Fwd: Re: Is drug addiction usually a cause or consequence?

Theodore Latham (tedrico@hotmail.com)
Sat, 30 May 1998 22:49:41 PDT 

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>From: "susan mason" <smason1@hotmail.com>
>To: tedrico@hotmail.com
>Subject: Re: Is drug addiction usually a cause or consequence?
>    (Tedrico's    Page Select Topic)
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>Date: Sat, 30 May 1998 13:52:44 PDT
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>>	Tue, 26 May 1998 20:29:30 PDT
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>>From: "Theodore Latham" <tedrico@hotmail.com>
>>To: pt109@iquest.net, sixstring@mailexcite.com, boudecia@hotmail.com,
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>>Subject: Is drug addiction usually a cause or consequence? (Tedrico's
>>    Page Select Topic)
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>>Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 20:29:30 PDT
>>
>>Dear Tedrico's Page Site Update Notification List Members:
>>
>>     As usual, I'd like your feedback on the following TP Feedback 
>>question:
>>
>>On Sat, 23 May 1998 21:58:06 EDT Jeevan <JEEVSTER@aol.com> 
>>wrote:
>>
>>    What would you say were the most common causes of someone becoming
>>homeless.  Is drug addiction usually a cause or a consequence?  As a 
>>future physician, or if I were to start up an organization catering to 
>>health needs of the homeless, would you have any advice as to what 
>>concerns need to be met first?
>>
>>-Jeevan
>>
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Tedrico Latham
>>_________________________
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>>P.O. Box 514 Rich Square, NC 27869 (919)539-4228
>><tedrico@hotmail.com>
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>
>RESPONSE TO CAUSE OR CONSEQUENCE:
>
>SINCE I HAVE NEVER BEEN HOMELESS, I CAN ONLY ANSWER FROM THE STAND 
POINT 
>OF WORKING WITH THE HOMELESS.  IN MY EXPERIENCES, I HAVE SEEN THAT DRUG 
>ADDICTION IS BOTH A CAUSE AND CONSEQUENCE OF HOMELESSNESS.  I HAVE SEEN 
>INDIVIDUALS WHO BECAME HOMELESS AS A RESULT OF DRUG ADDICTION, AND 
>CONVERSELY SEEN INDIVIDUALS WHO BECAME HOMELESS AND TURNED TO DRUGS AS 
A 
>COPING MECHANISM.  I HAVE ALSO SEEN HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT USE 
>DRUGS OR ALCOHOL.  THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE HOMELESS ARE 
INDIVIDUALS, 
>JUST AS PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT HOMELESS.  IF YOU ASKED 100 MIDLE CLASS 
>INDIVIDUALS HOW THEY GOT TO WHERE THEY ARE IN LIFE, YOU MAY WELL GET 
100 
>VARYING ANSWERS WITH 50 COMMON DENOMINATORS, SUCH AS EDUCATION.  THE 
>SAME WOULD APPLY TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS: 100 INDIVIDUAL STORIES,  50 
>WHO HAVE DRUG PROBLEMS THAT WERE THE FINAL FACTOR CAUSING THEIR 
>HOMELESSNESS.  ALTHOUGH I DO NOT KNOW STATISTICS, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT 
>DRUGS AND ALCOHOL RELATED CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS ARE SIGNIFICANT AMONG 
>THE INDIVIDUALS I HAVE SPENT TIME WITH.  
>TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT CATERING TO THE HEALTH NEEDS OF THE 
>HOMELESS:
>FIRST, A QUESTION TO YOU...HOW WOULD YOU PLAN TO CATER TO THE HEALTH 
>NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS?  A FREE CLINIC?  EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED 
>IN DOING? DEDICATING YOUR PROFESSION TO THE CAUSE, OR VOLUNTEER WORK?  
I 
>AM ASKING THIS BECAUSE I THINK GOOD ADVICE WOULD WARRANT KNOWING WHAT 
>YOU WANT TO DO.
>I CAN SAY THAT THERE IS ONE THING THAT I BELIEVE IS A NECESSARY 
>PREREQUISITE TO ANY HEALTH CARE SERVICES YOU WISH TO CATER TO THE 
>HOMELESS.
>I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS ABOUT THEIR VIEWS OF THE HEALTH 
>CARE EXPERIENCES THEY HAVE HAD, AND MANY EXPRESS THAT THEY FELT THEY 
DID 
>NOT RECEIVE THE BEST OF CARE BECAUSE THEY HAD NO MONEY....ECONOMIC 
>DISCRIMINATION.   I HAVE HAD HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS EXPRESS TO ME THAT 
>THEY WILL AVOID MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF TRUST THEY 
HAVE 
>FROM THIS DISCRIMINATION.  HAVING WORKED IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION FOR 
A 
>NUMBER OF YEARS, I HAVE SEEN FROM THE INSIDE THAT THEIR FEARS ARE VALID 
>IN MANY CASES. THINK ABOUT HOW A HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT CAN BE CREATED 
>TO ELIMINATE THIS REALISTIC PROBLEM. YOU CAN OFFER ANY SERVICE YOU 
WANT, 
>BUT IF THEY DO NOT FEEL IT IS A CARING, NON-JUDGEMENTAL, 
>NON-DISCRIMINATORY AND COMPETENT ENVIRONMENT, THEY WILL NOT SEEK YOUR 
>SERVICES. 
>
>I HOPE YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT DOING SOMETHING SUCH AS THIS...AND IF YOU 
>ARE...I THINK SEEKING ADVICE SUCH AS YOU HAVE IS WISE AND SHOULD HELP 
>YOU PLAN EFFECTIVELY.
>
>SUSAN 
>
>
>
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