As someone who was homeless and addicted on the streets of San Francisco, I want to add some perspective to these conversations about the open-air drug markets. 🧵

@missamberreid Do you think many people become addicted because of hopelessness? If they have a job, it's horrible and they feel stuck. Or if they can't find a job, they see no path forward, or they have issues with friends that are not supporting them in times of need. Or is it different?

That’s actually a really good question, and I think it’s different for different people. Some people become addicted after becoming homeless because of trauma, hopelessness, isolation, or trying to cope. Other people lose housing, jobs, relationships, and stability because their addiction progresses first. In my experience, all of those things feed into each other. Hopelessness, trauma, lack of support, untreated mental health issues, addiction, poverty, and homelessness can all become one cycle that’s hard to escape. That’s part of why I think the issue has to be addressed from multiple angles at once.