Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi there, I have recently been reading the sub-reddits for NEETS/Hikikomori via the Reddit website. For those that might not know, a NEET is somebody who isn't in employment, education or training and a hikikomori is a Japanese term for a social recluse/shut-in. I don't qualify in either category as I have a full-time job but can relate to them more than "normal"(?) people due to personal experiences of being bullied and ostracised (+ judged for mental health issues) and don't really blame them for checking out of society.
I think what bothers me is that there isn't much support for people who fall under these categories; they tend to be judged a lot for choosing not to work (especially as most tend to have poor experiences of being bullied in the workplace despite employers campaigning for better mental health support and such).
I'm not sure if I am making sense here but I hope I am (sometimes I am not good at explaining things).
I thought in Japan, it was about elderly people with no families, it's sad as people are dying and not being found until days or weeks later, but there seems to be little community self help.
If someone's independently wealthy then they're eccentric if they don't want to engage with the outside world, the government only bother when you cost them money for benefits or whatever.
One problem for people is lack of training for work, the stuff they give at the job centre is a waaste of time, I know I've done some of what passes for back to work support. Once you get past your mid twenties there's no apprenticeships, there's little adult education so as you can study something new whether thats to get you into work or just for interest and getting funding for uni is an expensive nightmare, there's no support out of term time and funding for post grad is practically non existant. You can't take out a student loan for non uni courses, so nothing for learning skills like hairdressing, osteopathy, physiotherapy or any of those other things that are needed and lead to a job. All the government are concerned about is cutting higher education budgets, by getting rid of what they call "mickey mouse" degree's, quite what those are I don't know. Our universities and colleges are full of international students, especially at post grad level because they pay so much to study it keeps whole departments funded, even medical schools arn't exempt from this insanity with places taken up by foreign students at the expense of home grown talent that might stay here and work in the NHS.
All this sounds like I'm anti-immigrant and I'm not, I just think we should have an equal playing field for our own people, we can't have well paid skilled jobs without investing in people and thier education and training. We're all expected to work for longer until retirement, but how can we do that if theres no training for if or when we have to change jobs or careers?
I can say I am NEET. I'm no stranger to being isolated for days or losing the will to leave the house at times.
But I am thankful for my loved ones for keeping me involved in daily life.
I see there was an article about Hikikomori on BBC this week www.google.com/.../c2x0le06kn7o.amp
I suspect there are just as many NEETS who don't have the troubles you suggest. Some might have problems, (but different to the ones you highlight).....and some just choose to do their own things in their own ways...perhaps with a part time gig....I do know of a few of these type of NEETS. Some (argueably) lucky folk are NEETS through choice and/or capability and/or good fortune.
lina-chan said:I think what bothers me is that there isn't much support for people who fall under these categories;
Let me hold a mirror up for a second - how do you think they could get past their situation if they were not autistic?
What options could they follow? How could they prepare themselves to not be bullied at work? How could they work on their mental health? How could they stop from being shut in so much?
For each of these questions, look at the answers and think what aspects are affected by their autism and how these can be worked on to find a way around them or to live with them.
lina-chan said:I think what bothers me is that there isn't much support for people who fall under these categories
I agree. And I don't expect this to change in our lifetimes unfortunately - we are too broken as a culture to be able to pay for this and all the other equally deserving causes in society so we need to develop a diffent strategy and work out how to help ourselves.
For me it was changing my mindset from feeling like a victim where I was having these issues put upon me to believing I had the power to do something about it. Once you pick up that sword to take on the battle then planning and effort is required which seems to be where most people loose interest.
It is likely to be a long, slow task to work on it and it never really ends, but it enables you to start to live the sort of life you want on your own terms.
Some will never be able to do this due to their sensitivities but they will never know until they try.
Should we avoid it just in case we fail?