Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#21

Post by sshine » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:14 PM UTC

brandall10 wrote: post #16

"Everyone I met in this predicament, it was due to severe mental illness (like, schitzophrenia, etc) or a severe substance abuse issue." I understand your situation can be incredibly stressful, but have you been evaluated by a mental health professional? I see quite a few disconnected thoughts here that I'm having trouble making sense of. In addition notions of being persecuted, discarded, etc, esp. linked to taking…

> if you're doing anything w/ THC I would stop that immediately

I would say the same. I don’t get any schizo vibe, though. Only a great deal of feeling victimised.

>> am I just a signal in the noise to be discarded when I'm no longer useful? […] Why won't anyone help me?

It sounds like you feel abandoned by your family and that this keeps you in such a distressed state that it prevents you from operating.

It may be that you are quite alone in this world right now. I would suggest finding someone locally that you can connect to, who can guide you to a path where you feel emotionally secure.

If this is how you enter a job interview, you need to cover your bases in Maslow’s pyramid a bit more. I understand the dichotomy, but the root cause is emotional, not economic.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#22

Post by clubm8 » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:27 PM UTC

brandall10 wrote: post #16

"Everyone I met in this predicament, it was due to severe mental illness (like, schitzophrenia, etc) or a severe substance abuse issue." I understand your situation can be incredibly stressful, but have you been evaluated by a mental health professional? I see quite a few disconnected thoughts here that I'm having trouble making sense of. In addition notions of being persecuted, discarded, etc, esp. linked to taking…

>I understand your situation can be incredibly stressful, but have you been evaluated by a mental health professional?

Yes -- part of the issue was here was that the local health care monopoly doesn't really have a vested interest in helping, since the candidate I got elected immediately went through

>t might be the case that getting a handle on this, esp. if it comes to a medical intervention, might be a good first step. Also just a note, the mention of "hard drugs"... if you're doing anything w/ THC I would stop that immediately as it can greatly exacerbate symptoms.

I've had the opposite experience -- THC helps when alaprazolam (which I had a script for) -- but if you accept a medical card, people start interacting in ways I hadn't encountered since the 90s.

I was told I should get a job, avoid my family but... the HN crowd didn't help, so I have days like today where I have too much caffeine and it comes off as much more mentally ill.

(I had been told I'd be starting as a dishwasher on Monday. Someone yanked the offer. I'd have preferred to take a xanax or a joint, and instead I ended up pouding tea and reading to wait for the rain to pass... kind of a least worse decision)

I actually got the original medical card via a therapist.

Again, this is a situation where folks gamify my ability to make good decisions.

It's shitty, and extortionary, and makes me less sympathetic when folks spaz out like the tree of life guy did.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#23

Post by clubm8 » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:29 PM UTC

drycobbler wrote: post #12

> I don't use hard drugs Do you use cannabis? Your writing suggests to me (not a medical health professional but a family member to a person with mental health struggles) that you might be experiencing thought disorder, which is a sign of psychosis. In some people, cannabis use (including after a long period of use with no apparent negative effects) can cause substance abuse psychosis. Thought disorder can also be a…

I'm no longer willing to, since I was harassed repeatedly when I did exactly as you describe.

I'm not going to pay to turn my phone on when I'm preparing for emigration.

It's been FOUR years. I can show you photos of my wounds, and photos of the laptop that was smashed. This is an economic issue, not a psychological issue.

Lack of reoccuring income, paired with years of only one job offer at a time after interviews masquarading as free consulting sessions.

What I need is a job, and a place to spend money from my job on rent.

(Right now, the only "drug" I'm using is caffeine... in the past, a small bit, then cannabis in the evening helped, but... Mike Folmer's people harassed me. You know who that is, if you're from PA.)

Are you willing to help with these things, now that I've explained how I tried the typical options?

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#24

Post by clubm8 » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:31 PM UTC

lusus_naturae wrote: post #2

What keeps you from being employed as a store clerk or something like that? Is it citizenship issues? Have you tried remote work sites, or something like upwork? Is there an unemployment office near you? It might even be your location, per my understanding jobs are more abundant in urban or close-to-urban areas, but require having a car or housing in that area. What if you secured a job first via an unemployment offi…

> What keeps you from being employed as a store clerk or something like that? Is it citizenship issues?

I mean, like many people I'm not best suited to working a register if I can code in bash and python. It's the typical issues when you're raised Catholic, have to rely on family for support.

I'm a US citizen and eligible for an Italian passport, but I don't have the funds to continue the process.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#25

Post by clubm8 » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:33 PM UTC

wnolens wrote: post #9

I don't know. But I would prioritize any job whatsoever, regardless of location. If you're in a hotel paid by family, then you can swing a bus ticket/cheap flight. While there is higher cost of living in cities, there's way more jobs. You can live far out and commute via public transit. Your family is saving your life right now. So folks ARE willing to help. Keep them informed as to your efforts so they don't get res…

>But I would prioritize any job whatsoever, regardless of location.

>Your family is saving your life right now. So folks ARE willing to help. Keep them informed as to your efforts so they don't get resentful.

My family also smashed my laptop and threatened to kill me for supporting the wrong political candidate. I was told by the therapist who got me the initial weed card to avoid contact if at all possible.

I'm a domestic violence victim, trapped here by folks who won't give me the ability to earn the money to leave.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#26

Post by clubm8 » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:33 PM UTC

throwaway447 wrote: post #11

Dude, I am in a similar situation but I know how to get back to my feed. Big question: How old are you? This makes a big difference. > Is that what I should do... emigrate back where I came from? No, but you should write down ALL options that you have. Italian citizenship is not bad, it would allow you to work in all EU countries. Also, this can be a 2 year gig. Gets you back on your feet, that's it. Were you born in…

I was born in Pittsburgh. I was born in the late 80s.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#27

Post by drycobbler » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:33 PM UTC

sshine wrote: post #21

brandall10 wrote: post #16

"Everyone I met in this predicament, it was due to severe mental illness (like, schitzophrenia, etc) or a severe substance abuse issue." I understand your situation can be incredibly stressful, but have you been evaluated by a mental health professional? I see quite a few disconnected thoughts here that I'm having trouble making sense of. In addition notions of being persecuted, discarded, etc, esp. linked to taking…

> if you're doing anything w/ THC I would stop that immediately I would say the same. I don’t get any schizo vibe, though. Only a great deal of feeling victimised. >> am I just a signal in the noise to be discarded when I'm no longer useful? […] Why won't anyone help me? It sounds like you feel abandoned by your family and that this keeps you in such a distressed state that it prevents you from operating. It may be t…

[flagged]

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#28

Post by clubm8 » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:34 PM UTC

RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #19

> My family pulled all support, leading me to be evicted due to nonpayment of rent. > Flash forward, the folks I got tenure, internships, and jobs have not connected me with work. One thing that may be helpful is to work on your relationships. Something is making them go sour, and trying to find out why is going to reap big dividends.

Because I'm not a nazi or a pedophile.

We had our state rep arrested, as was one of the police who responded when I called after my laptop was smashed by one of my parents.

I'll edit in citations shortly

Edit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Folmer#Arrest,_resignatio...

https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/former-collier-township-poli...

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#29

Post by drycobbler » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:36 PM UTC

clubm8 wrote: post #22

brandall10 wrote: post #16

"Everyone I met in this predicament, it was due to severe mental illness (like, schitzophrenia, etc) or a severe substance abuse issue." I understand your situation can be incredibly stressful, but have you been evaluated by a mental health professional? I see quite a few disconnected thoughts here that I'm having trouble making sense of. In addition notions of being persecuted, discarded, etc, esp. linked to taking…

>I understand your situation can be incredibly stressful, but have you been evaluated by a mental health professional? Yes -- part of the issue was here was that the local health care monopoly doesn't really have a vested interest in helping, since the candidate I got elected immediately went through >t might be the case that getting a handle on this, esp. if it comes to a medical intervention, might be a good first…

Call the mental health crisis line, please.

You don’t need to stop cannabis because it’s bad or you are bad. Stopping cannabis will help you achieve your goal of a stable living situation with stable employment. Please try it.

Re: Ask HN: How did you escape homelessness?

#30

Post by beebmam » Sat, Oct 14, 2023, 7:36 PM UTC

clubm8 wrote: post #23

drycobbler wrote: post #12

> I don't use hard drugs Do you use cannabis? Your writing suggests to me (not a medical health professional but a family member to a person with mental health struggles) that you might be experiencing thought disorder, which is a sign of psychosis. In some people, cannabis use (including after a long period of use with no apparent negative effects) can cause substance abuse psychosis. Thought disorder can also be a…

I'm no longer willing to, since I was harassed repeatedly when I did exactly as you describe. I'm not going to pay to turn my phone on when I'm preparing for emigration. It's been FOUR years. I can show you photos of my wounds, and photos of the laptop that was smashed. This is an economic issue, not a psychological issue. Lack of reoccuring income, paired with years of only one job offer at a time after interviews m…

I don't believe you that you can't get a job, sorry. This is the best job market in my lifetime for laborers. My roommate, who hasn't worked in 10 years, got the very first job she applied for, no questions asked, $17/hour with tips, prepping food at a restaurant.

There are an enormous number of job openings like this.