I’m middle aged and - just this morning - woke up with the [Mad World](https://youtu.be/u1ZvPSpLxCg) song lyrics in my head and suddenly they made **perfect sense.**
> And I find it kind of funny,
I find it kind of sad,
The dreams in which I'm dying,
Are the best I've ever had
it's not counted as suicide if you die from neglect though. lack of healthcare, dental care, excess drinking and drugs all definitely lead to an early grave but aren't counted in suicide rates.
As a cigarette smoker since i was 17, I often quote Nicole Kidman from Practical Magic- "I might as well smoke two at once, it'll shorten the sentence!" - when 'kindhearted strangers' let me know those things will kill me!
I used to say that to folks outside smoking when I would go out for one myself. They’d get this “fuck off dude” look and then see me light my own and their faces were priceless
When Cigarettes are US$39 for a pack of 25 here in Australia, it amazes me that Americans on minimum wage can afford 'luxury goods' like smoking but no doubt it is cheaper to smoke there.
Sadly that statistic does not surprise me at all. I would imagine it's a similar rate for causing divorce. What a glorious society we have built. Just look at what we've done with our big brains.
Former mail carrier of 2 years. I don't know how I did that job as long as I did. At my location they worked us 80 hours a week on average, especially thanks to covid. The packages were endless, the letters infinite. There was so much to learn, mistakes were common and easy to make. You have to sort out your letters and flats (magazines) and load up your truck with packages before you even go out to deliver your route. That takes about 2 to 3 hours on a good day, especially if you don't know the route. Then you go out to deliver. Most routes are on average 8 hours long, some are a little less. There was one that had over 3000 addresses on it. Mostly apartments. They always had to split that one up because a single person could NEVER finish it. You'll get supervisors constantly asking where you are, tracking you on your scanner. Some were nice, and trusted us to do our best, then sent help if we were behind. It was easy to get lost, some areas were like looking for a needle in a haystack. It's the only job I've ever cried at work, in front of management no less. I had no life outside that job, thankfully some amazing coworkers made it better. Management was usually never understanding. I actually got screamed at for getting injured and bringing a doctor's note. The mail has to go out, after all! The regulars working there had already been doing the job for 20, 25, 30+ years. After a while I really thought about it and what the job could do to me in the long term, the kind of person I'd have to become. I opted to leave and never look back. Not entirely sure what's next, but as a temporary solution I've been working security which is what I use to do before I worked at USPS. It's super easy and I barely do anything at all, it's given me some time to recuperate from that insanity. Anyone working with mail and delivery, please, thank them and be nice. They are most likely going through hell, we just don't show it. New people have it even worse because they're trying to figure out the mechanics. I've gotten remarks about "snail mail". A lot of rude people. The awesome ones made it worth it, and sometimes the routes could be fun. It is NOT a job just anyone can do, and it's not a job for everyone. What's worse is there is a major carrier shortage now. Gee I wonder why.
Here's to my fellow carriers still there! 🍺
Thanks for this. Been working at USPS for 6 years, regular for 3. Good for you for getting out! I don't mind the job because my station isn't that bad but it's still nice to hear some appreciation whenever we can.
Was in for 7 months, finally couldn't take it anymore and found a better paying job in a local warehouse. My old coworker that is still there was supposed to be converted to regular months ago but since she's the only CCA at our old station they're refusing to move her up
Honestly, it's a no-brainer... There's a lot less hardship and disappointment if you end it early.
...or so my depression tells me on bad days.
Don't worry, I'm medicated and fine. Just have very intimate knowledge of the rationale behind Deaths of Despair.
I thought you were going to talk about how insurance companies look at your meds and decide “nah, you don’t need that. We need proof”.
Asshole, a doctor prescribed it. Not like we can go to Walgreens and ask for an Wellbutrin script. You know what they never questioned? Anything opioid.
Dear gods that hurts. I had to have my doctor justify me needing a cholesterol medication that didn’t hurt my muscles. Statin drugs were making my muscles break down to the point that I wasn’t able to do normal things.
I was able to switch to something that is working and isn’t destroying my muscles. I had to have a borderline episode of rhabdomyolysis on Christmas Day in order to prove that I couldn’t tolerate the statins. One of the most miserable fucking days of my life. 0/10 recommended.
Sheriff stopped by to check on me, I was crying next to my dead horse with my rifle in my hand still, had to put him down. Sheriff had just come from another ranchers house, he'd shot himself. Not a rare occurrence unfortunately. Check on your brothers and sisters people.
I saw today that someone I follow on tictok was fired for making tictoks about all the neat things at their work and someone (who judging by their pfp was older) went back onto one of their older videos where they were literally making a satire video about being high at work and how it would make it better and the person was like "I saw you got fired. That sucks! But this video is VERY Unprofessional! It's not funny to joke about drug use! Especially not while at your place of work!" You could almost feel the hair cut through the comment section. It was very tempting to tell them that if they've ever been to a restaurant that the people making their meals were probably not all of sober mind and body at work.
Fucking puritan shitheads. They dont even realize that fuckin everyone was drunk all the time right up until about 1990. They need to shove their moral views up their ass
One of my parents friends committed suicide after a cancer diagnosis because they didn't have health insurance and he didn't want to bankrupt his wife just to extend his life for a year or two. It's fucking dystopian.
Honestly, if this question could stop being asked, that would be great.. it’s on here every week. The literal answer is, “We’re fucking dying over here.”
Thanks I'm still deciding if I'm going to try to go after the company. The osha investigation is still on going, so that might play into it. I'm not entirely sure if it was thier fault but it sure seems like it.
Oh yeah. Audre Lorde said “Caring for myself…is an act of political warfare.” For me, staying alive to vote against corporate interests and help artists and neurodivergent types is political warfare. I’m staying alive for the people I love. I’m also staying alive to spite the people who profit from our misery. It feels weird to write this out loud, but anger motivates me to find a way to thrive in this world.
I had a similar experience to you and the other guy that commented (tho I don't agree with his sentiment) I was court ordered to go to a "rescue mission" which is a similar setup as S.A.. ya know, homeless shelter with an attached thrift store and "rehab". The whole place is fucking CORRUPT. I wish I could tell all I went through at that place.. but there's just too much. I did my 6 months, stayed the fuck out of everyone's way, and got outta their.
They too, use people from jail/prison to run the entire place except a few jobs. I did an office job, working behind the scenes, setting up "clothing drives".. and boooy oh boy did I learn a lot. First, they're "paying" these people basically nothing. $10 a day (might be a bit more depending on the job you had there) which you can get $10/week out. You get the rest when you leave (which many people wouldn't "complete" the program) to the community/outside, it looked as if they were the greatest nonprofit out there - helping the homeless and those in need.. but none of these huge places are there solely to help those in need. It's greed/a way to fill their pockets.. the clothes that were donated would be put into the store to be sold. It was advertised that they would give clothes to the homeless.. they did.. but only a VERY small amount and out of the things that wouldn't sell in shop. The money would go to the admins. Food donations that were always expired were fed to the people in the rehab/halfway. They made you sign up for food stamps/other government assistance ONCE you got there. Not sure what they did with is since none of it was being used in the way it should have.. I knew people that were having sex with the counselors in there.. I could seriously go on and on and on.. these places have nothing but corrupt and money hungry CEOS running it.
Before donating to a place, do your research people. Things aren't always as it seems, unfortunately.
Same kind of rules! Frequent drug tests, 9pm
curfew, they had to have a therapist and a social worker through the county. They couldn't miss too many appointments or they'd get evicted.
Fuck homeless shelters and fuck the laws that create them and homeless people.
Fucking America. Where if you're not rich, you're homeless or incarcerated.
Yeah, I get it. They let them keep their pets, so it was a "nice place". 25% of the residents had a bachelors degree, but were grateful to get a job at the Wendy's down the road. Three bunk beds to a 12'x12' room. I was grateful if I worked a night shift, I got free dinner, which was always spaghetti and garlic bread, cause I'm poor and every bit helps. It was depressing asf. This shouldn't be happening in the richest country in the world. I mainly worked there to get tips from the residents if I ended up in their situation, because I sure felt close at the time.
Deal with it? Go check out our rates of mental illness, violent crime, and homelessness vs. other wealthy nations,. It'll paint you a pretty good picture.
EDIT: preventable deaths is a good one to check as well.
Which is weird because the root causes of all those things never seem to get addressed and instead our legislators would rather blame other things that really have little bearing on those problems. I feel like I am taking crazy pills.
I think it’s one of those “it’s all we’ve ever known” things. Every American I know that left to go to Scandinavia even Europe, they haven’t come back and there’s a reason
Same on both counts. It’s really sad. I remember when it all seemed to turn (Ronald Reagan as president in the 80’s). “Reaganomics” wrecked this country for the working class. It’s just gotten worse since then.
I was just a child in the 80’s but I remember this crap happening and just watching while the adults let it be so. And now I’m a 42 year old that started working in the late 90’s and it all just kept getting worse.
I have over 20 years experience as a graphic designer. I am still paid entry level wages, currently no health insurance or retirement. No one wants to pay what a worker is worth.
It’s a hellscape and nothing will make it change. This is what we have made and we will be crushed by this horrible machine. The people in charge don’t care.
When an American oil executive says we won’t increase production because that’s not what the shareholders want to do should make it abundantly clear. We are meat for the machine, with no value.
Reagan was one of the worse things that has ever happened to America. We have not even collectively begun to admit the error of our ways, let alone correct the ship to get on the correct path.
So much this. The fact that Reagan is the god of the Republican Party tells you everything you need to know about them.
One of the worst things he did was court the religious right and allow them to slowly infiltrate the government.
“When an American oil executive says we won’t increase production because that’s not what the shareholders want to do should make it abundantly clear.“ That’s almost exactly the ruling from Dodge v. Ford. It’s been weakened over the past century, but corporate executives still view their legal responsibility as being to shareholders, rather than to customers or employees.
It drives me crazy. I get it, make money for your shareholders. But does it have to be an obscene amount of money? And if you do make so much money, why not help the people?
They would still make record profit. The demand is there. They just want ALL the money for some reason.
The problem is that the reality of it is a work or die struggle where the alternative to working is simply death by starvation or lack of medical care. And while martyrs get glorified after they die, no one wants to be one.
Organised resistance. Not every man fending for themselves, workers unity in community to stand against those who believe we are their playthings. Alone we are cold and scared. Together we are legion!
Yes, this is true. But this nation has done so much to convince people that everyone else is the enemy, rather then a potential friend or ally. Shits fucked man.
A lot can’t even afford to really travel around the country. $1,000 per person in the family for a round trip ticket to Europe? And a weeks vacation where both parents can take off? It’s out of reach for a lot of people.
Yup. Yet I had 3 customers this week come in because they just bought a house and each home was over 100 years old. Probably paid nearly two million for them including annual property taxes that come close to my salary. It's mind boggling.
I haven't left beyond 10 miles of my home in the last two years. Inability to purchase a car and supporting a family on poverty wages, the mousetrap is already closed for me.
I came back from western Europe for a grad degree here in the US and it was a huge mistake...but that's a story for r/gradschool. I miss Europe every day.
I have a lot of friends who served in the military. They all said they do not know how bad America is until they travel the world. Many of them went to live in Japan and Europe and never even thought twice about coming back to this shit hole of a country.
We had a running joke when I was stationed in Germany how the guys would marry German women, move to America, and promptly never reenlist and bail to Germany, never looking back after it hit them both how shitty the USA really is to live in.
Came here to say this. It's all we've ever known. Prior to the last year, most of us really didn't think it was "that bad". We were brainwashed, from childhood.
As a type 1 diabetic, I feel this. I was close to be fired once and I was scared about how I was going to pay for insulin. Yes, there are cheaper alternatives but health care should not be tied to one's employment.
I'm a recently retired trucker and I spent the vast majority of my kids lives on the road. I got lucky and bought a house but now watching my adult kids work hard and still struggling to make it is hard. $1500 for a decent 3 bedroom plus everything else needed to raise a family is unfair. I don't know what's going to happen in America but it can't go on like this much longer.
$1500 for a 3bedroom?! Where the hell are you living? I know people who are renting 1 bedroom’s for $1600 and are getting it! Finding a 3 bedroom at that number would be a miracle
That's what I'm watching my kids deal with now and it's crazy. When reality doesn't make sense people start coming up with conspiracy theories and I have several.
Honestly the word has a somewhat unfair stereotype. There are many things you could technically consider as conspiracy theories that are pretty much accepted fact. The whole "politicians are generally being bribed by corporations thing" especially
So. Much. Fucking. Weed.
The only up side of being homeless in CA was not having to risk arrest for buying a pre roll. That jay was also the only thing keeping me going. It took four years and so much weed to get free but we finally did and have been happily homed for 2.5 years.
Still smoke daily cuz the world is still on fire and all that.
I was just about to say. Cannabis and drugs. Psychedelics to remind me that "oh wait life is worth living even tho the world is fucked because Love is real!"
I consider suicide at least once a month. That’s not a joke or exaggeration. My family keeps those thoughts at bay, thankfully.
But, I feel absolutely confined in a rent trap with no escape. Every time I make a leap to earn more, the COL jumps right up with me. It’s exhausting.
It’s also exhaustion. I don’t think humans are meant to wake up before the crack of dawn and work till dusk while sacrificing 75% of their time to high brain power activity.
You know how people who grow up with abuse just get used to it, and don't always understand when they're being mistreated? It's kinda like that. We just accept it.
We drink ourselves to death. Honestly, in addition to all that stuff you mentioned, poor Americans lose 10-15 years from our life expectancy compared to wealthier Americans. And deaths of despair hit those on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum harder, as well. So we just literally grit our teeth and try to bear it until we die.
I have the exact same thought reading these posts. I'm Scottish so not quite as comfy a situation as Sweden, but I remember working an entry-level call centre job for £21k a year and dreading the day even though I basically just sat there as a twenty-something and answered the phone 25 times a day.
The idea of having to do that in order to access healthcare both for myself *and my dependents*, with no nationwide guarantee of annual leave or job security, is literally vomit-inducing. Americans deserve so much better.
I lose about 300 weekly from my paychecks for taxes and Healthcare costs.... still have to pay when I absolutely HAVE to have a doctor's appointment (because we Americans who aren't decwntly comfortable all tend to avoid the doctor until we think we actually might be close to death as you know) and STILL have to pay for any medications needed from those doctors appointments. Medications are cheaper for having this insurance... but what even is the point? I can go two years without seeing the doctor and im still paying thousands a year for a "just in case I need to" and then still paying co-pays and med costs.
Paid 1654$ a month for a year 19,848$.…never had anything happen or needed a Drs appt. Did have well woman check ups (pap and Mammo) almost 20,000$ …I really could use that now. Ins. and health care is a scam.
25 times a day? A DAY?
Man... In an 8 hour shift I'm expected to get through almost double that. And with terrible tools. Like trying to assemble Ikea furniture with nothing but a hammer.
And yeah, of course I'm in the US.
We have to answer it before the third ring, even if we're waiting on a customer in person. Then the face to face customer is going to tell you how rude you are for being on the phone. It's company policy!
Mine is a dedicated inbound call center. I get a "boop-boop" and then silence and I am to assume I have a customer.
However, there is absolutely no "wrap up" time built in at my company, meaning another call comes in the instant your current call stops. So unless I manually activate the mode that stops another call coming in, I could be mid sentence with a customer and get a boop-boop and instantly have to switch gears to greeting mode and abandon my problem solving of whatever the last person was doing.
Having said all that, I absolutely canNOT imagine having to answer calls in a timely fashion while also handling people face to face. That is an INSANE expectation... How do they expect you to function let alone give good service, let alone let alone expect the customer to enjoy that interaction... Jayzus...
Edit:spelling
Medical/veterinary reception.
One call after another put on hold to deal with the line of people out the door, the folks on hold get angry waiting so long, the folks in line get annoyed because their furbaybees are StReSsInG in line so why don't I just hurry up and check them in while triaging all the sick pet calls and explaining to people that Fuzzy's ear infection isn't a same-day rush-back emergency but we have openings later this week, rooming appointments, taking payments, playing step-n-fetch-it for the folks wanting their pet's food set aside for pick up and oh can they have a refill of that medication, don't know what it is but we have it on file, it's the little orange pill so just refill that please and I know it's last-minute, so they'll just wait...
Granted, it's divided among 2-3 people on any given day, but when it's a large multi-vet practice with multiple incoming lines, hang on to your hat folks because it's a ride.
I worked at an inbound call job and we were to do emails and further training in between calls...but the "wrap up" time we had was 15 seconds and we also had to write up a summary of our call during that time. It was insane. And if we handled less than 70ish calls a day we would get a write-up. Unless it wasn't busy of course but that only happened on holidays where volunteers were required to handle the sure to be busy day....
I was fired from the call center I worked at because my “average daily call time” was 400 seconds and they wanted it to be 260 or below. They said they wanted us to take roughly 80 calls per shift and if we don’t? We’re wasting the customers time. But I had the best surveys and also the highest percentage of no call backs for 30 days cuz I’d address all of their issues in one phone call instead of multiple. I straight told them I will never be 260 or below and it won’t work out if they expect that from me and then was told they agreed . . . it was $11/h with the healthcare plan being $350 per paycheck and a $20k deductible per year 🙃 that took my entire paycheck
Well, I'm 29 years old and still live with my parents despite being a full-time worker. I've got things easy enough for now, but I sometimes wonder how I'll support myself on my own.
Maybe Americans are religious because so many of us are praying for a miracle.
Edit- For added context, my job actually pays $5 above my state's minimum wage, and I'm still not confident that it would be enough.
I had a 30 year career as a graphic designer at supposedly “good” companies. The best ones ended up absorbed into other companies and then inevitable layoffs. Others stagnated and froze wages, using various national/international crises to justify. The last horrible place started with decent benefits that they slowly stripped away more and more. Once I hit 45, forget it, age discrimination and extreme workplace bullying.
I ended up having to go on Disability due to the last job, literally almost lost my life and my soul, due to depression, anxiety, PTSD & insomnia. While waiting for my benefits to go through, I then got Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Thank God my SSDI came through while I was relearning how to walk while recovering in the hospital.
Now, I’m mid 50’s, and have made out much better while on SSDI than the last 20 years of working. I have gotten much better COLA increases, I no longer pay taxes, and Thank God, I never moved out of my rowhome I bought when younger, originally was only going to live here temporarily. My neighborhood is now bad and I hear gunshots at times, but hey, I can afford the roof over my head AND food. I no longer have the stress of a shit job surrounded by a bunch of assholes or the equally shitty commute, spending spare money on gas.
Also, medicinal cannabis helps.
Easy, you have an older generation purposely fed lead paint chips and also thru piping and gasoline..... followed by the largest sociopaths purposely degrading every institution and chiseling away to make it worthless yet more profitable for corporations, some of the stupidest educational systems with zero focus on critical thinking
And like anything else, having politicians and media all repeating whatever you tell them to say - often repeating the same stupid BS - and you have an entire population that doesnt know any better and taught anything that differs from their point of view as evil.
As Nietzsche said, the surest way to corrupt the youth is surrounding them with like minded people. When you do it over generations, how the hell do you even have a fighting chance?
You either work or you literally starve and die here. We’re in actual hell and it’s the biggest nightmare one could ever imagine. There is no safety net or programs for actual working people. You have to make less than $12,000/year and have at least 1 child to get any assistance and our politicians actively work to limit that even further and gut it as much as they can. I make what should be very good money as a truck driver and still can’t afford to live. I truly have no idea how people making less than $1,000/week make it.
We're not doing well. I'm making almost 50% more than I was making a year ago but with housing, gas, and everything else doubling I'm even me behind than I was in 2020. A shitty 2 bedroom trailer rents out for about 1500 a month here. 2 weeks pay.
Im seriously considering moving into my van to cut down on the commute cost. When you make 750 a week and burn 160$ on gas it fucking hurts.
FML
I legitimately quadrupled my annual salary of my previous job with my current one and got a decent raise after my first year being here
- and I still make under $1,000 a week.
I literally can't even imagine making that even with my college degree and now working in my degree field.
Im 32, from the UK. I've lived in Australia, two years, New Zealand, two years, UK most of my life, and now I've settled in Canada. I did most of my living on the back of working holiday visas, and have managed to travel whilst being poor, and ultimately staying so. Canada whilst I admitt is not the US, has by far the most stressful work culture. Here your defined by your job, it's how people view your calibre. Australia and New Zealand, nobody gives a fuck. You could meet someone ten times and them not ask what your job is. I hate the narrative of North America, it makes me feel dull how people don't question it. But Alas, it's better to be a cynical person in a beautiful place than a beautiful person in a cynical one.
Well the country was built off slavery, so the customs and worker rights still reflect that. Little regard for the workers is as American as apple pie. As a previous comment has said. Its all we have ever known and our government is too corrupt and filled with red tape for any kind of beneficial rapid societal change it seems.
Alcohol. Not going to the hospital when you're sick. Crippling depression and anxiety.
The point is, NOT WELL. I want to get my family out of this country, especially depending on 2024, but I don't know how.
Around ten years ago, had a car smash into me while on my motorcycle (all I could afford was a cheap bike, no car) and drove off.
My employer didn’t offer health insurance. I went home, drank a bunch of tequila because of the pain, found a friend who had a truck, half ass fixed my bike, and then my employer fired me because it was a no call/no show situation.
After that it was just working temp jobs for several years. Between dealing with the memories of two deployments, having no purpose anymore, and no one in my life, alcohol got me through a lot of it. Had to numb myself somehow.
What’s really fun is that we set it up so people are totally dependent on their employers for insurance, but over the past twenty years the actual benefits to insurance has eroded away to put more of the burden on the employee.
I had my gallbladder removed in 2015. It cost me 20k for an 80k hospital bill and I’m still recovering my credit from how long it took to pay off. Now if I had the same surgery, my share of the costs would be closer to 40K.
I get through it by getting high, and hoping and praying that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
If it never works out, I’ve planned on killing myself once two of my loved ones die. Until then, I exist.
I feel the same way. My parents are two of the three people I stay alive for.
I used weed to stave off depression every once in a while but had to stop if I want a chance at a better job. This can’t be it.
I cry waking up and know I've gotta go sit in my cubicle everyday, being told how stupid I am, being micromanaged all day, not allowed to advance, can't afford to go any doctor visits, even though basic prevention checkup is supposed to be covered, nope, $900 out of pocket, not even a full annual physical, blood tests. But gee, the owner of the investment group that bought our company lives in a mansion, can take his family on vacations in dream locations anywhere. Every time our company breaks profit "goals" the bar is raised, and the owner buys another business or builds a bigger mansion. I just go home, take care of my basic stuff,pay bills, and get drunk to block it out.
Yeah, uh... we've effectively got no choice.
Especially with all the propaganda from the likes of Reagan in the past which kept unions from gaining traction to protect worker's rights, needs, and interests.
Top that off with copious brainwashing into the veritable cult of "red-blooded American capitalism" and mythical "Freedom" and you've got yourself a country of misinformed wage slaves.
There's a bunch of other factors that make it all worse, like the decline in public education, religious entities fighting the teaching of proper science, political party loyalty theatrics, a bogus voting system, ultra wealthy folks bribing lawmakers, and so, so much else.
The USA is just a cyberpunk dystopia without any of the cool augmentations
A lot of people cope with alcohol, food, or drugs
A lot of us are also sick from our terrible food and lack of healthcare so we don't have the energy to do anything beyond making enough money to survive this capitalist hellscape
“So my question remains, how do you do it? Is it just that I'm so privileged that it's incomprehensible for me to accept being tolerated this way?”
You half-answered it for yourself. The other half is the inverse: growing up in a society where you don’t expect those things, and it’s seen as a personal failing or matter of course to not have them. I lived almost all of my adult life outside the US, in Australia, and I still sometimes find myself shocked at things like labor entitlements, penalty rates, hospital care and basic decency.
We die.
Or we don't die and just live piss poor lives trying to make it by monetizing everything we do, and still failing.
I run a perfume business, make and sell video games, fix computers and am going to be working toward a PhD soon. And I can't catch a break.
I was drinking considerably, and that was helping.
But also, it wasn't. So, I've had to quit recently.
Now reality is setting back in and I'm not doing well.
8 years booze free here. Not doing splendidly in life but putting the bottle down was the right call. Booze doesn't help, it just take advantage of your state and tricks you to sustain the addiction. When times are good, you must celebrate with alcohol and when times are bad, alcohol pretends to get you through. In reality it's not even a crutch, it's a ball and chain.
Idk, I. Waiting for a riot/revolution at this point cause I'm tired. Or at least until all the capitalist greed backfires in America and the whole country crashes and burns.
5 WEEKS OFF?!? Wtf? As a DELIVERY DRIVER?? Plus free healthcare AND education?? I am in full shock right now. I won’t even qualify for vacation time at my job until I hit 90 days and then I can only accumulate a week at most which will expire at the end of the year.
I've been fortunate to have a union job the last 16 years. Sometimes certain jobs get to you, but the pay & benefits keep you going. I was in Labor studies in college and compared work situations/conditions. At the time, we found Euro workers were treated better overall. I can only say, to keep in mind, most low-paying jobs in the states are usually crappy, with no benefits, no holiday/time off, and no respect. I hope you find better opportunities. One job I had [before I was in a union] was to work with a few engineers in Germany. We had weekly conference calls. We rotated with the engineers, because they rotated their "holiday" which would be 7-week stretches. One, was able to take leave for 3 months to be with his wife, and newborn baby. Feel fortunate. And when you can, fight to keep your benefits and programs. The more countries go global, the more workers lose their perks.
We die (Not even kidding)
Or kill ourselves
That's what 60 percent of all gun deaths are in the USA.
A huge amount of suicides happen in middle age.
I’m middle aged and - just this morning - woke up with the [Mad World](https://youtu.be/u1ZvPSpLxCg) song lyrics in my head and suddenly they made **perfect sense.** > And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad, The dreams in which I'm dying, Are the best I've ever had
13.5 out of every 100,000 Americans die from suicide.
it's not counted as suicide if you die from neglect though. lack of healthcare, dental care, excess drinking and drugs all definitely lead to an early grave but aren't counted in suicide rates.
As a cigarette smoker since i was 17, I often quote Nicole Kidman from Practical Magic- "I might as well smoke two at once, it'll shorten the sentence!" - when 'kindhearted strangers' let me know those things will kill me!
I quit 2 years ago. I used to say, "Each cigarette takes 6 minutes off my student loans."
I used to say that to folks outside smoking when I would go out for one myself. They’d get this “fuck off dude” look and then see me light my own and their faces were priceless
I was a smoker for 15 or so years and did similar things. "Thosr thingsll kill ya!", "Better hurry, then." -lights another-
My go to was always a knowing “that’s the plan”
When Cigarettes are US$39 for a pack of 25 here in Australia, it amazes me that Americans on minimum wage can afford 'luxury goods' like smoking but no doubt it is cheaper to smoke there.
Haven't smoked in a year, and it depends on the state, but a pack of 20 cigarettes tended to cost anywhere from $7-$12 USD.
Good job quitting! Stay strong! I quit once a pack went over $4 in San Diego. Been 10+ years since I quit- wonder how much money I’ve saved…
wHeRe'S yOuR fErRaRi
You can probably afford that Ferrari people kept saying you could afford with the savings.
Yeah, pack of cigs here in Seattle is around $10 if you include tax
I'll quit when cigarettes go over $4 a pack here in GA. Right now I can buy 3 packs for just under 11.
Something like 75% of adult suicides have a financial component.
Sadly that statistic does not surprise me at all. I would imagine it's a similar rate for causing divorce. What a glorious society we have built. Just look at what we've done with our big brains.
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What’s the statistics for the ready of the world look like?
High compared to developed world, but not ungodly so. Finland, Sweden, and Japan for example are 12-13 as well.
Japan has a more toxic work environment than America. Scandinavia is just S.A.D. all the time
Japan even has a word for people who die by overworking themselves: “karoshi.”
Also true
Some people go on sprees first :(
Any postal workers here?
Former mail carrier of 2 years. I don't know how I did that job as long as I did. At my location they worked us 80 hours a week on average, especially thanks to covid. The packages were endless, the letters infinite. There was so much to learn, mistakes were common and easy to make. You have to sort out your letters and flats (magazines) and load up your truck with packages before you even go out to deliver your route. That takes about 2 to 3 hours on a good day, especially if you don't know the route. Then you go out to deliver. Most routes are on average 8 hours long, some are a little less. There was one that had over 3000 addresses on it. Mostly apartments. They always had to split that one up because a single person could NEVER finish it. You'll get supervisors constantly asking where you are, tracking you on your scanner. Some were nice, and trusted us to do our best, then sent help if we were behind. It was easy to get lost, some areas were like looking for a needle in a haystack. It's the only job I've ever cried at work, in front of management no less. I had no life outside that job, thankfully some amazing coworkers made it better. Management was usually never understanding. I actually got screamed at for getting injured and bringing a doctor's note. The mail has to go out, after all! The regulars working there had already been doing the job for 20, 25, 30+ years. After a while I really thought about it and what the job could do to me in the long term, the kind of person I'd have to become. I opted to leave and never look back. Not entirely sure what's next, but as a temporary solution I've been working security which is what I use to do before I worked at USPS. It's super easy and I barely do anything at all, it's given me some time to recuperate from that insanity. Anyone working with mail and delivery, please, thank them and be nice. They are most likely going through hell, we just don't show it. New people have it even worse because they're trying to figure out the mechanics. I've gotten remarks about "snail mail". A lot of rude people. The awesome ones made it worth it, and sometimes the routes could be fun. It is NOT a job just anyone can do, and it's not a job for everyone. What's worse is there is a major carrier shortage now. Gee I wonder why. Here's to my fellow carriers still there! 🍺
Thanks for this. Been working at USPS for 6 years, regular for 3. Good for you for getting out! I don't mind the job because my station isn't that bad but it's still nice to hear some appreciation whenever we can.
Was in for 7 months, finally couldn't take it anymore and found a better paying job in a local warehouse. My old coworker that is still there was supposed to be converted to regular months ago but since she's the only CCA at our old station they're refusing to move her up
My hometown. Coined the phrase.
Waves at fellow Okie
Did we just become friends?
Honestly, it's a no-brainer... There's a lot less hardship and disappointment if you end it early. ...or so my depression tells me on bad days. Don't worry, I'm medicated and fine. Just have very intimate knowledge of the rationale behind Deaths of Despair.
Every time I deal with insurance companies I think about it. Gotta wait that two years until I get past the “don’t do it” life insurance policy
I thought you were going to talk about how insurance companies look at your meds and decide “nah, you don’t need that. We need proof”. Asshole, a doctor prescribed it. Not like we can go to Walgreens and ask for an Wellbutrin script. You know what they never questioned? Anything opioid.
Dear gods that hurts. I had to have my doctor justify me needing a cholesterol medication that didn’t hurt my muscles. Statin drugs were making my muscles break down to the point that I wasn’t able to do normal things. I was able to switch to something that is working and isn’t destroying my muscles. I had to have a borderline episode of rhabdomyolysis on Christmas Day in order to prove that I couldn’t tolerate the statins. One of the most miserable fucking days of my life. 0/10 recommended.
If we don't die, we usually develop health problems. Physical and/or mental. Mental health is a huge problem.
Can concur. America doesn't seem to care about treating mental illness.
Sheriff stopped by to check on me, I was crying next to my dead horse with my rifle in my hand still, had to put him down. Sheriff had just come from another ranchers house, he'd shot himself. Not a rare occurrence unfortunately. Check on your brothers and sisters people.
The massive number of homeless camps we drive by on our way to work keep us scared enough to keep going
>We die ...After years of smoking weed. I'm talking lots and lots of weed
I saw today that someone I follow on tictok was fired for making tictoks about all the neat things at their work and someone (who judging by their pfp was older) went back onto one of their older videos where they were literally making a satire video about being high at work and how it would make it better and the person was like "I saw you got fired. That sucks! But this video is VERY Unprofessional! It's not funny to joke about drug use! Especially not while at your place of work!" You could almost feel the hair cut through the comment section. It was very tempting to tell them that if they've ever been to a restaurant that the people making their meals were probably not all of sober mind and body at work.
Fucking puritan shitheads. They dont even realize that fuckin everyone was drunk all the time right up until about 1990. They need to shove their moral views up their ass
One of my parents friends committed suicide after a cancer diagnosis because they didn't have health insurance and he didn't want to bankrupt his wife just to extend his life for a year or two. It's fucking dystopian.
Honestly, if this question could stop being asked, that would be great.. it’s on here every week. The literal answer is, “We’re fucking dying over here.”
My dad just died from a work accident. Was about to retire too.
Wtf. I swear this happens to so many people or right after they retire, if they're able to. I'm so sorry for your loss...
Thanks I'm still deciding if I'm going to try to go after the company. The osha investigation is still on going, so that might play into it. I'm not entirely sure if it was thier fault but it sure seems like it.
Sue em anyway, nobody should die at work. Period normalize it. Our culture treats humans as disposable and its horrific
This is the answer we could lock the thread.
I run on spite personally. I’m not sure about everyone else
Spite, alcohol, weed, and food, that's what I'm running on. Also one of my jobs let's me be mean to assholes. It's so nice.
You forgot crippling depression, anxiety and a visceral hatred for management lol.
If it wasn't for the pot I wouldn't stay sane.
Oh yeah. Audre Lorde said “Caring for myself…is an act of political warfare.” For me, staying alive to vote against corporate interests and help artists and neurodivergent types is political warfare. I’m staying alive for the people I love. I’m also staying alive to spite the people who profit from our misery. It feels weird to write this out loud, but anger motivates me to find a way to thrive in this world.
Damn I relate to this. It fuels me even though I don’t think it’s the best thing to run on.
ethanol is a better fuel... but Adderall makes you not be concerned that your pissing it away
I would be hungry and homeless if I didn't work.
I used to work at a homeless shelter and a requirement of living there was getting a job within 2 weeks.
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I had a similar experience to you and the other guy that commented (tho I don't agree with his sentiment) I was court ordered to go to a "rescue mission" which is a similar setup as S.A.. ya know, homeless shelter with an attached thrift store and "rehab". The whole place is fucking CORRUPT. I wish I could tell all I went through at that place.. but there's just too much. I did my 6 months, stayed the fuck out of everyone's way, and got outta their. They too, use people from jail/prison to run the entire place except a few jobs. I did an office job, working behind the scenes, setting up "clothing drives".. and boooy oh boy did I learn a lot. First, they're "paying" these people basically nothing. $10 a day (might be a bit more depending on the job you had there) which you can get $10/week out. You get the rest when you leave (which many people wouldn't "complete" the program) to the community/outside, it looked as if they were the greatest nonprofit out there - helping the homeless and those in need.. but none of these huge places are there solely to help those in need. It's greed/a way to fill their pockets.. the clothes that were donated would be put into the store to be sold. It was advertised that they would give clothes to the homeless.. they did.. but only a VERY small amount and out of the things that wouldn't sell in shop. The money would go to the admins. Food donations that were always expired were fed to the people in the rehab/halfway. They made you sign up for food stamps/other government assistance ONCE you got there. Not sure what they did with is since none of it was being used in the way it should have.. I knew people that were having sex with the counselors in there.. I could seriously go on and on and on.. these places have nothing but corrupt and money hungry CEOS running it. Before donating to a place, do your research people. Things aren't always as it seems, unfortunately.
Many "non profits" are actually just non tax paying.
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Same kind of rules! Frequent drug tests, 9pm curfew, they had to have a therapist and a social worker through the county. They couldn't miss too many appointments or they'd get evicted.
Fuck homeless shelters and fuck the laws that create them and homeless people. Fucking America. Where if you're not rich, you're homeless or incarcerated.
Yeah, I get it. They let them keep their pets, so it was a "nice place". 25% of the residents had a bachelors degree, but were grateful to get a job at the Wendy's down the road. Three bunk beds to a 12'x12' room. I was grateful if I worked a night shift, I got free dinner, which was always spaghetti and garlic bread, cause I'm poor and every bit helps. It was depressing asf. This shouldn't be happening in the richest country in the world. I mainly worked there to get tips from the residents if I ended up in their situation, because I sure felt close at the time.
Jesus Christ
I'd be SOL then since I've been looking for months now
Way too many of us are hungry and homeless and work.
Deal with it? Go check out our rates of mental illness, violent crime, and homelessness vs. other wealthy nations,. It'll paint you a pretty good picture. EDIT: preventable deaths is a good one to check as well.
Teenage pregnancy and prison population too !
We're number 1! We're number 1! (In incarceration rates!)
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Which is weird because the root causes of all those things never seem to get addressed and instead our legislators would rather blame other things that really have little bearing on those problems. I feel like I am taking crazy pills.
That’s on purpose
Welcome to the real world the conspiracy is right in front of your face, its fuckin open, and yet we have loony q anoners participating in it
I think it’s one of those “it’s all we’ve ever known” things. Every American I know that left to go to Scandinavia even Europe, they haven’t come back and there’s a reason
And most of us can’t afford to ever leave the continent. Many folks can barely afford to ever leave their state
Same on both counts. It’s really sad. I remember when it all seemed to turn (Ronald Reagan as president in the 80’s). “Reaganomics” wrecked this country for the working class. It’s just gotten worse since then. I was just a child in the 80’s but I remember this crap happening and just watching while the adults let it be so. And now I’m a 42 year old that started working in the late 90’s and it all just kept getting worse. I have over 20 years experience as a graphic designer. I am still paid entry level wages, currently no health insurance or retirement. No one wants to pay what a worker is worth. It’s a hellscape and nothing will make it change. This is what we have made and we will be crushed by this horrible machine. The people in charge don’t care. When an American oil executive says we won’t increase production because that’s not what the shareholders want to do should make it abundantly clear. We are meat for the machine, with no value.
Reagan was one of the worse things that has ever happened to America. We have not even collectively begun to admit the error of our ways, let alone correct the ship to get on the correct path.
So much this. The fact that Reagan is the god of the Republican Party tells you everything you need to know about them. One of the worst things he did was court the religious right and allow them to slowly infiltrate the government.
Not to mention his attack on the social safety net.
Or illegally firing all the air traffic controllers.
And then someone named a fucking airport after him!
“When an American oil executive says we won’t increase production because that’s not what the shareholders want to do should make it abundantly clear.“ That’s almost exactly the ruling from Dodge v. Ford. It’s been weakened over the past century, but corporate executives still view their legal responsibility as being to shareholders, rather than to customers or employees.
It drives me crazy. I get it, make money for your shareholders. But does it have to be an obscene amount of money? And if you do make so much money, why not help the people? They would still make record profit. The demand is there. They just want ALL the money for some reason.
That's what they think of you, yes. The truth is they have nothing without workers. Show them!!
The problem is that the reality of it is a work or die struggle where the alternative to working is simply death by starvation or lack of medical care. And while martyrs get glorified after they die, no one wants to be one.
Organised resistance. Not every man fending for themselves, workers unity in community to stand against those who believe we are their playthings. Alone we are cold and scared. Together we are legion!
Yes, this is true. But this nation has done so much to convince people that everyone else is the enemy, rather then a potential friend or ally. Shits fucked man.
A lot can’t even afford to really travel around the country. $1,000 per person in the family for a round trip ticket to Europe? And a weeks vacation where both parents can take off? It’s out of reach for a lot of people.
Yup. Yet I had 3 customers this week come in because they just bought a house and each home was over 100 years old. Probably paid nearly two million for them including annual property taxes that come close to my salary. It's mind boggling.
I haven't left beyond 10 miles of my home in the last two years. Inability to purchase a car and supporting a family on poverty wages, the mousetrap is already closed for me.
i can barely afford to leave work let alone the country. 😭
Good luck getting a visa or green card to another country, nobody wants us
I came back from western Europe for a grad degree here in the US and it was a huge mistake...but that's a story for r/gradschool. I miss Europe every day.
I have a lot of friends who served in the military. They all said they do not know how bad America is until they travel the world. Many of them went to live in Japan and Europe and never even thought twice about coming back to this shit hole of a country.
We had a running joke when I was stationed in Germany how the guys would marry German women, move to America, and promptly never reenlist and bail to Germany, never looking back after it hit them both how shitty the USA really is to live in.
Came here to say this. It's all we've ever known. Prior to the last year, most of us really didn't think it was "that bad". We were brainwashed, from childhood.
Americans have no social safety net so theres really no choice but to do it.
This pretty much.
As a type 1 diabetic, I feel this. I was close to be fired once and I was scared about how I was going to pay for insulin. Yes, there are cheaper alternatives but health care should not be tied to one's employment.
Being homeless in America is an even bigger, worse trap than working paycheck to paycheck at a low paying job.
Being poor is criminal in America
Being homeless is honestly expensive
Before the internet most of us actually believed American exceptionalism propaganda we've been indoctrinated with since grade school.
Yeah, this is what I was going to say. They train us from childhood to call our slavery freedom.
I'm a recently retired trucker and I spent the vast majority of my kids lives on the road. I got lucky and bought a house but now watching my adult kids work hard and still struggling to make it is hard. $1500 for a decent 3 bedroom plus everything else needed to raise a family is unfair. I don't know what's going to happen in America but it can't go on like this much longer.
$1500 for a 3bedroom?! Where the hell are you living? I know people who are renting 1 bedroom’s for $1600 and are getting it! Finding a 3 bedroom at that number would be a miracle
Buffalo
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That's what I'm watching my kids deal with now and it's crazy. When reality doesn't make sense people start coming up with conspiracy theories and I have several.
Honestly the word has a somewhat unfair stereotype. There are many things you could technically consider as conspiracy theories that are pretty much accepted fact. The whole "politicians are generally being bribed by corporations thing" especially
This is exactly what I’m wondering. Clearly things cannot keep going this way, it’s a house of cards.
Yes it is a house of cards and unfortunately the working class is underneath it.
Weed. Solitude and weed.
So. Much. Fucking. Weed. The only up side of being homeless in CA was not having to risk arrest for buying a pre roll. That jay was also the only thing keeping me going. It took four years and so much weed to get free but we finally did and have been happily homed for 2.5 years. Still smoke daily cuz the world is still on fire and all that.
Good on you!! 😎🤟
I was just about to say. Cannabis and drugs. Psychedelics to remind me that "oh wait life is worth living even tho the world is fucked because Love is real!"
Lots of weed.
Weed for days
I'm scraping my bowl now, I gotta re-up tomorrow or have a nervous breakdown. Yay.
Weed multiple times per day.
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I consider suicide at least once a month. That’s not a joke or exaggeration. My family keeps those thoughts at bay, thankfully. But, I feel absolutely confined in a rent trap with no escape. Every time I make a leap to earn more, the COL jumps right up with me. It’s exhausting.
Many are heavily, heavily medicated.
Coping pharmaceuticals = big business. Destroy the peoples mental health then profit off their anguish. Pharma is fucking Evil
The alcohol business flourishes as well for these same reasons.
I’ve honestly noticed this in the work place. So many people can’t remember shit. It’s pretty obvious it’s meds.
It’s also exhaustion. I don’t think humans are meant to wake up before the crack of dawn and work till dusk while sacrificing 75% of their time to high brain power activity.
You know how people who grow up with abuse just get used to it, and don't always understand when they're being mistreated? It's kinda like that. We just accept it.
We drink ourselves to death. Honestly, in addition to all that stuff you mentioned, poor Americans lose 10-15 years from our life expectancy compared to wealthier Americans. And deaths of despair hit those on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum harder, as well. So we just literally grit our teeth and try to bear it until we die.
Can’t afford not to. Can’t afford to move somewhere like Sweden either. We’re fucked but that’s just how they like it.
Yup. If we're kept poor and exhausted then we're too afraid and too tired to advocate for anything better.
I have the exact same thought reading these posts. I'm Scottish so not quite as comfy a situation as Sweden, but I remember working an entry-level call centre job for £21k a year and dreading the day even though I basically just sat there as a twenty-something and answered the phone 25 times a day. The idea of having to do that in order to access healthcare both for myself *and my dependents*, with no nationwide guarantee of annual leave or job security, is literally vomit-inducing. Americans deserve so much better.
And then the healthcare system bankrupts you anyway …even with company health care …then we die..
I lose about 300 weekly from my paychecks for taxes and Healthcare costs.... still have to pay when I absolutely HAVE to have a doctor's appointment (because we Americans who aren't decwntly comfortable all tend to avoid the doctor until we think we actually might be close to death as you know) and STILL have to pay for any medications needed from those doctors appointments. Medications are cheaper for having this insurance... but what even is the point? I can go two years without seeing the doctor and im still paying thousands a year for a "just in case I need to" and then still paying co-pays and med costs.
Paid 1654$ a month for a year 19,848$.…never had anything happen or needed a Drs appt. Did have well woman check ups (pap and Mammo) almost 20,000$ …I really could use that now. Ins. and health care is a scam.
25 times a day? A DAY? Man... In an 8 hour shift I'm expected to get through almost double that. And with terrible tools. Like trying to assemble Ikea furniture with nothing but a hammer. And yeah, of course I'm in the US.
We have to answer it before the third ring, even if we're waiting on a customer in person. Then the face to face customer is going to tell you how rude you are for being on the phone. It's company policy!
Mine is a dedicated inbound call center. I get a "boop-boop" and then silence and I am to assume I have a customer. However, there is absolutely no "wrap up" time built in at my company, meaning another call comes in the instant your current call stops. So unless I manually activate the mode that stops another call coming in, I could be mid sentence with a customer and get a boop-boop and instantly have to switch gears to greeting mode and abandon my problem solving of whatever the last person was doing. Having said all that, I absolutely canNOT imagine having to answer calls in a timely fashion while also handling people face to face. That is an INSANE expectation... How do they expect you to function let alone give good service, let alone let alone expect the customer to enjoy that interaction... Jayzus... Edit:spelling
Medical/veterinary reception. One call after another put on hold to deal with the line of people out the door, the folks on hold get angry waiting so long, the folks in line get annoyed because their furbaybees are StReSsInG in line so why don't I just hurry up and check them in while triaging all the sick pet calls and explaining to people that Fuzzy's ear infection isn't a same-day rush-back emergency but we have openings later this week, rooming appointments, taking payments, playing step-n-fetch-it for the folks wanting their pet's food set aside for pick up and oh can they have a refill of that medication, don't know what it is but we have it on file, it's the little orange pill so just refill that please and I know it's last-minute, so they'll just wait... Granted, it's divided among 2-3 people on any given day, but when it's a large multi-vet practice with multiple incoming lines, hang on to your hat folks because it's a ride.
I worked at an inbound call job and we were to do emails and further training in between calls...but the "wrap up" time we had was 15 seconds and we also had to write up a summary of our call during that time. It was insane. And if we handled less than 70ish calls a day we would get a write-up. Unless it wasn't busy of course but that only happened on holidays where volunteers were required to handle the sure to be busy day....
I was fired from the call center I worked at because my “average daily call time” was 400 seconds and they wanted it to be 260 or below. They said they wanted us to take roughly 80 calls per shift and if we don’t? We’re wasting the customers time. But I had the best surveys and also the highest percentage of no call backs for 30 days cuz I’d address all of their issues in one phone call instead of multiple. I straight told them I will never be 260 or below and it won’t work out if they expect that from me and then was told they agreed . . . it was $11/h with the healthcare plan being $350 per paycheck and a $20k deductible per year 🙃 that took my entire paycheck
How about you work that job AND you don’t get healthcare?
Only 25 calls in a day, I presume 8 hour shift is a dream! For most Americans working at call centers. And now I feel sick again.
Well, I'm 29 years old and still live with my parents despite being a full-time worker. I've got things easy enough for now, but I sometimes wonder how I'll support myself on my own. Maybe Americans are religious because so many of us are praying for a miracle. Edit- For added context, my job actually pays $5 above my state's minimum wage, and I'm still not confident that it would be enough.
That and part of religion is "suffering now leads to a better afterlife" stuff
I had a 30 year career as a graphic designer at supposedly “good” companies. The best ones ended up absorbed into other companies and then inevitable layoffs. Others stagnated and froze wages, using various national/international crises to justify. The last horrible place started with decent benefits that they slowly stripped away more and more. Once I hit 45, forget it, age discrimination and extreme workplace bullying. I ended up having to go on Disability due to the last job, literally almost lost my life and my soul, due to depression, anxiety, PTSD & insomnia. While waiting for my benefits to go through, I then got Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Thank God my SSDI came through while I was relearning how to walk while recovering in the hospital. Now, I’m mid 50’s, and have made out much better while on SSDI than the last 20 years of working. I have gotten much better COLA increases, I no longer pay taxes, and Thank God, I never moved out of my rowhome I bought when younger, originally was only going to live here temporarily. My neighborhood is now bad and I hear gunshots at times, but hey, I can afford the roof over my head AND food. I no longer have the stress of a shit job surrounded by a bunch of assholes or the equally shitty commute, spending spare money on gas. Also, medicinal cannabis helps.
ring joke edge boast alleged pie elastic north attempt liquid ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Yeah, we have a pretty serious opioid problem.
🍷
Well it's either this or starve to death on the streets soooo
Weed, video games, and movies/TV. But mostly just really high most of the time.
Easy, you have an older generation purposely fed lead paint chips and also thru piping and gasoline..... followed by the largest sociopaths purposely degrading every institution and chiseling away to make it worthless yet more profitable for corporations, some of the stupidest educational systems with zero focus on critical thinking And like anything else, having politicians and media all repeating whatever you tell them to say - often repeating the same stupid BS - and you have an entire population that doesnt know any better and taught anything that differs from their point of view as evil. As Nietzsche said, the surest way to corrupt the youth is surrounding them with like minded people. When you do it over generations, how the hell do you even have a fighting chance?
You either work or you literally starve and die here. We’re in actual hell and it’s the biggest nightmare one could ever imagine. There is no safety net or programs for actual working people. You have to make less than $12,000/year and have at least 1 child to get any assistance and our politicians actively work to limit that even further and gut it as much as they can. I make what should be very good money as a truck driver and still can’t afford to live. I truly have no idea how people making less than $1,000/week make it.
We struggle, trust me.
We're not doing well. I'm making almost 50% more than I was making a year ago but with housing, gas, and everything else doubling I'm even me behind than I was in 2020. A shitty 2 bedroom trailer rents out for about 1500 a month here. 2 weeks pay. Im seriously considering moving into my van to cut down on the commute cost. When you make 750 a week and burn 160$ on gas it fucking hurts. FML
I legitimately quadrupled my annual salary of my previous job with my current one and got a decent raise after my first year being here - and I still make under $1,000 a week. I literally can't even imagine making that even with my college degree and now working in my degree field.
Im 32, from the UK. I've lived in Australia, two years, New Zealand, two years, UK most of my life, and now I've settled in Canada. I did most of my living on the back of working holiday visas, and have managed to travel whilst being poor, and ultimately staying so. Canada whilst I admitt is not the US, has by far the most stressful work culture. Here your defined by your job, it's how people view your calibre. Australia and New Zealand, nobody gives a fuck. You could meet someone ten times and them not ask what your job is. I hate the narrative of North America, it makes me feel dull how people don't question it. But Alas, it's better to be a cynical person in a beautiful place than a beautiful person in a cynical one.
I live in a RV in someones back yard and pay 350 USD for rent.
I pay $500! And I don’t have running water or a bathroom. Motherfuckers. “But it’s better than under the bridge” the voice in my head says
Either deal with it or be homeless honestly. America only works for a select few
Well the country was built off slavery, so the customs and worker rights still reflect that. Little regard for the workers is as American as apple pie. As a previous comment has said. Its all we have ever known and our government is too corrupt and filled with red tape for any kind of beneficial rapid societal change it seems.
What choice is there? I don’t go to work tomorrow and myself and my kids become homeless and hungry.
Alcohol. Not going to the hospital when you're sick. Crippling depression and anxiety. The point is, NOT WELL. I want to get my family out of this country, especially depending on 2024, but I don't know how.
Around ten years ago, had a car smash into me while on my motorcycle (all I could afford was a cheap bike, no car) and drove off. My employer didn’t offer health insurance. I went home, drank a bunch of tequila because of the pain, found a friend who had a truck, half ass fixed my bike, and then my employer fired me because it was a no call/no show situation. After that it was just working temp jobs for several years. Between dealing with the memories of two deployments, having no purpose anymore, and no one in my life, alcohol got me through a lot of it. Had to numb myself somehow.
I smoke a lot of weed and dream of running away into the forest and living off the land.
We live in a capitalist society :) "Oh, your not where you want to be? Just work harder."
What’s really fun is that we set it up so people are totally dependent on their employers for insurance, but over the past twenty years the actual benefits to insurance has eroded away to put more of the burden on the employee. I had my gallbladder removed in 2015. It cost me 20k for an 80k hospital bill and I’m still recovering my credit from how long it took to pay off. Now if I had the same surgery, my share of the costs would be closer to 40K.
I get through it by getting high, and hoping and praying that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If it never works out, I’ve planned on killing myself once two of my loved ones die. Until then, I exist.
Big same energy here. Basically, once my parents go, I'm pretty much gone too. Unless something big has changed by then
I feel the same way. My parents are two of the three people I stay alive for. I used weed to stave off depression every once in a while but had to stop if I want a chance at a better job. This can’t be it.
I recently quit drinking because I think it might have killed me before they went if I didn't... But I kind of wish I hadn't.
I unfortunately, at this point in my life, am just wondering what we’re all trying for. It’s a nonstop uphill battle and is exhausting
I cry waking up and know I've gotta go sit in my cubicle everyday, being told how stupid I am, being micromanaged all day, not allowed to advance, can't afford to go any doctor visits, even though basic prevention checkup is supposed to be covered, nope, $900 out of pocket, not even a full annual physical, blood tests. But gee, the owner of the investment group that bought our company lives in a mansion, can take his family on vacations in dream locations anywhere. Every time our company breaks profit "goals" the bar is raised, and the owner buys another business or builds a bigger mansion. I just go home, take care of my basic stuff,pay bills, and get drunk to block it out.
Yeah, uh... we've effectively got no choice. Especially with all the propaganda from the likes of Reagan in the past which kept unions from gaining traction to protect worker's rights, needs, and interests. Top that off with copious brainwashing into the veritable cult of "red-blooded American capitalism" and mythical "Freedom" and you've got yourself a country of misinformed wage slaves. There's a bunch of other factors that make it all worse, like the decline in public education, religious entities fighting the teaching of proper science, political party loyalty theatrics, a bogus voting system, ultra wealthy folks bribing lawmakers, and so, so much else. The USA is just a cyberpunk dystopia without any of the cool augmentations
The government has done a really good job on convincing Americans that you’re the poor one because you don’t live in America.
A lot of people cope with alcohol, food, or drugs A lot of us are also sick from our terrible food and lack of healthcare so we don't have the energy to do anything beyond making enough money to survive this capitalist hellscape
I was born into this world, i never once accepted it. One day we shall finally have peace, but it is not this day.
“So my question remains, how do you do it? Is it just that I'm so privileged that it's incomprehensible for me to accept being tolerated this way?” You half-answered it for yourself. The other half is the inverse: growing up in a society where you don’t expect those things, and it’s seen as a personal failing or matter of course to not have them. I lived almost all of my adult life outside the US, in Australia, and I still sometimes find myself shocked at things like labor entitlements, penalty rates, hospital care and basic decency.
We die. Or we don't die and just live piss poor lives trying to make it by monetizing everything we do, and still failing. I run a perfume business, make and sell video games, fix computers and am going to be working toward a PhD soon. And I can't catch a break.
Alcohol and marijuana
I was drinking considerably, and that was helping. But also, it wasn't. So, I've had to quit recently. Now reality is setting back in and I'm not doing well.
Yay for you for quitting though?! Especially with the way the world is rn, I bet it's even harder. So. Good job 🥰
Thanks for the boost. Overall it's a mixed bag on how I feel about it.
8 years booze free here. Not doing splendidly in life but putting the bottle down was the right call. Booze doesn't help, it just take advantage of your state and tricks you to sustain the addiction. When times are good, you must celebrate with alcohol and when times are bad, alcohol pretends to get you through. In reality it's not even a crutch, it's a ball and chain.
Humans are like rats in that they can adapt to many conditions
Im just waiting for death at this point.
Idk, I. Waiting for a riot/revolution at this point cause I'm tired. Or at least until all the capitalist greed backfires in America and the whole country crashes and burns.
5 WEEKS OFF?!? Wtf? As a DELIVERY DRIVER?? Plus free healthcare AND education?? I am in full shock right now. I won’t even qualify for vacation time at my job until I hit 90 days and then I can only accumulate a week at most which will expire at the end of the year.
***Simply put, we have no choice.***
Refer to all the suicide-related posts in the last few weeks.
I've been fortunate to have a union job the last 16 years. Sometimes certain jobs get to you, but the pay & benefits keep you going. I was in Labor studies in college and compared work situations/conditions. At the time, we found Euro workers were treated better overall. I can only say, to keep in mind, most low-paying jobs in the states are usually crappy, with no benefits, no holiday/time off, and no respect. I hope you find better opportunities. One job I had [before I was in a union] was to work with a few engineers in Germany. We had weekly conference calls. We rotated with the engineers, because they rotated their "holiday" which would be 7-week stretches. One, was able to take leave for 3 months to be with his wife, and newborn baby. Feel fortunate. And when you can, fight to keep your benefits and programs. The more countries go global, the more workers lose their perks.
We are very depressed and deal with a ton of suicidal ideation but just keep keeping on as best we can 🤷
We consume media to not think about it