This column really hits home. My father in law suffered from some of the same issue. When he was on his meds, he was an amazing, loving person. But when he stopped taking them for some reason, he would turn into a belligerent person who got kicked out of his apartment. One time, we heard he got kicked out of his place, and was on the streets, so we flew back overnight to Minneapolis, spent the entire day and night looking for him until we found him and got him help. While doing that, I came face to face with the homeless on the streets of St. Paul. It changed my mindset. I don't have the answer to homelessness but seeing how many people have untreated mental health conditions, changed my mindset. These people need help. There are a lot of caring people out there trying to help. There is a story behind each tent on the sidewalk or rundown RV parked on the side of the road. I just hope the billion or so dollars Portland is spending on the homeless is going to help these folks get back on their feet instead of being pocketed by those trying to take advantage. We can fix this as a society.
John. Several years ago , I met a man living on the streets , who turned out to be a past successful writer with Reuters ; “Mike” speaks perfect English , and walks the 101 Highway for miles every day to fight his loneliness due his wife dying several years ago. He is homeless and carry’s a small tent with him. He does not drink or smoke. When I see him as I drive by, I always stop and roll down my car window and give him a 10 or $ 20 dollar bill. I have become rather fond of our short discussions about cars or sports when I pull over the side of the highway ; he refuses to allow me to buy him a lunch or a dinner in a restaurant, probably because he fears embarrassing me in public with our presence together, because of his disheveled appearance. He is a Gem of a person inside , and I am very happy to give him money whenever I see him walking along 101, near Newport, alone and staying alive . If you are ever in Newport, and driving along HWY 101 and you see a tall gangly old man walking, with a Yellow vest on, that is probably Mike. Stop and say hello to him … give him a dollar or more…. He used to be a fellow writer like you….he is interesting to talk with on any subject …I treasure his friendship.
A friend of mine, who works at a food pantry once told me that, until you actually get into a homeless persons life, you will never understand why they’re there. Maybe instead of concentrating on building houses for homeless take that money and invest in their health first. Otherwise, they are still lost.
Years ago I suffered from very bad PTSD, like many of my fellow Marines that came back from Iraq and Afghanistan. I fortunately was able to take hold of the mental issue, but many of my brothers haven;t and I have lost many to suicide and others have become homeless.
In my experience, our system places metal illness as ambulatory, so not of serious concern (able to perform tasks on their own). The VA system that should have assisted in my recovery of PTSD actually worsened it exponentially. An example, when I was going through a very difficult patch over ten years ago, I showed up to my appointment for PTSD care 5 minutes late (the VA stops appointments at 3pm, and with SoCal traffic and getting off work its about impossible to reach appointments, I drove fast and dangerously just to get there 5 minutes late). The front desk stated I was late and to reschedule, and the next available appointment was three weeks away... I explained the urgency for myself, I needed assistance today, it was urgent; they unbudged... I could see the doctor just ten feet away with the door open, he had to have heard me as I was not quiet, but never came out. I told them I would not leave until I received care. Instead the front desk called security, I started to have an episode, and instead of giving me any assistance security literally threw me out of the hospital, into the parking lot, and I was banned from returning for two weeks. This is the exact opposite what should have occurred, there are so many other ways to handle this situation... and this is the VA system that should revolve and be experts in issues like this. I tried my personal medical insurance through Kaiser, and it wasn;t much different
Fortunately months later I came across A Perfect Circle album, Thirteenth Step, which speaks of the steps in drug addiction and the psychology of getting addicted to recovery (the thirteenth step is living life after the 12 step program). Listening to lyrics I realized my psychology was the same as the lyrics throughout the album; PTSD and serious depression is really an addiction. I studied addiction recovery programs on the internet and then instituted my own program.
I am now here, a successful HS teacher, not because of our medical system, rather a music album and internet information. That is simply wrong. 12 years ago I was on the brink of losing everything... my marriage, my kids, my profession, my home... I was a lucky one.
Mental illness really has two major issues. First is the ignorance of public and the priority of non-ambulatory over what is perceived as ambulatory issues at hospitals. Just because someone can walk and talk does not mean the issue is low priority.
The second issue is that the weak system is clogged with people that self diagnose and are attention seekers, try to state their minor issues are mental illnesses. This probably is more on the medical system for not having a good quantitative measure to gauge individual issues, to prioritize high risk individuals... but this issue is two-fold, first it inhibits a high risk individual from getting the care they need, but it also jades the medical staff affecting the care they give each individual.
It's about kindness. It's about doing what you can in your neighborhood or town. It's about seeing everyone as someone. It's about caring. It's about a smile, a touch, a pair of gloves, a blanket, a meal. It's about listening. It's about being human.
It's so easy to hone your vision to avoid seeing the homeless around you. It's easy for people to think that the problem only infects you city or town, but the problem is societal and every town across this country is dealing with it in some form or fashion. I met several homeless persons while interning in San Francisco 20 years ago. I had conversations with them and ultimately realized that nothing about it is homogenized. There are so many ways that people find themselves on the streets. Additionally, there is no silver bullet that can fix it. It is going to take a herculean effort, incredible resources and many different programs to tackle this incredible mess our society has created. I respect you and your wife for never giving up on Fred; he's fortunate to have you in his life.
Mar 28, 2023·edited Mar 28, 2023Liked by John Canzano
I'm conflicted...That was a nice story that brings back memories...It was a nice story that brings back long buried, very difficult...memories. My younger sister was Fred. She was known to be the sweetest person in the world to her classmates in high school. until she wasn't. between the ages of 25 ish and 30 ish her world went dark. She could not hold a job, everyone was her enemy, she both loved and yet stole from family. She lied to, stole from, fought with...everyone...including family & friends. I tried so hard to help, taking her to doctors appointments, getting her diagnosed (Bi-Polar) so she could get medicaid and SSD. I was even paying her to clean my home...but in the end I had to cut her loose as she was destroying my life....she stole from me, she lied to me, she almost killed my special needs son through a fit of anger. When on her meds she was OK to be around, but she refused to take them...the Doctors told me this roller coaster of on again and off again of those powerful antipsychotic medications has a horrible effect on the brain. She was diagnosed after that with schizophrenia.
Our mother passed from cancer and my sister cried and cried, for about 6 hours. Then was caught going through my moms things (life insurance doc's. car titles etc.to steal). Eventually, about a month later, she was arrested for the nth time for assault, and a judge sentenced her to the state mental hospital for 6 months for total evaluation and mandatory medication...she was doing well and was released after 8 months, only to stop medicating herself as soon as she was released from a halfway house...then she would soon be diagnosed with congestive heart failure and passed within a couple weeks. A tragedy, yet there was NOTHING anyone could have done.
Wow John, I thought I was subscribing to a sports columnist. But you write some of the most sensitive heart wrenching columns I’ve ever read. I don’t know how to fix the homelessness in our society but you sure have given me something to think about. Thanks to you and Anna for your love for Fred.
As someone who's worked in mental health for a couple decades, that's what comes to mind.
Mental illness wears down entire families and social circles, so it's hard to overstate the importance of angels like your wife and yourself who are able to step up and be fully present for vulnerable people like Fred. There is only so much that helping professionals can do in the absence of social support from someone with personal ties to the individual affected. You are not only making a difference, you're setting an example.
Dang it, John...
Another windy eyed, Kleenex story..
You and Anna are a blessing...
Thanks..
This column really hits home. My father in law suffered from some of the same issue. When he was on his meds, he was an amazing, loving person. But when he stopped taking them for some reason, he would turn into a belligerent person who got kicked out of his apartment. One time, we heard he got kicked out of his place, and was on the streets, so we flew back overnight to Minneapolis, spent the entire day and night looking for him until we found him and got him help. While doing that, I came face to face with the homeless on the streets of St. Paul. It changed my mindset. I don't have the answer to homelessness but seeing how many people have untreated mental health conditions, changed my mindset. These people need help. There are a lot of caring people out there trying to help. There is a story behind each tent on the sidewalk or rundown RV parked on the side of the road. I just hope the billion or so dollars Portland is spending on the homeless is going to help these folks get back on their feet instead of being pocketed by those trying to take advantage. We can fix this as a society.
John. Several years ago , I met a man living on the streets , who turned out to be a past successful writer with Reuters ; “Mike” speaks perfect English , and walks the 101 Highway for miles every day to fight his loneliness due his wife dying several years ago. He is homeless and carry’s a small tent with him. He does not drink or smoke. When I see him as I drive by, I always stop and roll down my car window and give him a 10 or $ 20 dollar bill. I have become rather fond of our short discussions about cars or sports when I pull over the side of the highway ; he refuses to allow me to buy him a lunch or a dinner in a restaurant, probably because he fears embarrassing me in public with our presence together, because of his disheveled appearance. He is a Gem of a person inside , and I am very happy to give him money whenever I see him walking along 101, near Newport, alone and staying alive . If you are ever in Newport, and driving along HWY 101 and you see a tall gangly old man walking, with a Yellow vest on, that is probably Mike. Stop and say hello to him … give him a dollar or more…. He used to be a fellow writer like you….he is interesting to talk with on any subject …I treasure his friendship.
A friend of mine, who works at a food pantry once told me that, until you actually get into a homeless persons life, you will never understand why they’re there. Maybe instead of concentrating on building houses for homeless take that money and invest in their health first. Otherwise, they are still lost.
John,
Another wonderful story superbly written. For many reasons subscribing to your venture has been the best gift I gave myself last year.
Thanks!
Years ago I suffered from very bad PTSD, like many of my fellow Marines that came back from Iraq and Afghanistan. I fortunately was able to take hold of the mental issue, but many of my brothers haven;t and I have lost many to suicide and others have become homeless.
In my experience, our system places metal illness as ambulatory, so not of serious concern (able to perform tasks on their own). The VA system that should have assisted in my recovery of PTSD actually worsened it exponentially. An example, when I was going through a very difficult patch over ten years ago, I showed up to my appointment for PTSD care 5 minutes late (the VA stops appointments at 3pm, and with SoCal traffic and getting off work its about impossible to reach appointments, I drove fast and dangerously just to get there 5 minutes late). The front desk stated I was late and to reschedule, and the next available appointment was three weeks away... I explained the urgency for myself, I needed assistance today, it was urgent; they unbudged... I could see the doctor just ten feet away with the door open, he had to have heard me as I was not quiet, but never came out. I told them I would not leave until I received care. Instead the front desk called security, I started to have an episode, and instead of giving me any assistance security literally threw me out of the hospital, into the parking lot, and I was banned from returning for two weeks. This is the exact opposite what should have occurred, there are so many other ways to handle this situation... and this is the VA system that should revolve and be experts in issues like this. I tried my personal medical insurance through Kaiser, and it wasn;t much different
Fortunately months later I came across A Perfect Circle album, Thirteenth Step, which speaks of the steps in drug addiction and the psychology of getting addicted to recovery (the thirteenth step is living life after the 12 step program). Listening to lyrics I realized my psychology was the same as the lyrics throughout the album; PTSD and serious depression is really an addiction. I studied addiction recovery programs on the internet and then instituted my own program.
I am now here, a successful HS teacher, not because of our medical system, rather a music album and internet information. That is simply wrong. 12 years ago I was on the brink of losing everything... my marriage, my kids, my profession, my home... I was a lucky one.
Mental illness really has two major issues. First is the ignorance of public and the priority of non-ambulatory over what is perceived as ambulatory issues at hospitals. Just because someone can walk and talk does not mean the issue is low priority.
The second issue is that the weak system is clogged with people that self diagnose and are attention seekers, try to state their minor issues are mental illnesses. This probably is more on the medical system for not having a good quantitative measure to gauge individual issues, to prioritize high risk individuals... but this issue is two-fold, first it inhibits a high risk individual from getting the care they need, but it also jades the medical staff affecting the care they give each individual.
We as a society need to do better.
It's about kindness. It's about doing what you can in your neighborhood or town. It's about seeing everyone as someone. It's about caring. It's about a smile, a touch, a pair of gloves, a blanket, a meal. It's about listening. It's about being human.
It's so easy to hone your vision to avoid seeing the homeless around you. It's easy for people to think that the problem only infects you city or town, but the problem is societal and every town across this country is dealing with it in some form or fashion. I met several homeless persons while interning in San Francisco 20 years ago. I had conversations with them and ultimately realized that nothing about it is homogenized. There are so many ways that people find themselves on the streets. Additionally, there is no silver bullet that can fix it. It is going to take a herculean effort, incredible resources and many different programs to tackle this incredible mess our society has created. I respect you and your wife for never giving up on Fred; he's fortunate to have you in his life.
I'm conflicted...That was a nice story that brings back memories...It was a nice story that brings back long buried, very difficult...memories. My younger sister was Fred. She was known to be the sweetest person in the world to her classmates in high school. until she wasn't. between the ages of 25 ish and 30 ish her world went dark. She could not hold a job, everyone was her enemy, she both loved and yet stole from family. She lied to, stole from, fought with...everyone...including family & friends. I tried so hard to help, taking her to doctors appointments, getting her diagnosed (Bi-Polar) so she could get medicaid and SSD. I was even paying her to clean my home...but in the end I had to cut her loose as she was destroying my life....she stole from me, she lied to me, she almost killed my special needs son through a fit of anger. When on her meds she was OK to be around, but she refused to take them...the Doctors told me this roller coaster of on again and off again of those powerful antipsychotic medications has a horrible effect on the brain. She was diagnosed after that with schizophrenia.
Our mother passed from cancer and my sister cried and cried, for about 6 hours. Then was caught going through my moms things (life insurance doc's. car titles etc.to steal). Eventually, about a month later, she was arrested for the nth time for assault, and a judge sentenced her to the state mental hospital for 6 months for total evaluation and mandatory medication...she was doing well and was released after 8 months, only to stop medicating herself as soon as she was released from a halfway house...then she would soon be diagnosed with congestive heart failure and passed within a couple weeks. A tragedy, yet there was NOTHING anyone could have done.
Wow John, I thought I was subscribing to a sports columnist. But you write some of the most sensitive heart wrenching columns I’ve ever read. I don’t know how to fix the homelessness in our society but you sure have given me something to think about. Thanks to you and Anna for your love for Fred.
"How far would you go to help the man who held your wife’s hand when she crossed the street as a child?"
As someone who went through some tough times as a kid, and needed someone to hold his hand, this hit me hard. I'm glad you were there for him.
Moving salute. Thank you.
Thank you.
As someone who's worked in mental health for a couple decades, that's what comes to mind.
Mental illness wears down entire families and social circles, so it's hard to overstate the importance of angels like your wife and yourself who are able to step up and be fully present for vulnerable people like Fred. There is only so much that helping professionals can do in the absence of social support from someone with personal ties to the individual affected. You are not only making a difference, you're setting an example.
Thanks for sharing the story, too.
Wow. Just wow. Thank you.
The bigger picture of things always includes us in the image
GO DAWGS
We need more awareness on this. Thanks for this article, and everything else to make people aware of. We appreciate you in this household.