Much like a lot of Gen X, some of the older Millennials in my life (particularly the white working professionals) are parroting the age old mantra of “I don’t care about passing my skills on to the younger generations or helping those in need, no one ever helped me in my life.”. My response is always “That’s not a good thing!” because I never know what to say. Debate is not my strength.
My working class grandparents were never like this. They lived through the great depression and two wars and never wanted anyone to suffer as much as they did. I miss them and their kindness dearly. It’s only from boomers and younger that I’ve seen this attitude. Capitalism is crushing our instincts as a social species. If we can’t stand on the shoulders of giants… well then we will stop advancing as a species. We will stagnate and go extinct because the challenges we face now need all of us. It goes against everything that is human to be this alienated and antagonistic to one another. Particularly frightening is the hatred and contempt modern society has towards children.
This is not going to end well.
I appreciate all the people here, whether you’re 20 or 60, for not becoming the thing that hurt you. We need people with a soul more than ever.
I’m an older millennial. My experience might not be typical since it was caused by serious illness as well as capitalism. When I was young I was idealistic and wanted to make the world a better place. I wanted to fight for human equality and animal rights, I really thought this is what I came to earth for. I worked a few different jobs, donating a chunk of my paychecks to causes I care about while trying to find out how to get more involved.
But then I got cancer, and the treatment caused me to have a stroke, which left me partially sighted and learning to walk again. I’m still in cancer treatment, it makes me exhausted and brain foggy, and I’ve developed chronic, severe migraines. But what makes this a million times worse is the UK benefit system. I can’t work any longer and had to sign on for disability benefits. They re-assess me frequently, and make me go through MRs and appeals. Last time I provided letters of support from my GP, physiotherapist, ophthalmologist and mental health team (because I’ve developed depression and anxiety from this constant stress, it got so bad I made a suicide attempt and am now in therapy). I also provided letters of support from a carer and social worker. Somehow at my last assessment I was awarded zero points. Now I’m going through appeal. My overdraft is maxxed out, I have no money, just debt.
This means my entire life now revolves around desperately trying to stay fed, while being extremely unwell and undergoing regular horrible medical treatments. My entire mental and physical energy are taken up with trying to find food, desperately trying to access food banks (difficult and time consuming), fight my appeal. I’ve taken to outright begging and shoplifting. I’ve been stealing food items from the local supermarket, one day in desperation I even sat in the street and asked passersby for spare change. I recently begged for money here on hexbear and a couple of kind souls gave me enough for some food. But every time someone charitable helps me get food, it of course always runs out and when it does it’s back to begging, shoplifting and starving. All for the crime of getting cancer.
You know what’s even more stupid? due to chronic starvation I developed multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies, diagnosed by blood tests after I fainted in the street and someone called an ambulance. So now the NHS pays for me to have supplements. But the country won’t ensure me an income so I can buy food. How stupid is this! They won’t give me money, so I starve to the point I collapse and instead of doing the reasonable thing and ensuring I have food, they let me continue to starve but give me some vitamin pills. This worls is just absolutely sick.
So now I have no physical or mental energy to fight to make the world a better place. I feel completely hopeless, and like the world itself is hopeless because there are many people in an even worse situation than me. Millions, maybe billions. It’s all so overwhelming.
Please, please, please continue to use our mutual aid com any time you need it. It infuriates me that you’ve been so mistreated by the NHS.
Thanks but I feel bad about using it again when so many others are there needing help. Also I’m worried people might get compassion fatigue from me if I use it too often. I am pretty desperate though, I don’t know. How often do you think is OK?
The NHS has let me down even worse than that - it took them three and a half years to diagnose my cancer. They refused to do any tests initially, saying I was “too young for it to be anything serious.” They diagnosed me with depression and gave me antidepressants. When that didn’t work they said I was a hypochondriac. Meanwhile I was slowly dying of cancer. Also when I was finally diagnosed they said the recommended treatment didn’t have any side effects. Then when I had a stroke and developed heart problems they were like “Oh yeah those are side effects of your meds.”
As often as you need. That is what it’s there for and we will never, ever get tired of it. If you need it, you need it and you should never feel guilty or shy about using it. Please.
Jesus that sounds like severe malpractice.
I certainly do feel I’ve experienced a huge amount of medical malpractice but I simply don’t have the energy or strength to do anything about it. The thought of taking on a ;egal case or something that would probably drag on for years is too much. It’s hard enough keeping up with the benefit appeal.
At the very least I hope we can help when you need food.
Thanks, I don’t know what I would do without this place.