No Stupid Questions

I'm gonna be honest with you, there's probably some red flags that your doctor saw that perhaps you're unaware of. You say living in your van is a choice; are you being honest with yourself about that? Are you actually taking care of your hygiene this way?

Because one red flag I'm seeing is a van-dweller making a doctor's appointment in the first place. Usually nomadic/hermitic people (as in, those who choose to live off the grid and aren't doing so as a matter of circumstance) generally don't go to the doctor, unless something is really wrong. So for you to show up in a doctor's office at all is already anomalous in the first place.

It shouldn't be understated just how important basic things like access to clean running water can be. And you're using the words "van" and "SUV", and not "RV" or "motorhome", which leads me to believe that you aren't taking care of some basic needs.

If you're truly taking care of yourself and being healthy, then more power to ya; I'm honestly a little jealous of those who can live that life. But if you're actually struggling, you should probably consider taking a look at the paperwork they gave you. Don't get pride get in the way of getting help.

As someone who has nearly lost everything to fire that was started by campers more than once there are externalities to your way of life that potentially harm others. I won’t accuse you directly because I don’t know you but the trend is there.

Or take their help on things not directly related to housing? A decent social worker can do so much for you that could be genuinely helpful.

I wish we treated unhoused with the same basic structure as hospice. Having a team with a social worker, Dr, nurse, and counseling for each person would go a long way to long term well-being even for people who choose to be unhoused.

Honest question:

How do you make money for things like food, automobile costs, and your connected device (assuming phone)? I’m not trying to make a broader point. I am genuinely curious.

People who work in helping professions can sometimes have a lot of their identity and self worth tied up into it. A person who has not processed their emotions and baggage about their job/themselves/their place in the world/etc will unfortunately take that baggage out on clients. It is nonsense and I'm sorry you had to deal with it.

Idk how it's relavant to them that you are basically a van dweller. As long as you are taking care of yourself (eating healthy, exercising, showing, and whatever else) then it doesn't matter.

Maybe if there was some treatment that required you to have access to facilities you need in a house but I can't think of anything. This is one of those times I would omit or just say you live in a house.

Just make sure you're stashing away some cash in an account so you can replace your ride or put a down payment on a house if you decide you do want something a little less mobile some day.

You aren't hurting anyone or doing anything wrong. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people with fashy instincts who freak out over anyone living an unconventional life. And capitalism frowns on anyone living freely and not paying rent, etc.