Quote:
Originally Posted by bpenniman
After my mood has been stabilized on my medications: lamictal, geodon, klonipin, and adderall xr, I feel like I should find a career in mental health. The college I want to enroll in, at the age of 23, has a variety of mental health career options. But I want to be a certified practical counselor in a homeless shelter/guesthouse. I worked in two homeless shelters. One in Toronto, and one in Kansas City. This was when I had undiagnosed bipolar 1 and after my first major manic episode, I had to quit and return home. I was diagnosed bipolar 1. I still get dysthymia but not too bad. Homeless shelters, (I call them guesthouses) have a strong need for counselors. You don't make much, but if it's meant to be, it's what I'd like to do. My passion is for the homeless, and I feel as though I can help all the undiagnosed bipolar homeless people. I would have to say from my experience working at homeless shelters, half are bipolar. I want to make a change in the life of many bipolar homeless. Any thoughts? Any challenges to reaching my goal?
|
The homeless do not have access to continued availability of psych medication and therapy. They resort to street drugs for relief, and their lifestyle is the most stressful imaginable. Maybe you could be a comfort to them if you reduced your expectations, but to make a change in the life of many bipolar homeless? Go into politics and fight to end the causes of homelessness i.e. poverty, at risk youth, food scarcity, crime, abuse, reduced education, unemployment, lack of resources for veterans etc. etc.
Seriously, it would be best to keep kids from growing up and ending up on the street. How many kids are dumped from foster care onto the street? How many veterans are abandoned when they return home with severe PTSD?
Good luck. Please stay realistic. Which means calling homeless shelters what they are...a place to go so as not to freeze to death. Guesthouses? Why pretty up hell? Homeless shelters are breeding grounds for bed bugs, rodents, and even tuberculosis. Thank goodness churches are starting to open up to the homeless in winter. I mean, why do we have places of worship fully heated, and fully empty and locked up while the homeless freeze to death outside on their steps?
As long as homelessness exists I don't see how anyone can feel 100% happy all snug in their cozy house or apartment in the winter. In America we treat our pets better than we care for our returned veterans, those who "graduate" from foster care. and the mentally ill homeless.
Why the hell does homelessness even exist in this country? And why are so many homeless people with mental health problems suffering without medical care or human decency? Sure, everyone thinks about this around the holidays...while those on the street suffer 365 days a year.
(I advocate to end homelessness ASAP)