I am trying to adjust to life on a limited income. I am applying for social security as well as VA benefits as I cannot work. I am already on foodstamps as well as Section 8 Housing.

What I have noticed over the past three years as I've started to received social services (healthcare, mental healthcare, housing, and foodstamps) is that dealing with people is more difficult. The people around me are so different than the people than I grew up with and have worked with. It's not just in a certain place either...when I go to the foodstamp office (I do my interview by phone now), I use to have to put up with a crowded office with children running around unattended and making so much noise that I had to step outside from getting anxious. This happens in spite of the security guard in the waiting room and the signs in English and Spanish advising adults not to let their children run around unattended and make noise.

I had a problem with my mental health care provider not giving me proper instructions with my meds and advising me of contraindications, thank the powers that be that I am not eligible to receive mental health care from my state goverment sponsored community health clinic (it took them 10 years by the way, for them to figure out that I'm not eligible to receive services from them). And thank the powers that be that I was eligible to receive mental health care AND regular health care from the VA (this part I can deal with).

Now the living situation...now that's hairy. I stay away from the obvious run down, criminal looking element places. I've lived in 3 different places on section 8. The first place was a coop recommended by the local community mental health center. At this place, I learned a few things...I learned with crack looked like, smelled like, and all the different things people do on it (sex, steal, lie, cheat, screw eachother over...repeatedly). Told the mental health place what was going on...not until a resident attempted to beat up a cop did they do anything...then they shut the whole thing down. The second place I lived in actually passed inspection...it shouldn't have...the landlord was crazier than I was...I was outta there within a year. Now this place I'm living in...in a nice, quaint neighbor hood, well built (well, except for the fact that it has no insulation) and the management company borders on negligent (hope their insurance is up to date). Not until I moved in did I find out that the last resident no longer lives there as a result of a crack overdose mixed with alcohol...2 other people were smoking crack there and subjecting the rest of the tennants to their irratic and crazy behavior. We finally got them outta there, but they just moved a new guy in...no proof, but I know what crack buy looks like and sounds like (pretty unusual skill for a white girl who grew up in suburbia huh?). But he's "not so bad" because he's quite and doesn't involve the other residents.

There also seems to be some kind of intelligence problem as well...my neighbor swears that us Jewish people pray to the Koran?! WTF Thinks Dr. Phil is a valid professional in the area of mental health instead of a strange form of daytime entertainment. Eats mostly sugar when she knows she's diabetic. I've read that mental illness does not affect IQ, but I'm starting to wonder...

Has anyone encountered anything similiar to these issues, and if so, how did you handle them?

Please let me know....