Homelessness

So I picked up my latest copy of 'The Psychologist'- something I hadn't yet found the time to do.

I was only a couple of pages in when a small article from a reader caught my eye. The name of the article was 'Homelessness- not just nowhere to live'. Despite it's lack of length and depth, it was something of interest to me due to personal reasons. The personal reason being my dad, who had just recently been made homeless.

I found the meaning of the article to be very true to what I have experienced. I believe that it's conclusion to be that being homeless is far beyond not having a roof over one's head. It talked about the problems of handing a homeless person an apartment, some money and concluding that the problem was fixed. Just like in medicine, if you give a patient anti-biotics to clear the symptoms but not see them through the whole treatment (so they cease to finish the whole pack) then the cause is not healed and the symptoms will soon again persist. There is no difference here in psychology. If the problem behind the behaviour is not resolved then more harm is done then good- because eventually, they will loose what has been given to them, and then it is just another thing that has slipped their grasp.

With experience with my dad, I have seen that being given money and a place to stay by government funded programs is not a solution. There is much more going on inside his head then appreciating the chance to have a roof over his head, or having money given to him to support him. He is nowhere near being able to get back into work- after being away from his profession for so many years now- and in my honest and sad opinion, he is unable to function properly in society (or at least to societal norms).

As with most people these days- his trust in counsellors and the likes is low. He most likely has something much more mental going on than his inability to handle financial situations- walk down the street, you'll probably bump into at least one person to every four that isn't good at handling their finances!

So I guess the conclusion of this first, short clog post of mine is that problems can't be delt with by throwing a little bit of fairy dust at it- but the problems of society (in this case poverty and homlesness in the UK) need to be considered further with greater care, or we can never hope to eradicate such avoidable problems.

Take care