How do you help someone who is at rock bottom?

[JSB]

I know someone who is pretty much at the end of the line emotionally, financially, etc.

He has become homeless and completely destitute, and has lost all hope for the future and all optimism as well. How would you help someone in this situation? Can you? (Someone very wealthy could solve his immediate financial and material problems, but I'm not that person.)

He made this 2 minute video about his situation. It's very well done, but not very optimistic.

Six Degrees of Saving My Bacon - YouTube

[andrew]

You would have to help change their mindset and inner game, removing negative emotions and limiting beliefs in order for them to make the changes themself. Helping him realize he needs to be at cause in life, that he has the power to change his life, and that he's not a victim.

You can give him a million dollars, but unless his way of thinking changes, he'll likely end up at the same spot again shortly.

If you don't know how to really do that, point him to Think and Grow Rich, or a plethora of self development resources. It all has to come from within himself.

[JSB]

Originally Posted by andrew

You would have to help change their mindset and inner game, removing negative emotions and limiting beliefs in order for them to make the changes themself. Helping him realize he needs to be at cause in life, that he has the power to change his life, and that he's not a victim.

You can give him a million dollars, but unless his way of thinking changes, he'll likely end up at the same spot again shortly.

If you don't know how to really do that, point him to Think and Grow Rich, or a plethora of self development resources. It all has to come from within himself.

He's always been a positive "at cause" sort of guy, very focused on personal development, but circumstances have destroyed him financially and materially. His confidence and optimism have evaporated as a result, probably as much from the letdown and failure as from the actual poverty.

[JSB]

Thanks for your responses so far.

I'm wondering what everyone thinks of the video?

[gene2009]

Originally Posted by JSB

I know someone who is pretty much at the end of the line emotionally, financially, etc.

He has become homeless and completely destitute, and has lost all hope for the future and all optimism as well. How would you help someone in this situation? Can you? (Someone very wealthy could solve his immediate financial and material problems, but I'm not that person.)

He made this 2 minute video about his situation. It's very well done, but not very optimistic.

Six Degrees of Saving My Bacon - YouTube

Brother, i thought you were saying about me

Okay, really, it's very difficult to give an useful suggestion that guy. I'm afraid nobody is able to help that guy. Only he can help himself. Only he can change his situation. It's roughly, but this is true. Ok, the right, good words should help him some, but you cannot drive that guy every day. I know what i'm saying about. One thing i would be to tell that guy is; he should compare his life with some people who being in the worse situation than he is. This should help him to find any positive in his life. This helps me, and probable, it'll work for that guy too.

[VinceG]

"Rock bottom" is a therapeutic term, that refers to an individual's personal threshold for self-motivated acts of courage. Rock bottom will cause an individual to choose, himself, to go to AA meetings. Rock bottom will get him to ask for help.

The answer here is that you can't really help. If he were at rock bottom, he'd be helping himself. But someone who's still actively intent on self-destruction, all you can do is help them along on the process.

[ChrisGinsburg]

Perhaps this stage in his life is precisely what he needs and what it was always meant to be. The judgment that someone needs help is often born out of our own fears if we were in a similar situation. The contrast and clarity that comes from an experience where we have nothing left to lose is often unmatched. This is the heart of the phrase, 'it's always darkest before the dawn'. That being said, there is nothing wrong with letting him know you're there if he needs anything.

[JSB]

Thank you everyone for your replies and opinions. I think this has been pressing down on him long and hard enough that he has simply run out of steam.

Short of some sort of epiphany or an unexpected outside benefactor, I don't know how he's going to get out of this.

Please pass on the video link to others if you would. Maybe just getting some more people looking at it and his YouTube channel would open some more possibilities. I don't know.

[Criseyde]

Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is to let them know they're not alone.