Chronic Poverty And The Effects On Ptsd

[yoshixvx]

I have lived in poverty all of my life. I starved for many years as a child (one of the reasons why I was removed from my home) and much into my youth/young adulthood. There was one year where I was working on a salary of 35K, and I felt like a queen. But those days have long since passed. I am not currently capable of holding a job, and have not been able to for the past 4 years.

I currently live on my own (as recommended by my therapist - due to a multitude of triggers surrounding roommates), but 80% of my benefits go towards rent. Bills take up the final 15% and I am left with approx >$90 to live on per month, if I'm lucky. I can live on $20/week.. I have made it happen and obviously managed to not starve to death. Or at least for the first half of the month. Then the money runs out; emergencies pop up, transportation costs to medical appointments are not covered by the government, bank fees are through the roof, and my cat needs to eat.

I sit here currently with empty cupboards, contemplating the effects that poverty has had on my life. Not only do we battle with insurmountable odds and pressure on us to "get better" and rejoin the work force; Some of us also have the financial and existential pressure of questioning where our next meal comes from.

It's difficult for me to even want to reconnect with employment. As I crunch numbers, I only find that I would literally have to make myself sick to afford what benefits have given me. There is no incentive to do this: 50% of what I will make is taken back by the government, I am not eligible for any school loans or credit; I am stuck.

Not sure where I am going with this. Consider it a depressive existential rant on the reality of a failing society that places no worth in those who cannot feed back into it, that makes the poor even poorer, for the sake of the rich.

And people wonder why every day is a struggle, at best.

 

[DharmaGirl]

Do you have churches there that give away food? There is a church in my small town that gives away bread every day, and produce, commodities and a food basket once a month. It really helps. I also go to the Social Services office where they give away food weekly. Some even give pet food.

 

[greenleaf]

Food banks and community gardens near me are providing food to some extent also. Community gardeners can be a wonderful community.

 

[yoshixvx]

Yes, there is one close to my place, but you can only rely on it 3x per year.. so it has its limitations.

Not sure about community gardens, but seeing as it's still winter here.. it'll be something I can check into once spring hits.

 

[MissMacD]

It's not easy trying to survive on social assistance, especially if you live in a small town. Bigger cities generally have better resources.

 

[Deleted member 24866]

Sorry to hear of your struggles, but I am really impressed with being able to survive on 20$ per week.. wow. I have been homeless I think 5-6 times all but 2 living in a car and beginning as a child at 10 visiting my father in his van. It is a very hard life, and I found not a lot of people want to associate with me when I was down and out adding to the problem. I am sorry to hear your community is so lacking in resources or heartless. I in these times have been fortunate to find food pantries to help through/ food shelves and that has been enough to get me by till either debts were paid (medical) or I got my income up. Otherwise we have a place here where you can donate blood and they will pay you - (but you have to consider that you may need a good balanced diet to keep losing pints of blood) but ya know I have done it in a pinch. Sometimes you can be paid to be in research studies, but beyond work I am afraid I am not a lot of help.
I can tell you I spent some time looking into foraging and come spring some dandelion leaves and nettle leaves (tastes like green beans- don't mess with the stem and make sure their not sprayed) are very nutritious filler. Lambs quarter, and purlsane are also delicious and extremely nutritious as well as abundant. Community garden is a great idea- one fed me during a homeless phase. Generally foraging is not worth it, but these guys are everywhere and extremely nutritious and palatable. Would a hunting or fishing license be a worthy investment? (your not working may find time and enjoyment in these activities?)

 

[Deleted member 24866]

Do you have any outdoor space, a patio to grow on? In better times even without land I will many times purchase plants, strawberries, grapes, apple trees, yada yada.. perenials and ask people with space if they would adopt the plant and let them grow.. perhaps in the future I will want some back as they propogate, or perhaps I may need the harvest so we will share the yield. Just an idea.. even though I have "no space" I know people who are willing to share resources for some labor or investment.. in exchange for food that can be stored one way or another. Sometimes you have to get creative.. I purchase my cloths on clearance from a thrift store for 1.50.. then after wearing them till they no longer fit or are wearing out I recycle a lot of them into handbags right now. Trying to sell on ebay.. (current project, great clearing out the house) I will definitely see a profit even if they sell for cheap. And its like being clothed for free.. brainstorm.. sending prayers.. hope you find some ideas and help dear.

 

[Deleted member 24866]

Cash jobs- in my state (US) you can earn up to 700$ before having to claim it. There are also many jobs that occasionally need an extra hand I have found in painting and banquets. Make sure you understand your state and the options available to you. I only get medical benefits, but still can earn a livable (ok its tight but its livable) income and get medical, the medical portion of my benefits has saved me 800$ per month on medication. Here we also have something called vocational rehab to assist with school and education for those with disabilities.. maybe you need to move.. or a social worker ? If you want to ever chat or vent, I am here for you ..k?

 

[yoshixvx]

Hi @4melissa
I live in Canada so our welfare system is a bit different. The system takes 50% of whatever a person on assistance makes as extra income... essentially leaving them to work twice as hard to break even. For us with mental illness, this is a nearly impossible request. I receive roughly $13K per year, a little over $1100/month. This affords me a tiny apartment in a walkup building, with little sunlight or space to utilize for growing my own food. I've looked into this, tried to talk to the landlord about building a garden, but consent is not available. This is the price of living in the downtown core of Canada's second most expensive, concrete-laden city. Unfortunately at this time, I can't leave because my ties to mental health supports are here and outside of this catchment area, options are slim.

As far as earning extra income, I volunteer when I can but that is not profitable and those efforts are not recognized by the government. My skills are outdated and the market is too competitive and stressful for me to sustain full-time or freelance employment.

Concerning meals, I am vegan and have been for almost 2 decades. I also have food allergies. So cutting corners by consuming cheaper meats or grains is not an option for me. The only reason I've been able to survive on $20/week is because there is a produce market close to my apartment, so I can get veggies and fruit for the week at that cost. Living outside the city would triple the grocery bill if I had to shop at a supermarket/grocer. So, I consider myself very lucky to be able to eat quality food for the first few weeks of the month, as opposed to having to eat food that makes me sick, even if it comes from a food bank.

Despite this, I will probably go to the food bank tomorrow as one can't survive off of air for very long. ;)

 

[DharmaGirl]

I got some great vegan stuff at the food bank, since no one else really wanted it. You are right, you don't get much quality food at a food bank. They do give dried beans and sometimes they have brown rice. They do have a lot of processed junk. I live in a rural area, and the farmers bring in a lot of produce and eggs to the food bank. I know you don't eat eggs, but we do. I also can sometimes get yogert. I used to go to the farm stand to buy my produce right before closing, and the farmer there would give me extra stuff that really wouldn't last too much longer for free. I would blanch and freeze it, or make a meal and freeze the extra. It sounds as if you are doing ok, but jeez, that is a hard existence!