Imagine yourself in a state of 'Homelessness'.

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        After studying the topic ‘Homelessness’ I have discovered that being homeless does not just mean you do not have a house to live in, it could mean that someone does not have a secure and well established home. Maybe that someone doesn’t feel like they have a loving family and would be better off else. Before studying this topic I also did not realise some of the many reasons why people live on the streets. I always thought stereotypically that homeless people were either drug abusers or just didn’t earn money so therefore couldn’t afford a home. I discovered by studying this topic that it is probably much worse than what I first thought. People can become homeless for a number of reasons such as: - the break up of families, loss of jobs, alcoholism, drug use, physical or/and emotional abuse at home.

        When passing a homeless person in the street when I occasionally go into London I never stop to think about the torment they go through every day and every night of the year, but after looking into it and stopping to actually find out and take an interest in their lives I discovered they go through a lot more than what is seen. This includes abuse of both the physical and emotional kind from passers-by especially in the evening from drunks. They get urinated on, beaten, spat on and have their few items that they do own taken away from them from people who think automatically that they have rights to do such things to people on the streets.

Despite the fact that this could happen to anybody, when it happens to a homeless person they are usually in no place to fight back and probably wouldn’t come out of it the winner due to how weak they must feel after nasty things like that happen time and time again. Not only would they almost be helpless to stop what was going on but who would they have to turn to? The loneliness these people must suffer from is probably the worst thing overall. Worse than being cold, and sat in the dark. If they were cold and sat in the dark with someone to talk to they probably wouldn’t even notice they were cold and in the dark. Imagining having nobody to talk to or turn to with problems is just unthinkable.

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        During our Drama lessons we were told to go home and sit outside our houses on then concrete ground for up to half an hour. I attempted this for just 15 minutes before I gave up and went back inside. I had the choice to stay outside or go back inside into the warmth of my house. Homeless people don’t have that choice. Their home is on the streets. Whilst sitting on the concrete ground I began to realise how unpleasant it must be to be sat on bitter concrete for hours on end. The numbness they must feel would ...

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