The Double Bind

Here's the definition of double bind from thefreedictionary.com (excerpt):

double bind
n.
1. A psychological impasse created when contradictory demands are made of an individual, such as a child or an employee, so that no matter which directive is followed, the response will be construed as incorrect.
2. A situation in which a person must choose between equally unsatisfactory alternatives; a punishing and inescapable dilemma.

A fairly recent article on the commensurate rise in homelessness with the decrease in funding for social services highlights the problems of economic decline for the most disadvantaged (see msnbc article here). As the economic crisis worsens, more social services will only have to cut back just as people rely on them the most for help, a tragic double bind for social service agencies as they attempt to wrestle with budgetary and social demands.