'It feels very disheartening to be back in this spot, and without help. Nobody wants anything to do with me, and now it's just me in the cold nights,' said Tyler Dunlop
An Orillia man who made headlines for his pursuit of medical assistance in dying — and who recently published a book on his experiences with homelessness — is once again living on the streets.
“It feels very disheartening to be back in this spot, and without help. Old friends have turned their heels against me,” Dunlop told OrilliaMatters. “Nobody wants anything to do with me, and now it's just me in the cold nights.”“I woke up this morning, and there was a foot of snow on my tent, and I've had to do things I'm not proud of to survive.”
As he also lives with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, Dunlop said the complexity of his issues are something he has found difficult to manage and navigate successful long-term help to deal with the issues. “ an insupportable sense of loneliness and social isolation that continually leads me back to alcohol, and being misunderstood is the hardest part,” he said. “I've dealt with it my whole life, and I don't know how much longer I'm gonna make it.”
“The complex nature of mental illness and addiction, concurrent disorders, people don't understand,” he said. “They just look at this guy and they say, ‘Oh, well, he blew all his money on alcohol.’ Well, it's not that simple: when you walk around all day, and you're filthy and dirty, and nobody wants to talk to you, alcohol becomes your best friend.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
BEYOND LOCAL: ‘Floating petri dishes’ no more: Cruises popular again for March break travelAir travel to the south in general is also on the rise this month, with the number of flights to Florida from Canada up by a quarter
Read more »
BEYOND LOCAL: In Quebec's strawberry fields, a tiny insect may forecast big climate impacts: studyResearchers out of Laval University say migratory leafhoppers, a small cicada-like insect, appear to be arriving earlier in the season and dominating fields around Quebec City
Read more »
BEYOND LOCAL: Shania Twain now has a Barbie modelled after her: 'My own projection of myself'The country superstar, who is gearing up for a Las Vegas residency that begins in May, is one of eight women to receive a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll in their likeness for International Women's Day
Read more »
BEYOND LOCAL: Canada lags behind peer countries on female representation in managementOTTAWA — Women in corporate leadership still face barriers, with significant gaps in business ownership, representation and compensation, said the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Read more »
BEYOND LOCAL: Northern Ontario arena a Kraft Hockeyville finalistVoting for the Kraft Hockeyville grand prize starts at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 29, and closes at 5 p.m. on March 30
Read more »
Chefs see a more confident, local Irish cuisine going well beyond meat and potatoesIt may come as a surprise that one of Ireland’s most renowned chefs opened a Spanish tapas place for his first restaurant in Galway. That was 2008, though, a time when Jp McMahon saw — and felt — a lack of confidence in Irish cuisine.
Read more »