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UB40’s hit One in Ten refers to someone on the dole, but change it to one-in-200 and the sentiment could easily be applied to the homeless community. We’re on the street and in the public’s face, yet we remain invisible.
My first experience of homelessness came after a single traumatic event changed the dynamic of my addiction to class A drugs. The subsequent depression was unremitting – my broken mind would see myself sucking on a shotgun. They were extremely dark days, but I somehow knew that I wasn’t going to attempt suicide. It was the pain that I wanted to end, not my life, and there’s a big difference.
After I ran out of sofa surfing credits, I became street homeless. The need to survive meant thoughts of suicide disappeared until I found myself in a hostel. In fact, many people who’ve experienced the carousel of homelessness will single out the time they spent in a hostel as the most depressing part of their journey.
People can feel cut off and alienated, rather like packages being moved through a warehouse. The energy and camaraderie of the street is replaced by an institutional atmosphere that breeds mistrust and paranoia. Losing hope is the worst feeling, but what scared me more was the feeling of serenity and peace that replaced it once I had made the decision to end my life.
Recent research has shown that two of the most important elements for the completion of suicide are:
• The person feels like they are a burden on society
• They have become used to pain in one form or another.
In pain
Over the past few weeks Londoners may have taken part in Groundswell’s pain survey (where you got £5 for answering questions about the impact of pain on your life). What the survey seems to show is that many of us in the homeless community are both used to chronic pain, and suffer some degree of shame over the condition we find ourselves in.
Dave [name changed to protect identity], a case worker at one of London’s leading charities, told me: “I do not think hostels are welcoming environments that encourage people to thrive… Due to cuts, there is a shocking lack of specialist resources available for people in this kind of crisis. I think the complex nature of most of our clients' needs makes it even harder for them to successfully access this type of support.”
With many frontline professionals facing almost double the workload over the past five years, it can be difficult for them to be proactive when it comes to dealing with clients who may be suicidal.
With this in mind, let them know if you need help and tell them louder if you don’t think you’re getting it.
Despite the hardship, the discomfort and the pain of being homeless, we always have each other. We should never take that for granted. Look, there are arseholes in any walk of life, that’s undeniable, but the homeless community has more than its fair share of generous-hearted people who look out for each other. Please don’t let hostels take that spirit away.
At the end of the day we value each other because we don’t have things to value, not in spite of it. Never be ashamed of having nothing, because you will always belong to a community that genuinely values you for who you are, regardless.
What next...
ASK FOR HELP
Case workers may be dealing with heavy workloads, but they are there to help. Don’t think of yourself as a burden. Ask for help. If you aren’t getting it, ask louder. If that still doesn’t work, ask someone else.
VOLUNTEER
Find a place that will buy you lunch and pay your travel. Keep yourself busy and opportunities will come.
STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF
Especially when you are in a hostel.
USE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Don’t be fobbed off by someone telling you that you are not entitled to counselling because you are in active addiction. Look up health group DDA (Dual Diagnosis Anonymous) if you think that NA (Narcotics Anonymous) or AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) doesn’t take account of your mental health issues.
GET FIT
It’s key to recovery.
YOGA
Once the preserve of middle class mums, all sorts of people are discovering the benefits of yoga for mental health.
EMERGENCIES
The Samaritans are always at the end of a phone, tel: 116 123.
December 2024 – January 2025 : Solidarity
CONTENTS
BACK ISSUES
- Issue 153 : December 2024 – January 2025 : Solidarity
- Issue 152 : October – November 2024 : Change
- Issue 151 : August – September 2024 : Being Heard
- Issue 150 : June – July 2024 : Reflections
- Issue 149 : April – May 2024 : Compassion
- Issue 148 : February – March 2024 : The little things
- Issue 147 : December 2023 – January 2024 : Next steps
- Issue 146 : October 2023 – November 2023 : Kind acts
- Issue 145 : August 2023 – September 2023 : Mental health
- Issue 144 : June 2023 – July 2023 : Community
- Issue 143 : April 2023 - May 2023 : Hope springs
- Issue 142 : February 2023 - March 2023 : New Beginnings
- Issue 141 : December 2022 - January 2023 : Winter Homeless
- Issue 140 : October - November 2022 : Resolve
- Issue 139 : August - September 2022 : Creativity
- Issue 138 : June - July 2022 : Practical advice
- Issue 137 : April - May 2022 : Connection
- Issue 136 : February - March 2022 : RESPECT
- Issue 135 : Dec 2021 - Jan 2022 : OPPORTUNITY
- Issue 134 : September-October 2021 : Losses and gains
- Issue 133 : July-August 2021 : Know Your Rights
- Issue 132 : May-June 2021 : Access to Healthcare
- Issue 131 : Mar-Apr 2021 : SOLUTIONS
- Issue 130 : Jan-Feb 2021 : CHANGE
- Issue 129 : Nov-Dec 2020 : UNBELIEVABLE
- Issue 128 : Sep-Oct 2020 : COPING
- Issue 127 : Jul-Aug 2020 : HOPE
- Issue 126 : Health & Wellbeing in a Crisis
- Issue 125 : Mar-Apr 2020 : MOVING ON
- Issue 124 : Jan-Feb 2020 : STREET FOOD
- Issue 123 : Nov-Dec 2019 : HOSTELS
- Issue 122 : Sep 2019 : DEATH ON THE STREETS
- Issue 121 : July-Aug 2019 : INVISIBLE YOUTH
- Issue 120 : May-June 2019 : RECOVERY
- Issue 119 : Mar-Apr 2019 : WELLBEING
- Issue 118 : Jan-Feb 2019 : WORKING HOMELESS
- Issue 117 : Nov-Dec 2018 : HER STORY
- Issue 116 : Sept-Oct 2018 : TOILET TALK
- Issue 115 : July-Aug 2018 : HIDDEN HOMELESS
- Issue 114 : May-Jun 2018 : REBUILD YOUR LIFE
- Issue 113 : Mar–Apr 2018 : REMEMBRANCE
- Issue 112 : Jan-Feb 2018
- Issue 111 : Nov-Dec 2017
- Issue 110 : Sept-Oct 2017
- Issue 109 : July-Aug 2017
- Issue 108 : Apr-May 2017
- Issue 107 : Feb-Mar 2017
- Issue 106 : Dec 2016 - Jan 2017
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- Issue 101 : Jan-Feb 2016
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- Issue 97 : May-Jun 2015
- Issue 96 : April 2015 [Mini Issue]
- Issue 95 : March 2015
- Issue 94 : February 2015
- Issue 93 : December 2014
- Issue 92 : November 2014
- Issue 91 : October 2014
- Issue 90 : September 2014
- Issue 89 : July 2014
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- Issue 86 : April 2014
- Issue 85 : March 2014
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- Issue 83 : December 2013
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