Abstract
This blog analyzes the intersection between homelessness, trauma, stigma, and structural inequalities in Kensington. It applies the concept of social suffering to show how individual pain is inseparable from political, economic, and institutional forces. This blog aims to demonstrate how addiction should be reframed as a collective consequence rather than an isolated personal struggle.
Keywords
social suffering, homelessness, trauma; stigma, structural inequality
To understand addiction in Kensington, we must first look into the human experiences: the daily realities of the people who live, use substances, seek shelter, and survive in this neighborhood. The concept of social suffering helps us frame these experiences not as isolated tragedies but as consequences of political and economic systems.
Many individuals in Kensington experience homelessness as shelters are often inaccessible, overcrowded, or unsafe. Housing instability increases exposure to violence and often caused individual to use drugs as a form of coping. Julie Livingston’s work in Botswana, allows us to understand that social suffering is shaped by institutional failures and community dynamics. Her works also shows us how trauma is deeply woven into the opioid crisis. Many people who use opioids do so in order to manage unaddressed psychological pain, whether that be childhood trauma, or domestic violence. Despite these psychological trauma, opioid addiction and usage is stigmatized within the healthcare system, pushing people away from want to receive treatment, ultimately reinforcing harmful cycles.
Stories of opioid users in Kensington document how individuals go between health care sites and street survival, resulting in temporary periods of stability. Megan Cohen, a former opioid addicts, addresses in an interview conducted by NBC10 Philadelphia, her experience in the streets of Kensington. She reveals a story structured by scarcity of resources and how drugs become one of the few accessible forms of relief in a resource-deprived neighborhood.
Home Page: Understanding Philadelphia's Opioid Crisis: A Structural Approach 