Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

sspif t1_j4c2tpi wrote

Reply to comment by biggestofbears in Homeless in Maine, part 2: Struggling to survive even with a paying job by benpinette

Some people become homeless because they are drug addicts, but it is also true that many people become drug addicts because they are using to cope with the stresses of homelessness.

34

AnythingToAvoidWork t1_j4cz1fw wrote

It really is a vicious cycle.

And if you're homeless you probably can't afford to do in-patient sobriety which would probably help a lot of people.

Not even factoring in tons of people are in denial about being an addict.

11

Tankbean t1_j4emmga wrote

Not universally true, but it usually starts with the drug addiction. Most people have a basic support system of family and friends to at least get a roof over their head if something catastrophic happens. Addicts spend years destroying every relationship they've ever had until they get to the point where no one will help them anymore. It's fucked up that we as a society can't get our shit together to provide basic psychological healthcare to people. Most don't become drug addicts without some deep seated mental problems in the first place. Moreover those "catastrophic" things that cause people living paycheck to paycheck to become homeless in the first place are often medical related expenses. Yet we elect politicians driven by corporate interests who will never pass universal healthcare and will continue to spend trillions on corporate welfare (eg defense spending, bailouts, tax breaks, incentives, etc). I guess CEOs need bigger bonuses then people need basic healthcare or a warm bed that's not inside a private prison.

−2