Homelessness

[thelung]

Is anybody currently dealing with homelessness due to drug addiction? Has anybody dealt with homelessness in the past due to drug addiction? How did you get back on your feet?

Myself, I am currently homeless. I sleep at a "shelter", its really a church that lets people such as myself sleep on mats in a designated room.

I believe that I would not be homeless right now if it wasn't for my addiction to opiates. I lost everything due to my addiction. I had an appartment, a job, I was paying the bills, going to school, it seemed like I had it all! Then BOOM opiate addiction took it all away.

It is not productive to wallow in my sorrows, however, and I am taking the necessary steps to get myself out of my current situation (being homeless and jobless) and back to where I was: employed with a roof over my head.

 

[Draigan]

Oh yeah. I lost everything. I just couch surfed a lot though, which isnt too hard for me cuz I know a trillion people. Ive been couch surfing for about 2 years now... I had an apartment for a bit but that got fucked up cuz the landlord found out I did drugs and hes a buddhafag.

How to get back on your feet... Hmmm. Well the first thing I would do is get on methadone or suboxone. I guess thats probably hard cuz its the states. Well u need steady supply of dope anyway, cuz u aint going to be mobile if u dont have it. Detox is for when u have a safe place. Not now.

So get your dope under control imo. I would try to make it as routine as possible and buy as much as possible then not waste it. Just enough to not be sick and move. No freaking nodding off in the church basement lol

Can u get welfare in the states? I imagine so. U gota find somebody with an adress probably. Thats what we do here when we want to scam welfare. Then find somebody who has a room and doesnt need first and last. Baddaboom!!

 

[Sweet P]

I've slept rough a few times in the past due to fights with my parents over my drug use (and not being able to afford to go flatting). I'm now back at home after starting treatment and promising my parents that I'd try to keep away from drugs, but I'm still on a very tenuous relationship with them and can see myself getting kicked out of home again if I relapse heavily. My city has soup kitchens and night shelters, but I never used them. On the nights I slept rough, I found some quiet spots that were relatively safe and just wrapped a blanket around me (and kept a switchblade in my pocket for protection - just in case). It's definitely not a good way to live, and I feel for you.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Is anybody currently dealing with homelessness due to drug addiction? Has anybody dealt with homelessness in the past due to drug addiction? How did you get back on your feet?

I was homeless for three weeks. I was addicted to heroin and kicked out of my apartment, I had nowhere else I could go (that wasn't too far away from the source).

I got back on my feet by getting clean about a month or two into my new apartment, my parents helped me out a lot with this.

Do you have parents who would support you going on Suboxone or methadone? This is probably a good step in the right direction, but it also takes a lot of will power.

I have a lot of respect for you regarding starting a topic like this. Being homeless was definitely hitting rock bottom for me.

Oh yeah. I lost everything. I just couch surfed a lot though, which isnt too hard for me cuz I know a trillion people. Ive been couch surfing for about 2 years now...

Two years, wow man. That's a lot longer than my 3 weeks. I know where you're coming from though, I spent a lot of time going from place to place. It was really a complicated manner, I had places I could sleep at, places I could smoke weed, and places specifically for using heroin (and weed). When you wake up in a place that you can't get high in it's pretty frustrating.

I even walked into people's apartments who had no door knob on the door in the middle of the morning (real quality ghetto city I live in... ), which is kind of sketchy, I know. After a while it became apparent I was not able to continue doing such a thing and I had to quit using.

If you've been couch surfing for two years I have a lot of respect for you.

On the nights I slept rough, I found some quiet spots that were relatively safe and just wrapped a blanket around me (and kept a switchblade in my pocket for protection - just in case). It's definitely not a good way to live, and I feel for you.

I have a lot of respect for you too P, I never had to resort to this. Magically it worked out so that I always had somewhere to sleep at night (which was nice. I don't steal from people, and I don't fuck them over, which might answer your question if you were wondering how do people trust heroin addicts couch surfing in their apartment?) but if I had to go a night without a bed/sofa, I would have slept in my car.

Congrats on getting clean P!

 

[Sweet P]

I have a lot of respect for you too P, I never had to resort to this. Magically it worked out so that I always had somewhere to sleep at night (which was nice. I don't steal from people, and I don't fuck them over, which might answer your question if you were wondering how do people trust heroin addicts couch surfing in their apartment?) but if I had to go a night without a bed/sofa, I would have slept in my car.

Congrats on getting clean P! [/COLOR][/SIZE]

Thanks. All that happened before I got my car, so if I was forced to be homeless again, I'd probably sleep in that. I avoid the night shelters for a couple of reasons - I'm a pre-op transsexual and I'm not sure if I'd be allowed into the woman's shelter (and I definitely wouldn't go into the men's!), and I hear they can be pretty rough places. Lots of drugs, alcohol, and fights.

I don't yet consider myself "clean". I'm off meth, but I use other drugs. I'm on prescribed benzos daily, and sometimes I'll smoke weed or do opiates. Last night I was on morphine sulfate at my parent's house, and apparently I told my mum what I had taken when she asked... she's a nurse, and knows all the signs. I was expecting another big verbal fight, but she just left me to continue nodding and eventually fall asleep in my bedroom. I guess she was just glad that I wasn't on meth again.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Thanks. All that happened before I got my car, so if I was forced to be homeless again, I'd probably sleep in that. I avoid the night shelters for a couple of reasons - I'm a pre-op transsexual and I'm not sure if I'd be allowed into the woman's shelter (and I definitely wouldn't go into the men's!), and I hear they can be pretty rough places. Lots of drugs, alcohol, and fights.

I don't yet consider myself "clean". I'm off meth, but I use other drugs. I'm on prescribed benzos daily, and sometimes I'll smoke weed or do opiates. Last night I was on morphine sulfate at my parent's house, and apparently I told my mum what I had taken when she asked... she's a nurse, and knows all the signs. I was expecting another big verbal fight, but she just left me to continue nodding and eventually fall asleep in my bedroom. I guess she was just glad that I wasn't on meth again.

Gotcha. Yeah, I hear homeless shelters can be rough.

I'm really glad your mom didn't get on your case for nodding, that's really nice of her. My parents always thought marijuana was horrible but after I quit using heroin they stopped complaining.

I consider myself clean even though I still use other drugs, primarily because I am not 'addicted' to anything. However everyone is allowed to have their own definition of "clean" for sure.

 

[RedLeader]

thelung, are you still taking the fluvoxamine(Luvox)? I'd hate to see you lose that in this process, as I recall it helping you a lot man.

I really feel for you. Some good advice in this thread. I want you to stay strong. People have gotten through these sticky types of times, and so will you!

 

[Draigan]

Yeah Respect for deh h0m3lL355!!! Honestly I hate how our society treats its weak, or desperate, or just having a bad go of things people.

Yah it was really hard at times. One time for about 5 months I had a really fucking intense fentanyl habit mixed with oxy and I was living on my buddies couch who had a crazy mom who would wake me up at 6 am every morning chatting about her evil ex husband who beat her.

So basically I was not sleeping, eating serial and whatever scraps I could find which was minima;, hustling drug money(not just for me but for the guy I lived with lmao). And to top it off I was sick 50 percent of the time. I was getting sick every 6 hours. Waking up shaking and shit with nothing for the morning, thinking omfg not again!!!

I looked like the sketchiest motherfucker ever haha I have long blonde hair and I had a beard I am sure. I always wore a black hoody.

God damn! they were hard times. It was so nice though when I would stroll in after 4 hours of hustling with some shit and we would sit back and play some xbox!

How old are you Captain Heroin? 21 here.

Yah man u can get out of it though. U just need to make a plan and u need to not be sick. I remember that the one time I finally did get out of it (had that apartment I was talking about) was when I wasnt sick for like a good month.

I grew up in places with no doorknobs too! All the taps had missing faucets and the hot water lasted 5 minutes. W00t!

 

[Captain.Heroin]

How old are you Captain Heroin? 21 here.

I'm 22, about half way through to 23. I've been 16 and 3/4 months clean from heroin.

I grew up in places with no doorknobs too! All the taps had missing faucets and the hot water lasted 5 minutes. W00t!

What was funny about walking into places like that - the people that lived there were just as fucked on drugs as I was and they didn't even ask why I was in their house LOL. If I woke up and someone was blowing lines and smoking ab bowl I would *certainly* be like "hey what are you doing???" ROFL!

 

[Draigan]

Yah flop houses. I remember a bunch of teenagers got together and rented a big house with lots of rooms. There was fucking puke everywhere, they had a rabit, it shit everywhere, needles everywhere, dirty bathroom, fucked up dishes. Fucking teenagers everywhere all like "omg its Draigan hes so cool hes always high and nodding off and talking about the most craziest shit and he never gives a fuck," and I am totally eating it up lmao. Like yo mothafuckas. Whats up?? I used to freaking tip toe through that place up to the big drug king pins room. I remember one time he was like "man I never seen you do drugs, just by them." Hes like do that d8 right there. As if ima be scared of it or something. haha Thank you

One good thing about the ghetto imo is most everybody is cool. people are more used to socializing with all dif types of people, i find, in the ghetto. Where as other classess are more strict to where they can roam. Ghetto kids can go anywhere, anytime, aslong as it doesnt cost too much.

Sorry not trying to hijack this First day of brain feeling sorta normal and its racccing. Good night !!

 

[Captain.Heroin]

One good thing about the ghetto imo is most everybody is cool. people are more used to socializing with all dif types of people, i find, in the ghetto. Where as other classess are more strict to where they can roam. Ghetto kids can go anywhere, anytime, aslong as it doesnt cost too much.

Well put man!

The story of a bunch of kids renting a house reminds me of my bathroom stretched out to the size of a mansion LOL!

 

[thelung]

thelung, are you still taking the fluvoxamine(Luvox)? I'd hate to see you lose that in this process, as I recall it helping you a lot man.

I really feel for you. Some good advice in this thread. I want you to stay strong. People have gotten through these sticky types of times, and so will you!

Oh yeah i'm still taking the Luvox. I have no health insurance but my family helps me by paying for medication. #60 generic Fluvoxamine tabs at Walgreen's is $129.99 and that is a 30 day supply. I'm lucky to have family members that help with that or else i'd be fucked.

A few people asked about methadone/suboxone. I'm on MMT @ 95mg through a voucher program in King County; they pay for my MMT, i pay $0. So yeah, i'm not strung out on dope or anything like that at the moment, so I have that going for me at least

 

[Draigan]

Ok sweet. So what do u need to do to get a place?

 

[QuasiStoned]

Yah flop houses. I remember a bunch of teenagers got together and rented a big house with lots of rooms. There was fucking puke everywhere, they had a rabit, it shit everywhere, needles everywhere, dirty bathroom, fucked up dishes.

Is that sort of like the house where they shoot their dope in Trainspotting?

What was funny about walking into places like that - the people that lived there were just as fucked on drugs as I was and they didn't even ask why I was in their house LOL. If I woke up and someone was blowing lines and smoking ab bowl I would *certainly* be like "hey what are you doing???" ROFL!

You've got to be kidding me? What'd they just ignore you or did they actually talk to you a little bit when you walked in? I don't think I could ever have the balls to walk into someone elses apartment (even if they didn't have a doorknob, lol)... how did you rationalize doing something like that? Wouldn't you be concerned about who lives there stabbing you or something because your an unwelcome intruder?

 

[Draigan]

I dunno in my experience I get a feel for a place and learn my boundaries quite quickly. Theres some places I definitely would not walk into. Some I would. Teenagers I just trample over lol. No not like trainspotting. More like a bunch of potheads and K heads and Etards and a few junkies. Like 15 kids at any given time in this one apartment.

 

[QuasiStoned]

No not like trainspotting. More like a bunch of potheads and K heads and Etards and a few junkies.

Nah I don't mean the people I mean like the big old rundown apartment they're staying in. I guess it's probably different though since you're talking about a house and I think they were just staying in a large apartment. It was only a movie anyway

 

[Captain.Heroin]

You've got to be kidding me?

Not at all. I would've asked for them, or told them what I was doing, but I didn't have enough weed or heroin to share, so obviously I would just kind of like leave when I was done.

What'd they just ignore you or did they actually talk to you a little bit when you walked in? I don't think I could ever have the balls to walk into someone elses apartment (even if they didn't have a doorknob, lol)... how did you rationalize doing something like that? Wouldn't you be concerned about who lives there stabbing you or something because your an unwelcome intruder?

No, I knew the alcoholics who lived there. They were way more strung out than I was.

I knew which room would be empty for me to use.

They literally didn't even look at me in the eyes, I guess they assumed someone had invited me inside or I knew someone who lived there (I did).

How did I rationalize that? I was coming down so hard from heroin I would have broken into someone else's apartment if they didn't have a doorknob-less front door.

No, I was not concerned anyone would be like "INTRUDER!" and stab me, mostly because this was in the middle of a block in the city where half the apartment buildings are full of stoners, alcoholics, and crack addicts. A few apartment buildings down the block, there was an apartment building full of people who cook their own crack.

If you lived in the city I do you would know what "hell block" means and why you can literally just walk in people's places. I mean it is a true mystery why no one has tried robbing these people for their stashes or bongs or something. *shrugs*

In hindsight, it definitely was not preferable, but I did what I had to do to avoid the dreaded withdrawals. I had my fiancee with me, if shit got bad we would make it out on top. It's not like I'm breaking an entering when your front door is just flapping open in the breeze...and it's not like a bunch of drug users are going to call the cops on themselves either.

I dunno in my experience I get a feel for a place and learn my boundaries quite quickly. Theres some places I definitely would not walk into. Some I would. Teenagers I just trample over lol. No not like trainspotting. More like a bunch of potheads and K heads and Etards and a few junkies. Like 15 kids at any given time in this one apartment.

Yeah that reminds me of hell block lol!

 

[elbroski]

homeless...again..lol!

Ya I'm on a bit of a bad run right now. The one thing I CAN say is that I'm not shooting dope and that is always a good thing. I'm on MMT (50mg's, which btw doesn't cover me at all but it's a low dose clinic and I don't pay so who can complain, also I just got scripted 10mg ambien once a night, no idea if they're worth shit or not). I'm staying at a dude's house in the south side of Pittsburgh right now but I can't really afford to keep paying him 100 bucks every fucking month on nothing but welfare so I'm thinkin' bout just packin' up as usual and just headin out into the streets.
It's crazy cuz no matter how bad it gets out there the streets is somewhere I almost feel comfortable, like totally free, no assholes to answer to... I dunno we'll see. I'm gonna try and go through this program called urban league to help me with getting an apartment and medical transportation is hooking me up with a bus pass so I can get to my clinic every morning, which helps alot.
I get 200 a month in cash and 200 a month in food stamps so I'm not totally S.O.L. but close to it. I just want a stable place to stay and get things straightened out, get a job, go back to school etc...
Like you guys said I just have a reputation for not being a thief and a pretty chill dude who'll share my last cig with you if you need it, so that helps.
But if your in the Pittsburgh area or just have some advice for me that'd be awsome, I'm at a pretty low fucking point, spending most of my time hiding in the library ready books lol...
I'ts a shitty way to live but like I said, at least I'm not robbing, lying, and stealing to support my H habit which is always a plus. Pray for me, wish me the best, send me good vibes, etc.. lol.

 

[Wolfy90]

While I grew up living in California. My "Mom" I use "" because of fact she dosent deserve that title of mom, she was addcited to Herion. Made it her priority, over myself and my two sisters. I was five years old living out of a bronco for more than a month, I will never forget that time that she deicded to use a motel room and I had to sleep in the closet with one of my sisters. It was abosoultley awful, there for I would use opaites or anything close to the matter as I experinced homelessness and not having anything at a young age and it wasnt even my fault. I had to pay the consenques of when she didnt have her drugs and how abusive she was. Fuck that, when someone makes a drug any drug an there own kids. Thats when the shit hits the fan.

Never again, will I ever talk to her. Never again. And you can not blame the substance you can only blame the user. Well that is enough of me ranting in a thread for one night.
=_=

 

[SmokeCrackErday]

Homelessness isn't really that bad once you take it in. You have no responsibility at all! And if you can quit a drug when nothing is holding you back, it really inspires you to know that you can do pretty much anything. And then there's also the alternative-homeless. I mean, I love the life-style. Whenever I'm not couch-surfing I'm homeless.

And a shelter is a horrible place for anyone. Do not expect much from shelters. What you may of think of them, is bullshit. You have more of a chance of getting harmed in a shelter than you do on a rooftop squatting in a sleeping bag.

Once you get over the concept that a roof and walls makes you feel secure, life's a lot easier. It's an enlightening experience. Not to rant, but it was the most major event to ever change my life.