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Deborah Gray is the creator of the Wing of Madness depression site
Creator, Wing of Madness
Deborah Gray lived with undiagnosed clinical depression, both major...
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Wednesday, August 13, 2008
View All of Deborah Gray's Posts
This morning, on my way to Peet's for a decaf iced mocha, I saw two young women taking pictures of what at first glance might look like two bundles of clothes on the sidewalk. Since I frequent that particular Peet's, and because I've worked in Berkeley, California, for over a year, I knew that the bu...
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Tragic
Merely Me
Monday, September 01, 2008 at 08:33 AM
That is the word that comes to my mind. As the econony tanks, the numbers of homeless individuals grow. The problem is tragic because it seems we are now so immune to it that as you have witnessed, people giggle and take photos of the victims.
Mental illness is often one of the root causes of homelessness. I had experienced homelessness as a child and having to live in a shelter. It was not because I was mentally ill, but because my mother was. My mother has schizophrenia and at that time, they were still doing the revolving door thing of pushing people out into the community with little to no supports. My mother couldn't handle it and broke down. And subsequently, it did not just affect her but also me...who was just a child at the time.
Your story breaks my heart. Not sure what the answers are but maybe we start with empathy. Those picture taking girls should experience for but one day or night what it is like to be without food or shelter. I bet they would change their tune. Perhaps.
That is the word that comes to my mind. As the econony tanks, the numbers of homeless individuals grow. The problem is tragic because it seems we are now so immune to it that as you have witnessed, people giggle and take photos of the victims.
Mental illness is often one of the root causes of homelessness. I had experienced homelessness as a child and having to live in a shelter. It was not because I was mentally ill, but because my mother was. My mother has schizophrenia and at that time, they were still doing the revolving door thing of pushing people out into the community with little to no supports. My mother couldn't handle it and broke down. And subsequently, it did not just affect her but also me...who was just a child at the time.
Your story breaks my heart. Not sure what the answers are but maybe we start with empathy. Those picture taking girls should experience for but one day or night what it is like to be without food or shelter. I bet they would change their tune. Perhaps.