[homeless] Today i start my first day of sleeping in my car

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Lobber
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08 Apr 2015, 6:27 pm

So, I am autistic and messed up in the head. Asperger's Syndrome, Bi-Polar, Love shy. I had a "incident" with my mother whom I had been living with on February 28 this year. She was trying to play a trick on me by taking away the heater from my room in her attic, and telling me I can't use it, instead, saying to use the small candle I have to heat the room. Mind you, this was during those -20 or so degree Fahrenheit nights in Niagara Falls, NY. I blow up, demand the heater, push her back and threaten to put her in the hospital. I even stopped, walked out, called the Crisis Hotline, and she called the cops, and I went to the mental ward of the local hospital.

Three days later I was homeless, living in a shelter. I cannot live with my mom anymore. At this shelter, the Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission, I received great prejudice and hatred from the "Christians" there because of my beliefs as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I told them straight up at the very start that I attend meetings on Tuesday nights. They have a 7:30 PM curfew. I was allowed to go to my meetings without telling them every single time because they knew it was every Tuesday.

Then a month goes by and I went to the Memorial of Christ's death, held last Friday, and when I got back, John, the head honcho there, was pissed off that I didn't tell him I went to another meeting. He should have known I was going to be at that meeting, he knew perfectly well that JW's do not celebrate Jesus resurrection, but his death instead. Still, when I went to my next Tuesday night, he threw me out of the house because I didn't inform him ahead of time. He complained and bitched how he is so busy he can't remember every little detail with so many homeless guys coming and going. Even the other "overnight guests" as we're called know this is complete nonsense. Many of those other guys have gotten into worse trouble, getting drunk, coming in late from partying, or going to AA meetings without telling John every single time, yet he singled me out to finally get rid of me.

And the Department of Social Services refuses to help me saying I am in "Non-Compliance" now. I am thinking of getting a lawyer and suing both that Mission, John, and DSS for religious discrimination. However, for tonight and the foreseeable future, I will be spending my nights in my car, regardless of the temperature out.

My bi-polar disorder and Asperger's Syndrome have contributed greatly to my lot in life. I cannot accept full responsibility for all of the faults in my life when my very brain is malfunctioning so badly.

On the positive side...

I had a great job interview today, and also an okay one yesterday, and DSS will help me fund an apartment if I can find one cheap enough, and there are some one bedroom apartments opening up next week.

The number one thing I pray to Jehovah for is to have high spirits and morale. I don't feel like feeding the fish below the falls, yet.


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AspieUtah
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08 Apr 2015, 6:46 pm

Have you spoken with your mother since she reported you to law enforcement? She should feel awful.

Yes, I believe that filing a complaint will get the attention your case needs. Since it is based on religion, you would probably get the best traction with the ACLU in your state. They will try first to resolve the conflict with DSS, the Rescue Mission and its staff with letters and telephone calls before filing a court complaint. They usually get a resolution at the first stage.

Good luck with your job interviews. They will be the key to your success in all this.

Aside from pushing your mother, I can't say that I would have done anything differently. :wink:


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Diagnosed in 2015 with ASD Level 1 by the University of Utah Health Care Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic using the ADOS-2 Module 4 assessment instrument [11/30] -- Screened in 2014 with ASD by using the University of Cambridge Autism Research Centre AQ (Adult) [43/50]; EQ-60 for adults [11/80]; FQ [43/135]; SQ (Adult) [130/150] self-reported screening inventories -- Assessed since 1978 with an estimated IQ [≈145] by several clinicians -- Contact on WrongPlanet.net by private message (PM)


Tawaki
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09 Apr 2015, 12:41 am

Shelters have rules. The ones here require you to sign out AND let a staff person know you are leaving.

It sounds like someone was lax on the "rules", and the boss got pissed off. They can lose funding over something like that.

Had he told someone he was leaving for services, and they said "no", he'd have a claim. The supervisor has a point, why should he put to memory someone's religious dates of worship?

Why should his mother feel awlful? He's a grown adult. He threatened to put his mother in the hospital. He's lucky she didn't file assault charges.

The OP sounds hypomanic (minimum). Everyone is against him. People should know, and takes no responsibility for his actions. The shelter stuff was petty, but that is how shelters roll. Threatening his mom? OP is not a child.

I hope OP your interview goes well. As a person with bipolar I, I call BS on using that as an excuse that your life being trash.. Are you on meds? Therapy? In touch with community mental health? Because if it is beyond help, that's group home material.

I've been in a shelter, burned plenty of bridges, 90 day commitment, too many IP stays to count. I take responsibility for all the BS I caused in my life. I was too manic to listen or care, fought with doctors, alienated my family, and f****d up my life at 30. All.my.fault. Didn't follow my treatment plan. Knew better than everyone.

Don't play the victim. You are smarter than that.

Here's hoping the interview provides the job you need.



redrobin62
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09 Apr 2015, 1:04 pm

<--- Slept in his car for years. You have company, Lobber.



goldfish21
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09 Apr 2015, 4:19 pm

Just roll with the mantra of car guys everywhere... "You can live in your car, but you can't race your house!" :P Heh, hopefully you can view your situation as optimistically as possible and make it through whatever you have to endure until you're in a better place in life. Godspeed - but don't get any tickets! :P


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starkid
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11 Apr 2015, 5:40 pm

goldfish21 wrote:
Just roll with the mantra of car guys everywhere... "You can live in your car, but you can't race your house!"


What does that mean?



goldfish21
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12 Apr 2015, 11:47 am

starkid wrote:
goldfish21 wrote:
Just roll with the mantra of car guys everywhere... "You can live in your car, but you can't race your house!"


What does that mean?


It's something car guys semi-jokingly say about guys who spend all their money on an expensive car and live in a cheap home as their priority is their car, not their home. It's a bit of a joke justifying their priorities.


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14 Apr 2015, 3:57 pm

My wife and I have lived off and on in our RV for years. Once you get used to it it's not a bad option, and while we have a house now, the house we bought is much smaller than most homes on the market as we have gotten used to a much smaller space. Go with the flow and do your best.


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