Discussion Anyone facing or presently homeless? what is it like? can a woman survive?

[DeletedUser4739]

Does your experience as a homeless person impact your feelings about life? Does the fear of being homeless keep you in an unhealthy situation where you feel suicide is the only escape? That's what I'm facing and think I would rather die than live on the streets or in a homeless shelter.

 

[Justanotherconsumer]

It's all about the facilities that cater to the homeless and the weather, if it will be tolerable.

For a woman I would definitely try to get into some long term shelter even if you need to lie, all the long term shelter money is tied up in rehabbing "drug addicts" so go with that narrative.

Having been a long haul trucker for 20 years sleeping in the back of the truck there isn't much difference in life style between homeless and driver. So it wasn't that much of a shock.

 

[scales]

I am a woman and was homeless in the past. I did have a car and slept in my car in whatever parking lot I could find, though I did have several issues like one time someone was robbing cars in the same parking lot... I live in the USA for reference.

I used to go to friends for a place to shower and used to sometimes shower in the gym. I was a university student when I was homeless, so I had access to the university's gym showers. I had no way to do laundry but if I ever managed to get coins I would "sneak" into dorms with other students to do laundry in the coin operated machines.

Food is more difficult especially with my really bad social anxiety at the time so I just didn't eat a lot but I know it was available through a lot of different methods.

It wasn't a bad experience but I wouldn't want to relive it. It's doable though. If you live in the US there are a lot of organization that can help you so please contact those organizations ASAP. At worst go to a church they will usually give you money for a hotel and such, you don't have to be a member or anything. I'm an atheist but I would use churches if I was desperate enough and it's better than the streets.

 

[faex42]

Does your experience as a homeless person impact your feelings about life? Does the fear of being homeless keep you in an unhealthy situation where you feel suicide is the only escape? That's what I'm facing and think I would rather die than live on the streets or in a homeless shelter.

I also would prefer to die than leave in the Shelter. It's in a hard urban setting and many that use it are fearsome. Plus you have to leave in the AM and spend all day in the city with nothing to do.

 

[faex42]

The Women's Shelter down the street is a little better. A friend used it for two months and she just kept to herself. She wasn't regarded as a threat and she was left alone. She made one friend there who was quiet as she was. Still she found it extremely depressing to be there.

 

[Schopenhauer]

I've never been homeless. Speaking for myself here, of course, but I'd rather die than become homeless. I grew up poor, and my life was considerably worse. My life is still bad now, but poverty makes everything worse.

 

[Metavoid]

I have been working and homeless. You have the small luxury of being able to sleep in a hostel. But without an address, living with strangers who will attempt to steal your shit, dragging suitcases around and paying way over what the cost of renting a private studio would be, it's still hell. Housing is fucking ridiculous where I live, across the entire country. And the best part? They aren't building any new housing. Any existing housing is given to refugees. Landlords are using Airbnb for tourists rather than rent their property for a family. Homelessness and suicide rates are through the roof right now.

I was about to be "dragging my shit in 3 giant suitcases between hostels" homeless but luckily I managed to rent a tiny room in a house.

 

[faex42]

Right on point: "Homelessness and suicide rates are through the roof fight now."

I also suspect a strong relationship between all the economic beat-downs people are getting and suicide. The person might not be homeless but fears they might become so in the not too distant future. Or they can't pay their medical expenses or student debt. There are so many possible variables but an increase poverty coupled an increase in suicide rates have been tracked as far back as the 1930s.



Disgusting times that people working have to be homeless.

I see neither getting better any time soon.

 

[Metavoid]

I remember seeing so many of my peers around me being handed down property, land, companies, from their parents. My parents never gave me shit. I'm not entitled at all, I worked my ass off to get myself through University (and still didn't get hired in that sector to this fucking day) working shitty jobs and struggling to find the will to live at all. But sometimes I look at those people who got that stuff and seeing them so successful and happy and think "man, I will only ever have kids if I'm able to provide them with property when they get older so they always have a home".

 

[faex42]

I call it "house envy." The more depressed, I become the more I envy those who own homes. (I rent an apt). My parents divorced.The house I grew up was sold by my mother, my father's second wife sold their home (my father is deceased) and moved into assisted living. I only recently discovered that I. along with my siblings weren't completely disinherited by my wealthy, cheap. miserable father. I blame myself. 'If I had my head on straight, I would have gotten married, pursued a sensible career, etc. I had too many psych problems to overcome to be that rational but still I get jealous, attack myself without mercy for being a "failure". I really don't wish ill towards friends and family who have nice homes regardless of how they acquired them.I see them as successful very contented people often ignoring the real anguish in their lives. They are the type to display pics of their homes, family gatherings, where they are eating, their vacation pics and so on Facebook. which never helps my mood. And in reality they are all nice people merely using Facebook to show that they are doing well like so many others. But it really hurts.

 

[Circles]

I was homeless for a year and a half but it was my decision. I was self destructive and didn't care eventually getting into heroin. Honestly besides worrying about food and shelter I actually enjoyed my time albeit probably because of heroin. Most of the time I would just walk and scavenge as much as I could and then go back to either a shelter or hanging out by the train tracks with some of the most kindest and interesting people I ever met. Life was just more gritty and interesting at the same time. Now of course I hated those times but they weren't the worst days of my life compared to the life script bullshit I was indoctrinated in that family, school, society shoves in your face constantly.

 

[Circles]

Right on point: "Homelessness and suicide rates are through the roof fight now."

I also suspect a strong relationship between all the economic beat-downs people are getting and suicide. The person might not be homeless but fears they might become so in the not too distant future. Or they can't pay their medical expenses or student debt. There are so many possible variables but an increase poverty coupled an increase in suicide rates have been tracked as far back as the 1930s.



Disgusting times that people working have to be homeless.

I see neither getting better any time soon.

It's disgusting that working and homelessness are even a thing. Working your one and only life till you die uncertain about if your gonna go without food or shelter the next day.