TDS Homelessness

motherofearth

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 12, 2012
Messages
2,663
Location
Raising the Black Flag
Hello TDSers,
Sorry to begin this thread w/ the typical disclaimer: but if it needs to be merged I am sorry for creating the extra work for the excellent mods here.

That said, I've been a very big baby most of my life. People actually do perceive me as street smart and, I dunno, not worldly, but well-lived might be the way to put it. When in fact I've lived under the nurturing auspices of my parents up until this very point in my 27th year of life. I've lived at home w/ a handful of exceptions I will list here:

1. Utah at age 16 for a reformatory camp.
2. 6 weeks living on my childhood best friend's couch at 18
3. 6 months destroying an apartment my parents paid rent on for me. I paid the security deposit, so there was some justice there at least.
4. 2 years in the California Bay Area earning my BA - all paid for by a trust fund my grandfather left for me. (I know, I'm the scum of the earth trust fund kid who soaks up his privilege, gets hooked on heroin and whines about it - if it wasn't drugs there'd be something else about which to whine. There's another reason I hate myself. Boo-hoo). The point is, I cut a check for rent here, utilities there, text books over there. No real world skills I can think of.
5. Another apartment during grad school that ate away the rest of the trust fund - my blossoming -> booming opiate -> heroin addiction landed the deathblow to it.

After that last apartment I shared for a year w/ my brother was vacated in Nov. 2011 I've been suckling the teat again. But to keep this short, my chipping, to flirting w/ the precipice of full-blown addiction, back to chipping, and so on has decimated my credibility around my folks' place. I've not worked since January 2012, aside from a two month stint at 7-11 back from Feb-April. I've just been getting high, feigning looking for work, scratching my ass, not shaving, letting myself go. My parents enable me - to what extent I can't objectively say, and it probably doesn't matter in terms of precisely qualifying and quantifying it. Of course, I call myself all kinds of disparaging names over it, but continue to use their good intentions as a way to live this life-style of deflation.

Well, the milk and honey have run dry. No more for me. If I don't find work by Saturday my keester is landing on the curb. Jesus, I said keester. Emotionally, I'm pretty balanced over this one: I mean, this is deserved. I am pretty sure I feel genuine guilt over taking so much advantage of my folks for so long. They are both just flat out great people, and just like my education being squared away financially for me, I just totally take it for granted. Part of me really isn't so sure they are actually going to tell me to go. Or within a week they'll be beckoning me back. If that is the case, I shouldn't go, right? Because I know I'll just find ways to exploit the people I love (I'm beginning to question if I actually have the appropriate concept of love and if I'm capable of it) all the more. I am thoroughly disgusted in myself, of that I am sure. There is no question in my head if I believed in suicide I'd be gone. Fortunately, or unfortunately (depends), I just have an innate aversion to suicide that goes beyond the evolutionary response ha ha ha. It is philosophical, or moral, or spiritual or something, and I can;t define it - but WRONG just permeates the entire subject, so here I still am trying to figure it out.

So really, I was hoping to get some insight on homelessness. I plan on taking a sleeping bag, keeping a certain amount of room for food and books, and that is really all I want to carry. I live in San Diego, so the beach is the obvious choice. I just want to take a month or so to sleep wherever I can get away w/, read a whole lot. reflect and write, and then come back. Not to my folks house. But figure something out w/ what I hope is a new found perspective. Also, I will be kicking drugs in the early stages, but I don't think my withdrawals shall be all too severe, but anyhow there is a strong likelihood I'll be holed up in the forest somewhere away from man as much as I can manage just getting the shit outta my system. Did I mention I'm gonna read a lot of books. A rereading of Brothers Karamazov is a necessity.

Anyway, suggestions bluelight? I'll be eternally grateful for any pitfalls you help me avoid :)

Love you all, oi, oi.

EDIT: Oh yes, I forgot to mention I am very fearful of being robbed, raped, and/or murdered. I only have a fold out knife w/ a four inch blade I've only ever used for practical applications. I don't have any training in wielding it in a combat situation. And I really am as fearful of hurting someone (yes, even an attacker) as I am of being injured/killed by one. Some harm reduction in this area (if any exists) would be quite appreciated.

Sorry if all this just comes across as naive and stupid, especially for a 27 year old.
 
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you seem to be keeping positive which is a good thing, but i feel you should try and do everything in your power to please your parents and stay with them. Once your out on the beach or in a forest on your own for a day your attitude and emotional well being could take a turn for the worse. But if you really think you will end up outside then you need to find a good clean and safe area with access to public washrooms and water, should also to try and find a soup kitchen or some place you can pick up donated food, who knows maybe if your outside all day getting your food and water and looking around you might find some work or might forge some friendships. One thing for sure is you will be getting some real life experience since you have been babied your whole life(not trying to be offensive)

Stay positive no matter what and things WILL get better.
 
Your parents don't want to see you homeless, nobody wants that for their kids. Really the best suggestion I have is start looking for a job and quit the drugs. Even if it's entry-level whatever, with your education you should be able to find something. Just try and then you might find something you like. Even if it's something you don't end up staying at, it's good for the short run and building your resume.
 
MOE tbh, if I was your sister I will shake you until you snap out of it!!! You have wonderful parents who have tolerated you for so long and I think it's about time you give the love back! Do not wait until they are gone because for sure and I guarantee you that you will miss them. So now that there is still time, do what yo u can to change and lay off the drugs. Do it for them.
 
Good advice, Maya. I think my mother force fed me a plan for the next two weeks w/ the endgame being to get a job, and now I'm delivering that to my father. If he accepts, I get to move back in. I guess I've wasted enough time and energy and I think I'll finally just fall in line on this one.
 
I'd get a job and try to chip maybe? (it's easier with no money). Something about your whole post makes me feel like you aren't really expecting to stay clean (Are you?) also don't be too hard on yourself , family is basically all about mooching off each other (Ideally food & drinks) , ever been to a funeral/inheritance "debate"?


and the whole camping idea sounds like a nightmare to me! I mean if you are mentally and physically fit maybe but not in withdrawal.
 
I opened up this thread expecting to see someone homeless for while, complaining about how bad it is and advising people to do everything in their power to keep from being homeless. I'm glad this didn't happen..
I'm also considering homelessness. I live with my parents, but I have a job and they are not threatening to kick me from home. In fact, I think they might be scared to see me going to live on the streets. I'm considering homelessness because my life just doesn't make sense here. I have an intense dislike for my job, I dont like living here, I dont like being around my parents, I have no friends. I want to just go on tramping around the world. Maybe I'll find some reason to live along the way. Is either this, or suicide, which I'm too scared to commit, besides I think it is so wrong. Meaninglessness and emptiness are killing me the way things are. I think I fit the model of people who usually end up on the streets very well.
 
Your parents don't want to see you homeless, but they also don't want to see you wasting your life. This is their way of trying to motivate you with negative reinforcement. I feel that they may be at their wits end over the whole thing, because it seems that you're more willing to just give up and live on the streets than put the effort in to get back on the straight and narrow. It would be much easier for you to quit drugs and find work while you have a stable residence. I suggest you sit down and have a completely open conversation with them, tell them about wanting to quit and that it will be much harder if you have nowhere to live. Don't try to make them give in because they feel sorry for you, you want them to accept that you're trying.

If an agreement can't be reached and they do kick you out however, take spare clothes (enough for at least 4 days before you have to do washing) as well.

Here is a list of shelters in your area that may be able to help you out (click), sleeping on the beach when it's cooling down and trying to quit drugs is a sure way to wind up in hospital from health complications.

EDIT: Oh yes, I forgot to mention I am very fearful of being robbed, raped, and/or murdered. I only have a fold out knife w/ a four inch blade I've only ever used for practical applications. I don't have any training in wielding it in a combat situation. And I really am as fearful of hurting someone (yes, even an attacker) as I am of being injured/killed by one. Some harm reduction in this area (if any exists) would be quite appreciated

HR version - don't carry a knife. It's asking for trouble. If you're not prepared to use it, you shouldn't have it on you (ie it should be put away somewhere). Most of the time when someone threatens you with a knife, they're not really prepared to actually stab/cut you because they have the advantage and threats are usually enough, but the moment you produce a weapon you're on even footing and threats alone won't intimidate you. You escalate the situation from one where you might be stabbed, to one where there is a high chance of it.

EDIT: After writing all this I realized it's been a week since you posted it. How are things going?
 
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