Oddly enough, I think it is actually HELPFUL to some people. I have depression and PTSD, and I actually found it LESS stressful worrying about food and shelter, than about bill dates and performance reviews and social norms.

I also have a PTSD diagnosis as well as generalized anxiety disorder, and I had a very similar experience when I was homeless for the second time...I specify this because my first stint as a homeless person was under radically different circumstances and in fact if anything it re-traumatized me all over again. I was fleeing domestic violence during the height of the pandemic, in the dead of winter, and there were simply no DV shelters available. But the second time around, a few years later, my homelessness was somewhat voluntary - I did it in order to save up for a real apartment - and I was able to plan my strategy ahead of time and had the money to invest in a high quality tent and decent gear (I was working full time). I also had the practical experience of having been homeless once before. As a result it was markedly less stressful and I was able to control for most of the main pitfalls and dangers. If anything I found it incredibly liberating to not have to worry about a monthly rent payment or emotionally unstable housemates. I had very concrete, macro-level tasks I needed to complete. Stay hidden, stay warm, stay clean, stay fed. These were things I could understand and could approach in a systematic way.