a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by user-inactivated
user-inactivated  ·  1493 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Holy wack

    I had a 22 y/o brother that lived with me and tried to make my life a living hell

I grew up resenting my brother a bit as he was taller, clever and charismatic - but most importantly he has hemophilia and thus was treated very delicately by my parents. Conversely, being treated differently made him very angsty as a teenager so coupled with him being my older brother, and the constant pain of his body being unable to function (coupled with what we now know was an opioid addiction) he was very difficult at times. Me being a young idiot, I just saw him being a dick and I was so caught up in my own life I didn't understand how painful his was. I guess what I'm saying is, I thought I had a shit brother making my life hell, but I didn't - so I can only sympathize!

Since those years though, we've become adults and much closer as brothers. So much has happened since, it'd be silly to try and put it all in here but he's a good man and I thoroughly enjoy seeing him whenever we can catch up.

    Could be a genuine mental health thing. Some downward cycle shit. Have the parents tried any tough love?

Yeah they have - to varying effects! I've tried it myself as well. His parents are some of the hardest working and loveliest people I know, and their daughter is currently working overseas where she bounces between Scotland and the USA. A fully functioning, bright and happy human she is. But my friend has basically been the same person since World of Warcraft came into his life in like.. 2004? 2005? One of those years anyway. He lives for games and sees no reason to shift away from this. Sometimes I'll hop onto Discord seeing he's in a voice chat and he's just snoring away, sound asleep at his desk.

His mother said they tried to ban everything gaming while he sorted his studies out, back in high school, but he threw a massive rage-fit and started destroying things until they put everything back. Looking from the outside, he needed some kind of intervention with his gaming addiction a while back but his parents weren't sure how to do this without physically restraining him and risking damage to themselves. A quiet farming community isn't hugely well equipped for this I guess.

Also looking in from the outside, I do wonder "why am I friends with him?". But I've known him most of my life and it's really hard to give him up. Especially knowing there is a bright and talented person hiding away in there.

    Aaahh the service industry

Never again for me mate. I think everyone should do it once just so they understand how the people in the industry have it day-to-day, but I've got my cushy office job and I ain't going back.

Glad to hear you're excited!