Medicine/Healing

The mischaracterized relationship between drug use and homelessness

…persistent stereotypes inflate the public perception of drug use among unhoused people far beyond reality, and suggest that illicit drug use has only one trajectory: the downward spiral… there are practical reasons, too, for homeless people’s specific choices of drugs. Stimulants, for example, may help people to stay awake at night when it is most unsafe to be unaware of one’s surroundings. Alcohol or drugs like opioids can reduce the experience of cold or provide a sense of comfort.

Contrary to their expectations, the researchers did not in fact find “substance abuse” to be a direct cause of homelessness. Neither did it turn out to prevent accumulation of “human capital” (“assets,” such as education or employment) that might be presumed to protect against homelessness: Education levels were similar among literally homeless and at-risk respondents, so having a higher education did not protect struggling people from that final push into literal homelessness… Rather, the researchers found, problematic substance use plays “a critical role” in what they called “disaffiliation”—the weakening of people’s social and institutional connections such as belonging to a church, having a network of friends, or having work and business relationships—making them more vulnerable to homelessness. (Even here, however, we should note that societal and institutional stigmatization of drug use, beyond any consequences of drug use itself, are at play; and that homeless people do retain supportive friends and networks of various kinds.)

Original Article (Filtermag):
The mischaracterized relationship between drug use and homelessness
Artwork Fair Use: Lextrounce

Politics

If…

Science

…kratom extracts

Politics

Colorado SB23-290

Politics

Mushroom Dispensary

Politics

…groundbreaking…

Science

Psilocybin dosing tips

Science

Oregon is…

Politics

…repeal… 110[?]

Politics

Oregon… now what?

Politics

Mushroom boom looms

Politics

…beneficial…

Biography/Memoir

Patented…

Politics

Iowa… psilocybin…

Psychology

…policy… lead…

Biography/Memoir

…launch of…

Politics

Psilocybin… use…

Politics

…analysis… act

Science

What does kratom do?

Politics

The iron law

Science

…fentanyl overdoses…

Politics

…potential, if…

Science

Psychedelic… research…

Modern Culture

…to town

Politics

…Colorado ballot…

Politics

…peyote… all…

Science

…forage… grow…

Politics

…in [Oregon]…

Politics

Making mushrooms…

Politics

What does it mean…

Politics

…talks…

Science

…to define…

Spirituality

[Ergot…]

Anthropology

Hemp flowing…

Politics

…city on earth

Science

Shroom dosage…

Politics

Oregonians…

Spirituality

The future is fungi

Politics

…in Oregon

Psychology

MDMA… marriage…

Politics

…cannabis banking

Politics

…psilocybin… 

Psychology

…tripping solo

Spirituality

LSD… benefits…

Psychology

…salvinorin…

Anthropology

There will be oil

Anthropology

Cannabis goes green

Psychology

Home grow…

Psychology

…for macrodosing

Politics

First, it was weed…

Politics

Manufacturing…

Spirituality

…the Mushroom

Politics

Oregon psilocybin…

Science

What is kratom…?

Politics

SITSA … stopped

Politics

Grassy Globes

Politics

Weed wages water war

Politics

Big acid

Politics

Can Kratom be patented?

Science

Kratom LD-50 Stats

Science

Rolling in the deep

Science

The Peace Drug