Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AMA
Original poster

ex-rough sleeper ( female) 2 years out, 20 years in - AMA

94 replies

streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:23

It was a while ago, I have been "indoors" nearly 20 years now, but some things have not changed in the experience of rough sleepers, as I know from supporting them. However, I will be answering about my own experience only.

OP posts:
pompomdaisy · 03/09/2023 20:25

We're you ever subjected to violence in that time?

FLOWER1982 · 03/09/2023 20:25

How did you end up on the streets?

Philandbill · 03/09/2023 20:25

What helped you?

Dotcheck · 03/09/2023 20:26

I don’t have a question, but I am interested in your experience

Dunga34 · 03/09/2023 20:26

Did you make friends on the street? And were there other rough sleepers you could trust/rely on for help etc, or not really?

What was the number one thing which helped you to get housed?

Original poster
streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:27

pompomdaisy · 03/09/2023 20:25

We're you ever subjected to violence in that time?

I was subject to violence in my home, which was why I left. I was not subject to violence on the street, although I was in constant fear of it. I had friends in the rough sleeping community who were attacked and hurt - one died, very young, very suspicious circumstances, but there was never any police investigation ( we are talking about a 16 year old "accidental death")

OP posts:
Original poster
streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:29

FLOWER1982 · 03/09/2023 20:25

How did you end up on the streets?

Running away from abuse at home, I didn't live on the street for 2 years constantly, it was on and off for one year ( I was still at school) then for about 18 months after my 18th birthday. My mother died and my step father and his family didn't want me around

OP posts:
EezyOozy · 03/09/2023 20:30

What did you do in the depths of winter?

Did you have a particular group of rough sleeping friends or are most people loners?

how did the rough sleeping end?

HelpaFriend85 · 03/09/2023 20:31

what is your life like now OP? Do you have your own family and career?

Gnomegnomegnome · 03/09/2023 20:32

How did you manage to take care of yourself (eat, personal care, keep warm etc)?

Original poster
streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:32

Philandbill · 03/09/2023 20:25

What helped you?

Teachers at my school - who continued to teach me even when I turned up in unwashed in torn dirty clothes, and who helped me with my university application even a year after I had left the school

OP posts:
HelpaFriend85 · 03/09/2023 20:33

streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:32

Teachers at my school - who continued to teach me even when I turned up in unwashed in torn dirty clothes, and who helped me with my university application even a year after I had left the school

Show quote history

teachers are our saviours

Original poster
streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:34

Dunga34 · 03/09/2023 20:26

Did you make friends on the street? And were there other rough sleepers you could trust/rely on for help etc, or not really?

What was the number one thing which helped you to get housed?

I got into university - and got a grant and accommodation there, and never went back onto the street after that.

I had one good friend on the street, but they died. We knew each other before we both got chucked out of our family homes, and stuck together to some extent - at least during the day. We had different ideas about where to sleep, and they always wanted to sleep in really dark places where I was too scared, and I wanted to sleep in light noisy places, so we used to split up at night.

They died in an "accident"

OP posts:
brisedusoir · 03/09/2023 20:36

Hi.

Do you still sleep with a window or door open ?

Original poster
streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:37

EezyOozy · 03/09/2023 20:30

What did you do in the depths of winter?

Did you have a particular group of rough sleeping friends or are most people loners?

how did the rough sleeping end?

In the winter I got cold! I used to sleep in shop bins sometimes, big yellow bins with lids - sheltered and insulated. Also on night buses, in cafes, etc. If it is really cold, walk all night and sleep in the day.

I was almost always alone, I was afraid of the other rough sleepers. It ended when I got a university place

OP posts:
MsCactus · 03/09/2023 20:39

How did you manage to get A levels (study etc) while sleeping rough? What did your day to day life look like during that time?

Original poster
streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:41

HelpaFriend85 · 03/09/2023 20:31

what is your life like now OP? Do you have your own family and career?

I have a family and career, yes, and I take in homeless people, mostly refugees. I own my own home, and have a busy, happy life.

I have been obese most of my adult life, and am getting that under control now, but I put it down to the "grab and gobble" approach I learnt when food was scarce, and never really unlearnt although food has been abundant for a long time now

Apart from that, the only thing I think other people would notice about me is I am madly in love with flushing toilets, and washing machines, and drinking water taps, and carpet, and having a place to put your shoes when you take them off, and things that other people take for granted.

OP posts:
Original poster
streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:43

Gnomegnomegnome · 03/09/2023 20:32

How did you manage to take care of yourself (eat, personal care, keep warm etc)?

when I was at school, I used to wash and wash my clothes there. When I left school, I used to wash in public toilets sometimes, eat from shop bins - loads of good food was thrown away and keep warm in shop bins quite often too - or on buses, or in cafes. I went to an airport once, and stayed there for a while, train stations were sometimes ok

OP posts:
TolkiensFallow · 03/09/2023 20:43

Did you find any charities particularly helpful? It was there any “support” that meant well but was unhelpful?

Original poster
streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:44

brisedusoir · 03/09/2023 20:36

Hi.

Do you still sleep with a window or door open ?

haha! yes, actually I do! and am an avid camper, and sleep outside the tent as often as inside it! As do my children who I have taken on many camping holidays.

OP posts:
Original poster
streetsleeper · 03/09/2023 20:46

I've just thought of another unusual thing actually, I can sleep on hard and uncomfortable surfaces very easily. My daughter has just reminded me of that as I have offered my bed to a visiting relative, and my daughter said, no, relative better take her bed instead, because "Mum's bed is totally broken and Mum doesn't care, but no one else can sleep on such a hard, lumpy, uneven thing"

Which is totally true

OP posts:
Daisyhillsareblooming · 03/09/2023 20:49

Well done for turning your life around , there’s quite a few rough sleepers in our city and we always try to help out if we can . I appreciate our home each and every day and try to remind our kids how lucky we are .

MyBrownEyedHandsomeBoy · 03/09/2023 20:50

Wow I don't even know you in the slightest yet I am so proud of you! ❤️
What did you study at uni?

Edemummy · 03/09/2023 20:52

What is the best way to help a rough sleeper?

EezyOozy · 03/09/2023 20:52

Gosh op sleeping in bins…. I had a very rough childhood but never lived on the streets. I’m in awe of you for coming out the other side of this. You obviously have huge strength of character! Also I think this is the most interesting AMA I’ve seen!