Povery; It's Breaking Us Down

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Poverty; It’s Breaking Us Down

Many individuals have no idea what it is like to be unaware of how they will get their next meal or if their children will be seen at the hospital because they do not have the right insurance. These are all stresses in the every day life of a person who lives in poverty. These stresses are endless. A few stresses that seem to be common to the breakdown of a family unit are, a severe reduction in a stable income, uncertainty of an individuals life situation, as well as members of the family going to extremes to try to better their current status. Although many argue that it is family breakdown that causes poverty, it has been proven that the stresses that accompany poverty contribute to the increasing number of families that are “breaking down”.
In a situation where a family knows that they are going to have a severe reduction in their income, the parents may be put under incredible stress, worrying about how they are going to pay their bills or feed themselves and their children. This can lead to unnecessary bickering and disagreeing, which weakens the relationships within the family unit. When these relationships get put under a great deal of stress, it is the first step in breaking down the family.
The next “step” in the breakdown of the family, which is closely related with the first, is the feeling of uncertainty of the individual life situations. This, in itself, is enough to have a detrimental effect on the family. When the parents are not certain of how they will purchase the groceries for the next month or where they will get money to pay for their children’s medication, it can leave the parents feeling guilty and unworthy of their position as a parent. If the parent is feeling bad enough, it could lead to them either giving their children up for adoption or sending them to another family member that they feel can better care for them.
Many people who find themselves ...