I'm new here, so I don't really know what I'm doing, sorry. I'm Ginger, I'm 26, and I was diagnosed when I was 9 with what we now call ASD. As such I've received minimal support through my life because of being considered "high functioning" even though I do definitely need some supports in place. There just doesn't seem to be any real middle ground. Either I get zero supports and end up in bad situations or I'd have to be in some sort of facility when I don't need constant monitoring and provide my own structure with routine. It's like just because I'm capable of minimally cooking for myself and bathing myself and can work part time, I'm not expected to need any additional help.
I was horrifically abused by my family when I was growing up and I moved out of state and cut contact when I was 22. I have PTSD because of this, and I sought therapy and got to a point where I could function almost as well as someone without this problem. I held my last job for 3 years (my manager had ADHD so she got me), but the roommates I was living with (who were letting me pay for utilities instead of rent because I couldn't afford full rent) had to move to a smaller place during covid so I had to look for a new place to go.
I accepted a Craigslist offer to move to Massachusetts with what was supposed to be another autistic roommate but she ended up not actually being autistic and being emotionally abusive. I put the rest of my money into the move here, where I was supposed to be able to easily find another job in walking distance (I can't drive) but nothing called back. She said she could drive me anywhere I needed to go, so I accepted a job out of town (a 10 minute drive) and after a week of work, my roommate exploded on me about how she wouldn't drive me at night anymore. I suddenly was spending most of my paycheck on ubers to and from work, especially when my roommate would suddenly at the last minute decide not to drive me to work and make me 30 minutes late. I think she was trying to make me lose my job because she wanted someone at home all day to watch her kid. Soon after this began happening, she started being very mean and changing rules without telling me and pretending like she hadn't offered to let me eat things in the house so I stopped eating at home for fear of upsetting her. She was suddenly giving me verbal lectures at least once a day. My bed was in the living room and she started leaving the kitchen light on at all times and running the ac/kitchen fan/bathroom fan 24/7 because she knew the constant background white noise was overstimulating at the different pitches and she kept the window open on top of this and then snapped at me that it wasn't cold in there. She began waking up at 6 in the morning to do dishes, which was something I'd done when awake prior to this. She'd watch drag race loudly while doing this. She started telling her kid to come into the living room to watch tv while I was sleeping in there. Then she took away my mattress and made me sleep on the couch.
A few mornings ago, I stood up for myself and she exploded. She hit every single trigger my parents had ever installed in me then gave me an hour to pack my stuff and leave. I am in a new state where I don't know anyone and I don't have the money to go anywhere. I used the last of my paycheck to get myself to work, still in my pajamas. A coworker said I can stay on her couch for a few days while I figure stuff out, but her landlord will check in soon and I won't be able to stay too long. I've been homeless before and I have a job, so it's just frustrating to be in this position where I have nowhere to go. All the shelters I've tried are for people fleeing immediate violence or women with children, so I keep being denied. I don't need a carer because I can care for myself, I just can't afford to live anywhere alone. Does anyone have any advice for what options someone who is low income and has been denied SSI in the past might have when they have no health insurance and require minimal supports? I had two jobs at one point in the past and ended up having a breakdown so I have no option other than to be low income because I'm in retail since it's about all I can handle (I'm a college drop out for theatre and am a writer but those aren't translatable skills at the moment). Going back to my family isn't an option because they almost killed me. Any advice is appreciated.
I was horrifically abused by my family when I was growing up and I moved out of state and cut contact when I was 22. I have PTSD because of this, and I sought therapy and got to a point where I could function almost as well as someone without this problem. I held my last job for 3 years (my manager had ADHD so she got me), but the roommates I was living with (who were letting me pay for utilities instead of rent because I couldn't afford full rent) had to move to a smaller place during covid so I had to look for a new place to go.
I accepted a Craigslist offer to move to Massachusetts with what was supposed to be another autistic roommate but she ended up not actually being autistic and being emotionally abusive. I put the rest of my money into the move here, where I was supposed to be able to easily find another job in walking distance (I can't drive) but nothing called back. She said she could drive me anywhere I needed to go, so I accepted a job out of town (a 10 minute drive) and after a week of work, my roommate exploded on me about how she wouldn't drive me at night anymore. I suddenly was spending most of my paycheck on ubers to and from work, especially when my roommate would suddenly at the last minute decide not to drive me to work and make me 30 minutes late. I think she was trying to make me lose my job because she wanted someone at home all day to watch her kid. Soon after this began happening, she started being very mean and changing rules without telling me and pretending like she hadn't offered to let me eat things in the house so I stopped eating at home for fear of upsetting her. She was suddenly giving me verbal lectures at least once a day. My bed was in the living room and she started leaving the kitchen light on at all times and running the ac/kitchen fan/bathroom fan 24/7 because she knew the constant background white noise was overstimulating at the different pitches and she kept the window open on top of this and then snapped at me that it wasn't cold in there. She began waking up at 6 in the morning to do dishes, which was something I'd done when awake prior to this. She'd watch drag race loudly while doing this. She started telling her kid to come into the living room to watch tv while I was sleeping in there. Then she took away my mattress and made me sleep on the couch.
A few mornings ago, I stood up for myself and she exploded. She hit every single trigger my parents had ever installed in me then gave me an hour to pack my stuff and leave. I am in a new state where I don't know anyone and I don't have the money to go anywhere. I used the last of my paycheck to get myself to work, still in my pajamas. A coworker said I can stay on her couch for a few days while I figure stuff out, but her landlord will check in soon and I won't be able to stay too long. I've been homeless before and I have a job, so it's just frustrating to be in this position where I have nowhere to go. All the shelters I've tried are for people fleeing immediate violence or women with children, so I keep being denied. I don't need a carer because I can care for myself, I just can't afford to live anywhere alone. Does anyone have any advice for what options someone who is low income and has been denied SSI in the past might have when they have no health insurance and require minimal supports? I had two jobs at one point in the past and ended up having a breakdown so I have no option other than to be low income because I'm in retail since it's about all I can handle (I'm a college drop out for theatre and am a writer but those aren't translatable skills at the moment). Going back to my family isn't an option because they almost killed me. Any advice is appreciated.
