So devastating! My whole family has been devastated and destroyed by alcohol addicts who didn't get help. There is help available through AA, churches, counselors, schools. So glad you got help. I can hear the pain in your voice, but also the hope.

Well Said Young Man. Brilliant. Often the effects of addiction on the surrounding people are worse than the actual addict. Some would argue that fact.

@danielmoody58

3 жыл бұрын

I agree with this statement... 75%-25%

@tessah.7641

7 ай бұрын

The responsible ones around the addict need to do double time to keep up with the addict's mess. The surrounding people get complex PTSD from the addict's actions and consequences. It's known in psychology now that drug use is more dangerous for addict's family members than the addict themselves. The addict is numb but the family is experiencing everything sober

@ENFPerspectives

5 ай бұрын

@@tessah.7641 exactly

Love that you're advocating for better education on this subject Thank you

Living 18 years of addiction thanks to my sister. I hate this time of year since our whole family is torn apart and other families are celebrating together. I’ve made my own Family with my son and friends but will never have blood family time again. Hope anyone with addiction gets the help they need so other families don’t continue to suffer.

@sanhara2747

3 жыл бұрын

I am living the same also due to my sister for over 20 years. All my moms attention has been on here and her alcoholism.

@AMM3.

2 жыл бұрын

Addictions are a family disease that can affect generations.. as you know. all you can do is try to heal, and stop the cycle of addiction from continuing, which it sounds like you're doing

@kayjay3355

2 жыл бұрын

@@AMM3. it was my sister that was addicted and it is better thank you

@AMM3.

2 жыл бұрын

@@kayjay3355 yep, I understood your comment. I just mean when one family member is addicted it often affects the whole family in nuclear disaster way... You can't even really tell how far and wide the problem reaches, how long it goes on. I know you were the victim in this situation, I'm the disaster lol so I just know how far and wide I've caused damage, and I know addiction has a genetic component, so even if you yourself are not the addicted one it's very wise to watch out for it with the "next generation"... In whatever capacity. Even though I've been sober for years the pain continues ☹️

@kayjay3355

2 жыл бұрын

@@AMM3. I'm so sorry sweetie and hope you are doing ok - sending you love and hugs and support

A powerful, well delivered truth!

Great job! Thank u for this point of view..

"We live in a society"

@alexusjenkins1768

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you

Watching this for a school project, I feel so bad because the second he said his uncle died a comedy club add popped up with immediate laughter. I don't even know why, I don't go to/watch comedy skits.

I feel for him…but I’ve recently been looking for talks about family effects of addiction and so far I’ve only found these teenagers speaking about something too big for them that they don’t understand and speak like they do.

@hollywitts9434

2 ай бұрын

This! I'm only young myself but I've been surrounded by addiction my entire life, so I'd say I'm well informed on this topic, more then most. But even then I wouldn't give these talks. I don't mind when they focus on the effect it has on the relations/friends of addicts, but in a lot of these they seem to demonize addicts and just portray the reality of being an addict itself completely wrong, which I personally think is quite harmful. It's nice to hear about other peoples perspectives on similar situations to mine, but a lot of the messages these speeches send out are wrong, and based off an assumption that every addict is the same. I'd like to hear someone who grew up around addiction which led to them being an addict themself later in life do a talk like this, I feel like it would be a lot more accurate and informative.

Brennan is a very smart man, you should listen to him

Someone give that kid an Oscar

Amen

whos here from school??

@spicytunasushi3201

3 жыл бұрын

9th grade health class, you?

@merceze

2 жыл бұрын

The only comment with "whos here [random subject]". Nice one lol.

🙏🏻

BAM!

The hardest realization I've had was that there is a snake in metaphoric garden of eden and my brother is Cain....or maybe I'm the Hostile brother and not the Hero.

What about the kids of the uncle?

@zakikhan814

3 жыл бұрын

he said sumthin about his cousins custody or sumthin along those lines

Unrealistic

@martineburr3516

3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately if you haven’t lived it this is the harsh reality of living with family members affected by addiction, it’s different seeing if from a person not directly affected by the drug abuse itself such as the cousins POV x

Wack Ted talk

He sounds selfish

@RJ-cl4sr

4 жыл бұрын

Christina Battista I think he is very brave for sharing his life and opening our eyes...

@ohkfilms

4 жыл бұрын

@@RJ-cl4sr (Whoa, almost 12k views and only 12 comments.) Christina and oldluke, both of you are not wrong.. I thought he did sound selfish. But I can't blame him. He's only ~16 at the time of his tedxtalk. And he was right to say that his story was neither unique nor is it one of the worse stories.. He was at an age where he didn't have enough life experiences to have a more balanced perspective and opinion had he been able to fathom the complexities of putting himself in his uncles shoes. But again, one cannot expect so much from the young man. And I agree with oldluke that its admirable that he is able to share his story. Though I have to say, tedx was probably not the best platform. He should have had an outlet that would provide him feedback, expert insight, constructive criticism so he could grow. For example a wiser individual to listen, or an expert therapist to point out things to expand his view. With this platform, it seems he could easily be patronized for sharing a testimony, encouraging him that its okay to continue having a lack of compassion during his formative years. I say this because, he used his cousins for comedy relief in his speech and portrayed them as a nuisance along with his extended family, then points out his uncles' selfishness. Yes the uncles behavior in giving his cousins cigarette burns were inexcusable, but it doesn't seem like he stopped to think that maybe his uncle could have been helped, and should have never got to that point. His uncle is his parents sibling. And he claimed that his family wasn't the likes to end up with addiction. Something must have happened. And for his parents to step in and take the kids. The extent of doing the right thing and taking them ended when they were stretching the income to make due. But to fight for custody and all the sacrifices, people are not usually altruist, there's probably some guilt stemming from guilt of the sibling parent not doing enough. So this story sounds like a convoluted private family matter that would have benefited from therapy, counseling, improvement in communication, taking responsibility, and compassion and understanding. I truly hope the best for the kid. I'm sorry that his uncle was never able to right his wrongs, and he will never get a chance to hear his uncles' story told by his uncle from a point that he could have been reformed and getting a chance of redemption. If you know someone who gets addicted, don't go by the book trying to help them. Every single case and recovery is different. What it takes is never giving up on them and making sure they feel that way. Then patience until they come around or death meets them. Regardless, the most important thing is having been there for each other no matter what. Basically, the definition of loving someone.

@Imaiden124

4 жыл бұрын

That’s got to be the longest actually written comment I have ever seen

@peashooter8228

3 жыл бұрын

@@ohkfilms , Thank you

@peashooter8228

3 жыл бұрын

@@Imaiden124 , and wonderfully writen and detailed!