Why homeless people scream

You may think there’s an obvious reason so many homeless people scream in fits of rage on the streets of Denver, often speaking nonsensically or with profanity. They may be on drugs, or they may be drunk, most would assume.

But it’s not that simple. In fact, speaking from my own experience of homelessness in Denver in 2019 I would argue that most people who disturb the peace aren’t under the influence of anything. Mental illness, however, seems to be rampant among this very vocal population. According to an article by ABC News, the number of mentally ill people experiencing homelessness has been on the rise in recent years. "Homelessness has become more obvious without necessarily becoming worse," Dr. Margot Kushel, M.D., director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at USCF and principal investigator of the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness, told ABC News. "It's much more in your face than it was before."Understanding why a person would scream at all hours is fairly easy for a person who has experienced homelessness. Often, homeless people cannot find water to drink or a restroom to do their business. They go from food line to food line, sometimes being threatened by other homeless people. They are given dirty looks by people who pass them by and see them pulling a suitcase or pushing a cart. Now their food stamps have been withheld, which is unconscionable to me. And judging by the comments on my articles, many people have zero compassion for people experiencing homelessness, often fueled by President Trump's rhetoric.

These hardships are encountered every single day, along with never being allowed to sleep. When I experienced homelessness, the day shelters would not allow you to sleep. The guards at Union Station would bang their car keys on the metal benches if homeless people fell asleep. If you stayed at a night shelter, people fought, snored, and passed gas all night long. Bed bugs bit you.

These conditions would make a lot of people scream. But for a homeless person, the pain of not being housed goes deeper. You have a lot of time during homelessness to ruminate about your situation. You come to a certain realization that you have zero friends or family, because if you did, you probably wouldn’t be homeless. Accepting that your family does not care about you is very painful and insulting. That might be enough to make a person scream.

Haunted by voices

Many people who shout things out as they walk the streets are responding to the voices they hear. That was the case with me. I was diagnosed schizoaffective disorder bipolar one type. I heard voices for about three years. It was maddening. The voices would provide a play by play commentary of everything I was doing. “Now he is walking past the homeless shelter, they won’t allow David inside,” I would hear. “He has mental illness, he is delusional.” The voices would not allow you to rest. Most of the time they said things that upset me. Other times I would hear conversations among two or three people who I thought were trying to help me. I did not know how I was hearing the voices, but I was absolutely certain they were real, and sometimes I would respond.

I was a terribly belligerent homeless person. I used to walk up and down 16th Street mall day and night, screaming at the top of my lungs. Sometimes I would tip over trash receptacles that were bolted down. I was so angry about being homeless I could not control my behavior. I was angry at the universe. I very much believed corrupt politicians were to blame for my homelessness and that they were using the FBI to gang stalk me. I absolutely believed that and as a result would often yell things to no one in particular about political corruption. In particular, I thought the Democrats were behind everything that was happening to me. I was convinced the Antifa was after me. This is because I had become sideways with the Democrats in my hometown. They scared me so much and treated me so poorly that I sold the home I owned free and clear for a little bit of nothing in 2018 and moved to Denver. The paranoia worsened and eventually I ran out of money because I could not find work.

“Not only can homelessness be a consequence of mental illness, but a homeless life may cause and perpetuate emotional problems,” according to an article on the National Library of Medicine website. “The major mental illnesses, principally schizophrenia and the affective disorders (bipolar and major depressive disorders), are unlikely to result from the trauma of homelessness. Rather, they cause a level of disability and impaired social functioning in some people that, in the absence of adequate treatment and support, may lead to homelessness, which will then exacerbate these conditions.”

Some days when I would scream I would be angry with the politicians. Other times I was angry with myself. Many times, I just wanted to die. I often thought about slitting my wrists.

Instead, I would scream.

Screaming as self-expression, protest

People experiencing homelessness may scream for many reasons, including:

· For some, screaming may be a form of self-expression or protest—a way to assert presence in a society that otherwise ignores them. Others may use loud or aggressive behavior as a defensive mechanism to deter threats or claim space in unsafe environments.

· Some individuals may be on the autism spectrum or have developmental disabilities that were never diagnosed or supported.

· What appears as “screaming” may sometimes be ritualistic, religious, or expressive behavior misunderstood by passersby.

· Loud noises, police presence, or even weather can trigger episodes of distress in people with PTSD or sensory sensitivities.

· Many have cycled through jails, psych wards, or foster care—systems that can leave deep psychological scars and mistrust of authority.

“Homelessness is associated with a variety of traumatic social problems, including family breakdown and abuse, adverse childhood experiences, foster care, youth pregnancy and inadequate parenting skills, and child development problems,” according to an article on the Homeless Hub website. “Homeless adults typically experienced sexual and physical abuse as children. For women, escape from domestic violence is a frequent cause for homelessness. While homeless youth come from all classes, most come from families where physical abuse, exacerbated by long term unemployment and parental drug and alcohol use is the norm.

“Trauma and victimization continues for a person that ends up homeless. The most frequent violent trauma occurring among homeless women is rape. The most common violent trauma among homeless men is assault. The homeless with mental illnesses are more susceptible to trauma. They tend to wander in public places, display detachment, and respond slowly to events due to their depression. Being homeless precipitates more traumatic experiences and the cycle is difficult to end. “

What to do if you encounter screaming

Some people don’t know what to do when they encounter a homeless person in duress. Here are some tips:

Acknowledge their humanity. If the situation feels safe, a simple “Are you okay?” or “Can I help you find someone?” can be powerful. But only engage if you’re prepared for unpredictable responses.

Offer resources, not judgment. If you know of local shelters, outreach teams, or crisis lines, you can share that info. But don’t push or assume they’ll accept help.

Report to local outreach teams. In many cities, non-emergency services exist to check on individuals in distress. Denver, for example, has STAR (Support Team Assisted Response) that sends mental health professionals instead of police.

What not to do when encountering homeless people in duress

Don’t yell back, confront, or film them. This can escalate the situation or further traumatize the individual. One Denver social media account has amassed thousands of followers posting videos of homeless people behaving erratically. As a person who once acted that way due to mental illness, it seems cruel to expose people at their worst.

Don’t assume they’re violent. Many people scream out of pain, fear, or confusion—not aggression.

Don’t offer help with strings attached. Conditional kindness (“I’ll help if you calm down”) can feel manipulative or patronizing. I once had churchgoers who were having services at the Tivoli on Auraria Campus offer me a bottle of water if I "remain quiet and don't cause any trouble." I had been sitting in the lobby quietly and not bothering them at all. And they never did bring me a bottle of water.

Keeping cool and understanding trauma

If you encounter a homeless person in duress, remember that their life is a living hell. Many people experiencing homelessness have lived a lifetime of trauma. Foster care, abuse, neglect, generational poverty, mental and physical illness … the list goes on an on. Most homeless people are not going to hurt anyone, however, and I can tell you from experience that calling the police on a screaming homeless person never helps them. It only makes matters worse, and they’ll be out in 48 hours anyway in most circumstances.

Show some grace to people experiencing homelessness in duress. It is an act of kindness that is in short supply these days. Be the change.