I am not from the US though. I haven't ever seen meth in person (only on breaking bad). But I know plenty of alcoholics and cocaine addicts,most of them don't even accept there is something wrong with them, and they all want to make me do coke 😂 which is surprising.

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@Pitsilizater Well, it's a massive problem here in the USA.

BTW she was a heroin addict. 😞

elafina · 36-40, F

Sometimes problems in one's home drives them to homelessness I believe..

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@elafina well there are many reasons for being homeless. That is one of many.

elafina · 36-40, F

@DeWayfarer I mean depression and mental illness usually begins in a dysfunctional home, so once someone becomes homeless they're in most cases already heavily wounded..

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@elafina you are looking at it from how a young person would look at this. I understand that. Yet the reasons for homeless affect all ages and of all backgrounds.

FYI the billionaire Howard Hughes was a hobo for a bit. Basically homeless.

Yet the reasons for being homeless go even further.

And why I say there are many reasons for homelessness.

originnone · 61-69, M

@DeWayfarer I'm not homeless but very depressed and have signs of more severe mental illness. So the doctors are giving me different drugs they call medications....I hope you're right.

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originnone · 61-69, M

@DeWayfarer I had a guy who worked for me who I had to dismiss because of it. It still wants me....

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@originnone again this is the first time I have ever heard of that. Not saying you are wrong or right. New drugs happen all the time.

originnone · 61-69, M

@DeWayfarer I'm honestly not sure what the drug was....for all I know he was using something else.

SW-User

I believe many have drug addiction before they are homeless and that leads to it because they lose everything due to the addiction and their money being spent on the fix

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@SW-User that's rarely the case. And similar to the popular opinion . Sad the popular opinion would never see why this is true. The majority of homeless actually do have families to support. Do drugs, you lose your kids. There's lots of kids in those homeless camps now. They can't keep up with the housing funding for kids any longer.
BTW that's why the big $30,000 tents. They have kids!

Jenny1234 · 51-55, F

Ever watch the soft white underbelly videos? Most of those interviewed developed addictions due to childhood trauma which lead to their being homeless

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@Jenny1234 never said there were no such cases. The majority though follow that pattern.

Think I of why so many elderly are on the streets. They really didn't have such trauma. They are elderly!

originnone · 61-69, M

disagree....It goes in all directions...this way and that

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

@originnone Of course that's the current popular opinion. Sad the popular opinion would never see why this is true.

LordShadowfire · M

Now that you mention it, I can see it. Like, it's not that I haven't had access to hard drugs like crystal meth, cocaine, or heroin. I just didn't want to throw my life away on them, because I had too much going for me. I've still got the depression, and some would argue mental illness, but I haven't seen fit to turn to such life destroying substances. You're definitely on to something.

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