Fun Stuff > CHATTER

In two weeks I'll be homeless it looks like.

<< < (8/14) > >>

axerton:

--- Quote from: Coreh on 14 Apr 2008, 03:41 ---I can't get a job.
My dad is becoming more and more agitated with me, so he yells at me and belittles me every day.
All my friends are gone.
I have nobody to talk to about any of my problems.
I sleep all day because I don't have a reason to get up.
And i stay up all night because it's the only time my dad isn't around.
that's what's driving me crazy

--- End quote ---

Am I the only one who looks at this and thinks possible clinical depression, I mean sure you have a right to be depressed with no friends and your father on your back, but even then "I have no reason to get up" sounds like clinical depression to me.

My advice, first talk it out with your mum from the sound of it she seems to be at least a bit on your side, and see if she can't talk your dad into giving you a break, (this may not be a viable option but I don't know the details of your case) secondly get to a doctor, and explain your situation incase what you're feeling is more than major a case of the sads, cos if it is, nothing you do will help you.

onewheelwizzard:
Axerton, I can see what you're trying to say but I disagree a great deal with your conclusions.

From the description I've seen on this thread, Cory is in a VERY high-risk situation for depression.  Without social support, employment, or a normal sleeping schedule, the likelihood of an accurate "clinical depression" diagnosis, as defined by current psychiatric standards, goes WAY up.  Cory probably does fit the diagnosis as of now, in fact.  So I can see what you're saying.

But a few things tell me that the psychiatric/medical approach to this sort of thing is absolutely the wrong way to go about it.  Basically, it sounds to me as if, without those positive factors in place (friends, social life, daily routine, job), any attempts at therapy or trying to solve the problem from the "inside out" so to speak will simply inevitably fail.  Therapy does nothing if a person's life doesn't actually improve any, and so much of the poor quality of life that Cory seems to be experiencing is directly due to external factors that won't at all be solved with a doctor's visit.  If there really is something that could be genuinely marked a "mental disorder" and it is playing a causal role in his life, as opposed to being the unfortunate result of otherwise uncontrollable circumstances, it still won't get solved without the help of a social support network and a job.  Simply put, the number one priority here is improving quality of day-to-day life, and that will be accomplished with positive social relationships, a healthy sleep schedule, and a living wage or equivalent thereof.  After that, maybe Cory, if he so desires, can look into psychological treatment ... but I get a feeling from his posts that the positive lift that he'd gain from changing his lifestyle in that way would be more than enough to quell many of the symptoms that could or would qualify him for a clinical-depression diagnosis.

Cory, there are a lot of resources out there that you can use to find ways to live without a permanent address.  The link I posted earlier is to an organization that allows people to exchange manual labor on organic farms for room and board ... if you can pay for the cost of travel to the farm, you should be able to manage an arrangement that keeps you fed, clothed, and sheltered, and hopefully provides you with a community of people to work with.  I have friends who have done this sort of thing before and had a great time (I have one in Hawaii right now and I'm planning on heading out this fall to join or replace him), so I can't give you a wholehearted personal recommendation but I can say that it sounds like a pretty good bet all things considered (at least, if you don't mind working on a farm).  It sounds to me like you really need a serious change in setting, so from what little I understand of the situation I think you could absolutely benefit from leaving home.

Someone made a really good point earlier about not burning your bridges, though.  I agree with that ... as much as your life where you are now sucks, you could put yourself in way worse situations elsewhere in the world, so it would be a huge mistake to completely rule out the option of returning home should you find yourself in an intractable situation.

a pack of wolves:
onewheelwizzard's right about the extreme unlikelihood of the medical profession being able to do much of anything for someone in your situation. Therapy can help you with the kind of mental processes that cause you to end up in bad situations and prevent you getting out of them, it won't make you feel much better about a fucked up situation like yours. I agree about the WWOOF organisation being worth a look too, I know a lot of people who've done it often on very little money and had an excellent time. Also, are there any squatting networks that might be able to help out either where you are or where you're going? I'm not sure what it's like in the US but if I was in your situation in the UK I'd be looking to move into an existing squat or try and find some people to set one up with.

jhocking:

--- Quote from: onewheelwizzard on 15 Apr 2008, 01:03 ---The link I posted earlier is to an organization that allows people to exchange manual labor on organic farms for room and board ... if you can pay for the cost of travel to the farm, you should be able to manage an arrangement that keeps you fed, clothed, and sheltered, and hopefully provides you with a community of people to work with.

--- End quote ---

I didn't know about this kind of thing, it does sound like a good option for cory if he is dead-set on leaving home immediately.

Lines:
Man, Tommy must have really gotten to you, Joe.

I've heard of those farms before! I don't know anyone who's done it, but it sounds like a good idea.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page