I really empathise with you if it's the former. When you don't have enough money to live, no job, and you don't have someone to rely on it's exceptionally hard to get that across to someone who hasn't gone through not having enough. I didn't get it until I went through four hellish years of it. I've had some decent enough therapists, but I'm not sure any of them would really understand not having enough money to buy food or pay rent. And to be honest, I don't think therapy can ever solve that particular problem. I honestly think this kind of problem means taking a very practical approach and then just getting through hell. It means looking at making very small steps (like getting any job, like socialising even if theres no close friendship to be had) so you can give yourself some breathing space and look around at how to get to the next thing.

Well said M. le Black Tomato!!!

I agree that therapists who live comfortably often don't get what it's like to not have enough, or to be constantly outside that comfort zone.
My experience is that I had to fight hard and make use of all my opportunities and stop looking to middle class therapists to save me. And it worked out in the end. Through working crazy hard I now finally, 30/40 years later have what I need. I've learned gratitude.

I think there is a blur between depressive thinking and actual not having enough that has to be tackled. Sure actual not having enough has an emotional impact, but need to find inner strength to stand back from those reactions in order to improve the situation. For me martial arts gave me that strength.

Good thread, and thanks again tomatonoir - you said it all way better than I can!!!

It used to weigh me down how entitled people acted who had enough - them and their families. I joined a writing group and did a lot of public writing about these issues, and that also helped me to both challenge myself and to feel validated in speaking out.