Reflective Portfolio: Exploring Homelessness, Mental Health, Suicide

This portfolio presents three reflective essays examining critical societal issues. The first reflection explores the experience of homelessness, detailing the emotional and psychological impacts, and highlighting the challenges of overcoming such adversity. The second piece focuses on mental health, specifically the impact of family dynamics and societal pressures on an individual's well-being, with a focus on the need for empathy and understanding. The final reflection addresses suicide and its connection to depression and the complexities of modern society, emphasizing the importance of seeking help and promoting mental wellness. The author shares personal experiences and insights, drawing conclusions about the need for awareness and support in addressing these significant challenges. The author also includes references to support the claims and arguments in the reflective pieces.

Portfolio of three
reflective pieces

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
REFLECTION 1- Homeless........................................................................................................3
REFLECTION 2- Mental Health.................................................................................................4
REFLECTION 3- Suicide and modern society...........................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Research was conducted regarding the issues such as the homeless, mental health as well
as the suicide and modern society. They are having very large impacts on the human beings as it
changes the behaviour of the individual. This research study was found very important as this has
helped in identifying why these issues are increasing in the present era and how can these can be
eliminated. The main aspect which will be focused within this report is related to the facts and
the impacts of the issues mentioned above.
MAIN BODY
REFLECTION 1- Homeless
The Homeless is basically associated with the condition of the individual who are leaving
at the place which are not meant to be for the human beings, and they are residing at that place
for the temporary time period. When the person is homeless, it is very hard to survive in such
places as this is not related to the place where the human beings reside.
When I was suffering from the homeless issue, it became very difficult for me to recover
from that issue. This issue is very highly affecting, and I was not able to perform the things
effectively. Due to this issue, I was feeling very depressed and does not like to communicate
with the other people as well. I was always trying to come out of this issue but was not much
easy to do it as overthinking was major problem for this. It was the long term impacts on me and
because of this, I was feeling angry, sadness as well as always felt that no one is with me and
was feeling lonely (Ricord, Zhu and Wang, 2022). The experience while suffering with this issue
was not at all good as due to this, I was not feeling good at all. My complete behaviour was
changed due to this reason and my actions was changed. These changed actions has completely
changed me and nothing was same as before within my nature.
I was feeling like no one is there to support me and mainly I am not having my house to
live at good place. I think that none of the person should be faced with such issue as this
completely changes the person. If I had shared the things with my friends, then there was not
many consequences for my health.
From this issue I have learned that I should not think much as like I am not having house
and all. As thinking much leads to many such consequences which highly affects the mental

health of the individual. This shows that when the individual is suffering from one issue it starts
with the another issue and which is very dangerous for the health of the people. I have
understood from these feelings that it is not much important to think myself as the homeless and
instead of this it would have done another things which made me grow positively.
REFLECTION 2- Mental Health
Mental health is one major issue in the current times. It is consistently growing. My
cousin sister has gone through a major mental health pitfall (Scheid. and Wright., 2017). Being
in her 20s still she has also harmed herself physically at times. This happened after her mother
cheated on her father, and they went through divorce. She does not have any siblings, that is why
she shared most of her feelings with me.
For me personally, I tried my best to listen to her, but at times you are not in a situation to
do so. I was personally feeling sorry for her, and I was trying to sympathize her as well. But that
is not what she needed at that time. I guess in situations like these an individual basically needs
space and not sympathy. And that is what she needed. I have particularly learned this from the
overall instance. Also, as I started sympathizing her, rather than just listening to her, and letting
her emotions out, she stopped sharing her feelings with me. She became more reserved and into
herself. Her eating habits also changed and the emotions gathered up within her. This led to
extensive depressive episodes in her life. She started harming herself because she was not able to
cry and feel her pain. This led to major physical injuries which she could not show in public. She
started hiding things from even her father whom she lived with. Also, her father was not so
interested in her life, so he did not even ask. In school, she started getting bullied, so she isolated
herself. I think I could have only listened to her. Because of her loneliness her mental health got
worse. People should understand what a person actually wants. This can be done by straight way
asking the person, or by understanding by the person's gestures. And then act accordingly with
them. Mainly, I think parents play a major role, as they are the ones mainly we live with and are
around us most of the time.
Through this experience I have particularly learnt a lot of things (Health., 2020). Firstly,
being polite with anyone and everyone, because mental health is something that is not visible.
And no one knows what the person in front of them is going through. Being polite and nice to
someone is the least I can do. Also, listening is more important. And also, understanding the
symptoms of mental health is important too. This will basically help me in identifying if any of

my peers are going through anything. And not only this but campaigns regarding mental health
should take place mainly, for the older generations as they are the ones who do not take it is a
major issue. But this will have many challenges, as people are not very open towards such
concepts. Due to their conservative and narrow mind sets, others are suffering more. Also,
schools and educational institutes should implement strict guidelines related to bullying and take
strict actions if it si not followed.
REFLECTION 3- Suicide and modern society
The suicide is basically the act which is performed by the individual intentionally which
leads to the death of the person. There are number of the risk factors such as mental disorders,
personality disorders, depression as well as the anxiety. I was suffering from the depression and
due to this reason once I have attempted to suicide. It became very difficult for me to come out
from the depression to escape from the pain and the sufferings.
When I was suffering from the depression, it encouraged me to attempt suicide. The
feeling of the depression was very bad as due to this, I was not able to learn, sleep and focus
towards the one thing. Overthinking causes this problem and due to which, I went into the
depression and it resulted to the attempting of the suicide (Chisolm-Straker and et.al., 2019). The
feeling after trying to attempt suicide is very odd as within this, I was not able to understand
myself as what I actually want and was not sharing anything with my friends and family
member. This was very disastrous moment in my life where I was feeling that I don't want to
leave. These were the major actions which were performed by me while I was suffering from the
depression. Depression was the main reason due to which I tried to attempt suicide without even
thinking of the parents and friends.
Other than this, I would have made myself busy in such things which would have reduced
by overthinking habits. This would have helped me in avoiding the suicide and such things
which will be harming my physical as well as the mental health.
After taking many medications, I was able to get cured of the depression. This incident
has helped me in learning that we should pay attention towards are health and must stay busy in
doing such things which will enable me to grow and think negative thoughts. As overthinking
brings the negativity in the mind and keeping myself busy in learning new things would be the
best option for avoiding such problems (de Oliveira Teixeira, Souza and Viana, 2018). As I am

living in the modern society, it is very difficult for me to understand the need of staying busy and
this leads to changing the behaviour. In the future, will be focusing more on my physical and
mental health so avoid such situation to happen again.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that these three of the issues are highly
increasing within the modern society. It is very essential for the people to avoid overthinking and
the factors which are causing such issues and pay attention towards the positive things. This
report has discussed the reflection on the three issues that is mental health, homeless as well as
the suicide within the modern society. The experience has been shared of the above mentioned
issues and it was very important to use the strategies do that these issues can be eliminated.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Chisolm-Straker, M., and et.al., 2019. Screening for human trafficking among homeless young
adults. Children and Youth Services Review, 98, pp.72-79.
de Oliveira Teixeira, S.M., Souza, L.E.C. and Viana, L.M.M., 2018. Suicide as a public health
issue. Revista Brasileira em Promocao da Saude, 31(3).
Health, T.L.G., 2020. Mental health matters. The Lancet. Global Health. 8(11). p.e1352.
Ricord, S., Zhu, M. and Wang, Y., 2022. Impact of Homeless Encampments on Roadway Safety
and DOT Policy: Summary of Findings from Current Data Sources. In International
Conference on Transportation and Development 2022 (pp. 23-34).
Scheid, T.L. and Wright, E.R. eds., 2017. A handbook for the study of mental health. Cambridge
University Press.
1