{"id":4266,"date":"2022-10-10T13:01:23","date_gmt":"2022-10-10T12:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ie.depaulcharity.org\/?post_type=news&p=4266"},"modified":"2023-01-25T10:33:09","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T10:33:09","slug":"living-with-mental-health-and-homelessness","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/ie.depaulcharity.org\/news\/living-with-mental-health-and-homelessness\/","title":{"rendered":"Living with Mental Health and Homelessness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Conor\u2019s Story<\/h2>\n

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Conor (45) has already spent most of his adult life between prison and homelessness. The Belfast native who has complex mental health needs was brought up in the care system and endured multiple traumas throughout his life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mental Health Problems<\/h3>\n

Difficulties Conor experienced in his early life automatically made him more vulnerable to mental health challenges. In his twenties, Conor was subsequently diagnosed with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and used alcohol as a way to self-medicate.<\/p>\n

Mental health problems can have a negative influence on homelessness and although Conor was diagnosed with mental health problems before falling into homelessness, he wasn\u2019t receiving the support he needed. The stress and trauma of being without a home exacerbated his existing mental health issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have a stable childhood and became extremely violent because this is all I knew. I was diagnosed with depression and PTSD in my twenties which was really hard to live with. I didn\u2019t care about anything, was sleeping on the streets and not taking any medication. The problem with PTSD is that it kills relationships – I didn\u2019t like anyone. It was a really difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Homeless<\/h3>\n

Five years ago, on being released from prison, Conor found himself homeless once again. He had nowhere to go, no family to turn to and was forced to sleep under bridges during heavy snow and freezing temperatures.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I had was a sleeping bag. I walked around Belfast looking for somewhere to live, slept under bridges, in car parks and even slept in the snow and experienced the intense pain of the coldness. It was horrific.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard for people who are homeless to find accommodation because people judge them. Homeless people are human beings; they all need help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere should be a lot more understanding of mental health problems and homelessness. A lot of people are damaged, people need to realise this and show more compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Family Grief<\/h3>\n

Conor has sadly also endured the heartache of losing two brothers to suicide and believes we should normalise conversations about mental health and open ourselves up to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helps to talk. Every month, I go to a grief therapist to help me deal with it. I\u2019m very open and tell her everything. I think it\u2019s important that we\u2019re all more open about it. My two brothers didn\u2019t talk about their problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe experience of losing two people close to me was awful on top of everything else \u2013 it took a long time for me to process and I wouldn\u2019t want anyone else to go through what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

The homeless population in Northern Ireland has always experienced difficulty accessing mainstream mental health services, partially due to many of them presenting with dual diagnosis.<\/p>\n

If Conor could change one thing about mental health support in Northern Ireland, it would be to make it more available. Conor continued to use alcohol as a way to self-medicate for years, until the right support was provided through Depaul.<\/p>\n

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Housing First<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mental health problems can make everyday tasks more difficult for individuals like Conor and that includes maintaining a tenancy. Conor has been with Depaul for the last five years and through the expertise, support and compassion of the team, Conor has been able to maintain his tenancy and reduce his dependency on alcohol.<\/p>\n

The Depaul Housing First model has been extremely effective in facilitating individuals like Conor to access and maintain a permanent home, ending the cycle of movement between emergency services and rough sleeping.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With Housing First,\u00a0the priority is to support a person who has experienced homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as possible, without any preconditions around addiction or mental health treatment.<\/p>\n

Although Conor is receiving help through Depaul, he admits that his mental health hasn\u2019t been great in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome days I am really angry and punch the walls. A single bad memory can set me off. I blank people when I feel bad, and don’t want to be in contact with anyone. It puts you in a terrible depression.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conor is hoping that better days will come. He has begun to turn his life around and is looking forward with a positive view.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to forget about the past, lingering in the past isn\u2019t healthy. I know I have suffered but this is not the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

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To support Conor and others in homelessness suffering with mental health issues, please donate today.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Donate Now<\/a><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

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