Do "the poor" generally suffer from personality or character disorders or are they victims of the system

Answer 1

People who are poor may have had things happen to them, but they have a choice to work and get out of it or stay in the situation they are in.

I don't know what you mean by the poor having personality disorder, the rich and middle class may have a disorder as well.

Answer 2

I would just bet that all of the psychiatrists, psychologists and other clinicians that were on the committee drafting the characteristics of the DSM IV TR, and its predecessor editions, were living above poverty. Contrast their findings and opinions with XXXXXXX, a similar psychiatric and psychological listing of mental disorders and their characteristics that would be written solely by those who are poor and were always poor. You'd have greatly different findings. Live in the life of a poor person in a poor neighborhood and the environment is harsher in many significant ways - then write from that view of what is a personality disorder. "The System" is like a board game that favors the more educated, the wealthier, the legitimate aggressor, or the wise adventurer. Answer: In part, both.

Answer 3

They are usually stigmatized or labeled if anything due to the larger population. Children can be embarrassed and have low self-esteem because of their situation.
Things that cause low self-esteem can be the root, like having to wear old clothes to school or not having latest fashions like some of the other kids. If they have to use the low income lunch program instead of being able to buy their lunch, being made fun of by other children.
Then teachers and other professional sometimes treat them differently because they can't afford some books, or play on the team, or go on field trips that cost money. Some are to be made to feel dumb or stupid just because they are poor.
So we should watch how we treat people who are poorer then ourselves because we could be walking in their shoes. We should strive to offer a hand up, not just a hand out. Watch that we treat others like we would like to be treated, no matter your age or socio-economical level.
So it is not just the system, it is people they come in contact with on an everyday basis.

Answer 4

Being poor creates stress and worry. It is very hard to be happy go lucky when you are unemployed or you don't know how you're going to feed your children. These conditions make the poor more susceptible to domestic abuse, depression and other mental illnesses that can be triggered by prolonged stress. I am not a racist or a classist, but I'm just telling it like it is. Being poor can be a catalyst for a lot of psychological problems.

Answer 5

I believe in something very different. I believe that they become poor because of suffering from disorders, not the reverse.

Answer 6

In America, we are SO BRAINWASHED by big business trying to make a buck that we are convinced that everyone is suffering from some type of condition and needs to be medicated or go into therapy.

Chris Rock made a good point of it on his HBO special "Never Scared" when he said he saw a commercial that said "Do you go to sleep at night and get up in the morning?" Chris said "I got that...I need that medicine!"