I had a good family. Two loving parents, shelter over my head, good education. Then dad and mum divorced, dad disappeared and mum remarried. i got shipped off to boarding school when i was 12, which rocked coz the step dad was bad...used to touch me and things...and when i left school after year 11 i had the choice of going home or doing my own thing. it was ok for a while, i kinda boarded with friends family and used up my savings to help out with food costs and things. when my savings ran out, i was on the street, where i met a gang of kick ass streeters. they rock, we are still hell tight now...they were always looking after me, especially at night time in northbridge and perth when there are drunks trying to feel me up and stuff. had a couple of bad experiences with drunks. eventually though, my friends and me went to step one, and i got off the streets and into accomodation for a while, got me a job and am renting with some assistance and stuff now, and another friend got off the streets. i stil have two 12 year old mates on the streets though, and a bunch of 16 year olds, as well as the older crew.
i still go to step one, they helped me get into my youth work course at tafe. they also refered m to sarc (sexual assault resource centre) where i have started dealing with what my step dad did and what those drunks did, and i have my first appointment at youth link for general counselling soon. things might be ok...
i jsut wanna help get my friends off the street, especially the younger ones...
sk8r_rat 03-10-2008, 02:30 PM Hey Shae,
Thanks for your post and a very warm welcome to the forums. That's quite a story, I can really relate to alot of what you said there. We have lots of members of these forums who have been homeless in the past and each with a different experience, so this a great place to share your story and receive understanding and support. I'm sorry to hear about the drunks and your stepdad, those people don't understand the consequence for you of their actions, I understand and it makes me really angry when I read about that kinda stuff, glad you're going to talk to somebody that can really help.
I'm 20yrs and live in Brissie. I lived at home until the day after I finished school when I was 17yrs, then left. My mum loved me lots (I didn't really know that at the time) but couldn't stop the violence and abuse at home by my sister so I knew I was better off anywhere but there. I jumped around friends places and stayed with a church family for a bit until I had no money and major anxiety and depression and felt I had overstayed my welcome, so I left and went on the streets. I lived on the streets until I found a shelter that was willing to support me so I could stop sleeping out, and they helped me stop self-harming and get on meds so I wasn't suicidal and worked with me so I could live independantly. Now I live in a rented semi-supported flat with the same agency. Soon I want to get my own unsupported place, the next step from where I'm at now, and I have a job now working fulltime. Cos of all the stuff that happened to me on the streets I decided to be a youth worker, like you, and have had youth services pay for all my courses. I've completed a cert. 4 in mental health and drugs and alcohol at tafe, and have done all the classes for a cert. 4 and diploma in youthwork, but have some of the work to do as it was really hard to complete everything and get my life back to together all at once. I don't miss sleeping out, I used to but not for a while now, but I really miss my street crew. I still am pretty close with some, but the way that people look out for each other and are so loyal to their mates when they're all homeless together is something I haven't experienced again since getting off the streets.
So that's why I related so much to what you said, of course there's tons more to my story than that but I'm sure you've got many more experiences also. I know what you mean about bad experiences with drunks, especially when you're just a young girl on the streets people think you're just something to feel up or f***. I've got counselling that the youth service I'm with is paying for and it's made so much difference to my life, hope it helps you too. And I went to youth detox three times and got off most of the drugs and started taking anti-depressants, which really help. And it makes me sad too to see the younger kids out on the streets, we used to tell them the realities of homelessness and try to make them go home when they have got a good home to go to. Being a streetie makes you realise just how crap it is for young people who are homeless, the support services and welfare assistance don't cut it, it takes every bit of strenght a young person has to break out of the homeless cycle and the help out there is not nearly enough. But I now know, and tell my friends, we've cheated death and survived in a situation that has claimed many lives and livelihoods, we've made it to the other side and the life we have today is all of our own doing, if we can make it off the streets then we can acheive anything at all in life. One of the things that really got to me in the past was hopelessness, thinking that things will never get better, because they didn't for quite a long time. I really enjoy now having some good mates, stable home and job, cos that creates so much hope for the future, and one thing I learnt accessing services is there are lot of people who can't or won't help you just because you're homeless, but it takes only one great youth worker to give you the support you really need and change your life forever. That's why I want to be a youthworker, you know the reality of the streets and how much difference just one caring person can make.
Thanks again for your post Shae, it's really great to meet you. I hope I haven't talked too much about me, just related to what you said. I would love to hear more about you and your journey, only if you're comfortable though :) stories from the streets or things you've overcome. I know this is a pretty personal question, but I struggled with drugs and alcohol and mental health issues whilst homeless, have you had any issues there? Also what qualifications do you get when you finish your course? What do you want to work as? Hope that's not going overboard with the questions :o But thanks again Shae, I'm sure you'd have alot to offer these forums so feel free to jump into any discussions and post as you like, hope I see you round here again soon.
Take care,
Sk8r girl.
Olivia 03-10-2008, 03:08 PM Hey Shae,
thanks for sharing your story. Sounds like you had it pretty rough, but you still managed to get yourself off the street in the end. I think people underestimate how hard it can be to get off the streets once you've been on them for a while, but I know how hard it is, especially if you've lost hope and motivation - just surviving can take a lot out of you.
It must be hard not knowing how to help your friends out. It's really sad how young street kids are getting. When I was living in my van I had heaps of other street kids staying with me. The youngest was 13.
Maybe you could talk to them about doing what you did to get off the streets?
Good luck with the counselling. I was molested by a family member when I was younger too. It sucks, but you sound pretty tough.
Be proud of what you've accomplished. We're all survivers here.
Hey Sk9r girl and Olivia. Sk8r girl, what you said really made me feel warm inside because you pretty much summed up how I feel about a lot of issues and summed up why I decided to do youth work. To answer your questions at the end of your post, I am still suffering from depression, and whilst I was on the streets I had a massive alcohol problem and did have a few issues with some drugs, which is something I am still working on overcoming. Once I have finished at tafe I will have a certificate 3 and 4 in youth work, and then i am considering doing a course in youth work at uni, which will go on to a course in psychology. the tafe course i am doing is pretty cool as it has units on drugs and alcohol, abuse, sexuality, history of youth work, and more, so its pretty good yto be doing, and opens up a lot of doors in the field of work. i think i want to work as a youth worker that does something like my youht worker does, which isx work specifically with kids on the street. especially after today, i had a pretty hard day because my "baby" got drunk and then he started freaking out and i pretty much was all he had at the time so i had to help calm him down and stuff.but hey, is what i want to do and it was gerat when he finally stopped freaking, it really made me feel great. i know tha its what i am meant to do now and...i dont think i could do anything else with my life. i really want to help people.
great to meet you sk8r girl :D and im sorry crap stuff happened to you..im ehre for oyu if you need
Olivia, I am so sorry you were molested...however, you have got through that and are a very brave and strong person. thanks for you words of encouragement, they mean a lot to me...
every0one else...im here for oyu all, so if you need anything, a fri3end or whatever, or have questions...im here so yeah...:D
sk8r_rat 03-11-2008, 02:16 PM Hey Shae,
Hope you're good, thanks for your reply. I thought you'd post in this thread too Olivia, I think it's cool how we're all in very different locations with individual stories but can totally relate to each other and identify with what we've each experienced. I like what you said Olivia about the realities of trying to get off the streets, I totally agree, it's harder than anyone would imagine once you've been out for awhile (my thread "sk8r_rat: trying to get off the streets" runs for a few years), and I think it's a really good idea to talk to the younger ones about options like you said.
That Tafe course sounds great. Sometimes I found it hard at TAFE when they were talking about issues that had a connection to a traumatic experience I'd had, I had PTSD most of the time I was taking classes at TAFE, you have alot more of those bad experiences than most when you've been homeless. But on the other hand you know more about services that are out there and what it's really like for at risk young people so that gives you a bit of a head start. I'm using TAFE as a way to get into uni and do Human Services, to be a youthworker. It kinda sucks, but the only way you're going to be able to work in the positions you want to sometimes is to have a degree under the belt, all the youthworkers who are currently employed in positions I'd like to work in have uni qualifications.
I like what you said about "it's what i am meant to do now and...i dont think i could do anything else with my life. i really want to help people." That's exactly how I feel. I don't think anything happens by chance in this life, even the really bad stuff happens to teach us a lesson or to show us how strong we really are. I think I'm meant to be a youthworker, and I did some bad stuff on the streets and want to help people as much as possible now. I think it's what I'm meant to do in life, be a youthwork, but actually I think that even if I spent my whole life helping other people it wouldn't make up for my actions in the past....but I'm working on that guilt factor. Even on the forums, I used these threads alot for support during my time on the streets, and now I'm a mod and it feels really good to be helping people like they helped me. I access the forums on the net at work, I think I did more work here than for my employer yesterday!! What do you do for work? or are you studying fulltime and getting centrestink? I've got dreadies and nine piercings in my face, so I work in a call centre but it's pretty cruizy.
Obviously you're someone who has natural empathy and cares alot about others. Many young people today don't have that maturity, says alot about the person you are. You must be a great person to care for your friend so much, is he your bf? I haven't got one atm :rolleyes:, but no difference if he is, my best mate gets drunk alot and acts out, used to get pretty violent until one day somebody got violent back and broke his jaw, now he kinda knows how it feels and how crazy he gets when he's pissed. Usually I just chuck him out the door :o not calm him, credit to you. My dad drinks alot and it wasn't too good when I was living with him as a kid, so I can't stand the taste of alcohol, just associate it with bad times. I use instead of drinking, and am working on that. But man it's hard when you're tryna battle depression or anxiety as well. Living on the streets there's alot to cope with, and you have almost no support that's one of the reasons why you're out on the streets instead of staying with family, and you drink or use to cope, then become addicted and realise you don't have any other coping strategies. Least that was it for me.
Your mate is very lucky to have somebody like yourself looking out for him, but it does make it tough for you. That's really tough actually, trying to calm down someone who's wasted and freaking out, don't know if I could have done that. Hang in there, hopefully the week will get better for you, sounds like you'd have some good karma coming.
Take care,
Sk8r girl.
Hi Shae, welcome to the forums. :)
I don't really know what I can say to you - sk8r has already said it all - so just welcome, and thanks for sharing your story. Hang in there, you're heading in the right direction, just keep on going and you'll get to where you want to be.
Childhood abuse hangs around until you work through it, but you're getting that under control too - don't look back, just keep working it out. Trying to bury it just doesn't work, it keeps on popping out at unexpected times and screwing your life up all over again. I think the way sk8r and you are working through all that stuff now while you're young is great - you'll have so many years when it's behind you and you can get on with things. Working it out gets really hard at times, but it's worth it when it isn't dominating your life any more. You'll be a great youth worker too, because you know about the things that mess people's lives up in a way you could never learn except by going there.
After what you've already made it through, you can do anything you set your mind to.
Olivia 03-14-2008, 05:26 PM I was on my way to a serious alcohol poblem when I was on the streets. I drank every day for three months - I haven't been able to drink cask wine since. My mate eventually had to smack me in the face and tell me to sort myself out and even then it took a while for me to stop completely.
I use to want to be a youth worker - I'd probably still be interested but since getting off the streets everythings been a bit crazy, especially now that I'm pregnant (19 weeks today!). I've always wanted to be a writer though so Im using this time to work on a novel about street kids.
I think its great you've got something you're passionate about to work towards.
Hey Guys!
I am finding things pretty hard at the moment. Thursday night I was in the city with friends and my mate blake got out of jail that day, so I spent the night on the streets with him and this other guy, jayde. we got stopped by detectives, and followed by cops but lost them in the back streets of northbridge. then blake and jayde were breaking into cars. anyway, we headed into the city centre and come guy from a gang, the bloods, approached blake and really went off and threatended to kill blake due to some rumours going around the streets. anyway, we know they arent true...but the guy said he was gonna rape us girls then kill he lot of us. so we had to run and hide, ended up staying on the streets in a certain place not many people know of. but lost the otehr girl, maddie, and the other 3 guys so i was left with blake and jayde. blake went into hiding for a few days. anwyay, monday night jayde, blake and me took some ecstacy and drank lots of jim beam and it...i drank too much..im going backwards at the moment..i ended up so watsed blake had to carry me around for about 2 hours, i hit my head and i dont remember about 4 hours worth of stuff...i had to go to hospital with concussion and now i am covered in bruises, look like ive been bashed, but i dont know if i was...my phone was stolen...at the hospital i got examined and they can be 100% sure but they think i was sexually abused as well...probably a good thing i cant remember most of the night
anyway, people i was living with reported me missing to the cops so i had to go to the police station on tuesday morning as well
blah
That Tafe course sounds great. Sometimes I found it hard at TAFE when they were talking about issues that had a connection to a traumatic experience I'd had, I had PTSD most of the time I was taking classes at TAFE, you have alot more of those bad experiences than most when you've been homeless. But on the other hand you know more about services that are out there and what it's really like for at risk young people so that gives you a bit of a head start. I'm using TAFE as a way to get into uni and do Human Services, to be a youthworker. It kinda sucks, but the only way you're going to be able to work in the positions you want to sometimes is to have a degree under the belt, all the youthworkers who are currently employed in positions I'd like to work in have uni qualifications.
I like what you said about "it's what i am meant to do now and...i dont think i could do anything else with my life. i really want to help people." That's exactly how I feel. I don't think anything happens by chance in this life, even the really bad stuff happens to teach us a lesson or to show us how strong we really are. I think I'm meant to be a youthworker, and I did some bad stuff on the streets and want to help people as much as possible now. I think it's what I'm meant to do in life, be a youthwork, but actually I think that even if I spent my whole life helping other people it wouldn't make up for my actions in the past....but I'm working on that guilt factor. Even on the forums, I used these threads alot for support during my time on the streets, and now I'm a mod and it feels really good to be helping people like they helped me. I access the forums on the net at work, I think I did more work here than for my employer yesterday!! What do you do for work? or are you studying fulltime and getting centrestink? I've got dreadies and nine piercings in my face, so I work in a call centre but it's pretty cruizy.
Obviously you're someone who has natural empathy and cares alot about others. Many young people today don't have that maturity, says alot about the person you are. You must be a great person to care for your friend so much, is he your bf? I haven't got one atm , but no difference if he is, my best mate gets drunk alot and acts out, used to get pretty violent until one day somebody got violent back and broke his jaw, now he kinda knows how it feels and how crazy he gets when he's pissed. Usually I just chuck him out the door not calm him, credit to you. My dad drinks alot and it wasn't too good when I was living with him as a kid, so I can't stand the taste of alcohol, just associate it with bad times. I use instead of drinking, and am working on that. But man it's hard when you're tryna battle depression or anxiety as well. Living on the streets there's alot to cope with, and you have almost no support that's one of the reasons why you're out on the streets instead of staying with family, and you drink or use to cope, then become addicted and realise you don't have any other coping strategies. Least that was it for me.
Your mate is very lucky to have somebody like yourself looking out for him, but it does make it tough for you. That's really tough actually, trying to calm down someone who's wasted and freaking out, don't know if I could have done that. Hang in there, hopefully the week will get better for you, sounds like you'd have some good karma coming.
Take care,
Sk8r girl.
Olivia 03-20-2008, 04:06 PM Sounds like a terrible night. I hope you're ok. I hate the way rumours go round on the streets. The place where I hung out in town is full of people talking about how they're gonna smash someone cos they heard some rumour. Its so stupid.
As for the guilt thing, geez I did a lot of bad things when I was on the streets, but it ws stuff i had to do to survive so I ty not to feel bad about it. We're not bad people just because we've done some bad things.
Anyway, I really hope you're ok Shae. Look after yourself.
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