Making the news today....

[TIMON]

Thats a pretty low thing to say, IMO.

Ok, maybe I could have phrased it a bit better, but the fact remains, just throwing cash at the problem isn’t helping, it’s making it a LOT worse. Questioning people’s motives for doing so can get a bit uncomfortable as well, but if the issues are going to be looked at with any kind of honesty then they are valid questions to ask because the constant stream of cash is part of the picture.
One point I would like to make in all this is that the right help should be applied at the right time.
The first response to someone just made homeless or in a crisis should be clothing, shelter and food. But what about afterwards?
It’s a bit like the earthquake in Haiti years ago, the aid agencies were still sending blankets and tents five years after it hit because no one had taken the trouble to build any infrastructure.

[Mick Dempsey]

3 minutes ago, Chessa said:

I clarified by noting "in these cases" - as in the ones discussed regarding the homeless on here. But yes, I've seen middle class kids self-medicate and thrill seek too - although it should be noted that not all of those individuals are as "comfortable" in all the ways one would expect and hope for...

What do you mean by “self medicate”?

[WesD]

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

If that girl is using it to buy heroin, then yes it’s wrong.

Stereotypical to think they’ll buy heroin though Mick. 

Saying that though I never give money to homeless, much prefer buying them food and a hot drink as I think it’s more likely to help them short term than a tenner. 

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

 

As for what options you have, giving to homeless charities or the like   seems to be a better way of helping.

 

 

 

[Mick Dempsey]

2 minutes ago, WesD said:

Stereotypical to think they’ll buy heroin though Mick. 

Saying that though I never give money to homeless, much prefer buying them food and a hot drink as I think it’s more likely to help them short term than a tenner. 

 

Wes, go to page 1071 and read Timon’s post, that’s exactly what was happening.

[Ratman]

What do you mean by “self medicate”?

Take drugs to ease the other going ons in their their lives. Mental instabilities obviously contribute to the sticking heroin in their bodies and the likes cos they think it eases their pains. There two sides / outlooks in eveyones lives, call it a set of scales mick, occasionally we ALL slip to the wrong side..... all be it a ‘bad day’ for you and me, but for those in need.... could be more mentally life changing slip the wrong way. i.e injecting etc

[Conor Wright]

1 hour ago, Ratman said:

You read too much Chessa i couldnt take it all in, i’d get all my words in a mucking fuddle ?. Not to argue against anyones hardships or misfortunes, as i’ve been lucky in life as of yet. I’m not sure in this case it could be just specifically blamed on poverty?
Timon did explain that the girl had a child that stayed with her mother (childs grandmother) and he had witnessed her coming to the scene and approaching her, begging her to come back home for xmas etc, that would suggest that financially she could have been supported? Do you think she could have been ill (mentally) causing her to end up doing what she did on the streets?

Smack becomes everything to a heroin addict. Seen a couple of people go down that road. Some have the inner will and strength to  overcome it, whether they get support from others or not. More die. Some break the habit and then off themselves due to the depression of a wasted life. Some li e on

As regards homelessness. It's only a few missed mortgage/rent payments away for most.

Its easy to judge, i try not to... but its foolish to give a junkie cash. Itll only go one place. No dealers gonna give out a hit for a coffee and a sandwich. What gets me is that i strongly doubt someone forced a needle into her vein the first time around.. i mean, who doesnt know what heroin can do. 

[tree-fancier123]

3 minutes ago, Conor Wright said:

i mean, who doesnt know what heroin can do.

I don't - I mean I've often wondered what it can do, but never tried it. Must be nice. I'll wait till I get cancer, then have a play with madness

[Gary Prentice]

After seeing what heroin did to my twin sister, I've no desire to try it even with cancer. That's a pretty daft comment.

[Conor Wright]

2 minutes ago, tree-fancier123 said:

I don't - I mean I've often wondered what it can do, but never tried it. Must be nice. I'll wait till I get cancer, then have a play with madness

What I meant was we are all well aware of the dangers of it.. not that I presumed most people have tried it! But yeah, it must be nice.. the first couple of times, then three months later youre living in a doorway, struggling to find a vein so you can shoot up to give you enough motivation to actually beg for money for more so you can do the same again tomorrow. Enchanting. Keep us posted. Watch out for the pimps.

[Vespasian]

17 minutes ago, Chessa said:

"self-medicate" is a term used in mental health work to describe those who are trying to alleviate (to borrow a recent word) their problems without recourse to supervised care by healthcare professionals.

 

Drugs of choice can be prescription drugs, alcohol, herbal remedies, street drugs - the list is creative and not exhaustive.

Self medicate.... give me strength.  engage in substance abuse would be more honest..

 

If you're asking me the root of the problem isn't drugs but mental deficiency of some sorts..  who in their right mind wants to take drugs knowing how dangerous they can be..   especially for the feeble minded of this world..   

 

Thats the thing that ought be taught in schools, if your of sound mind, you may get away with taking drugs and live a normal life eventually.. if your weak and of unstable mind you will end up going down that rabbit hole and you ain't likely to be getting out of it..

 

If children could be made to understand this, the weak minded might be wary of or tempted to go down that rabbit hole..   on the minus side those of sound mind might be tempted to take on the challenge of trying drugs... but at least they'd be better armed against the worse of its consequences..