Joe wickes : facing my childhood

[the80sweregreat]

BBC one Monday night , one off documentary
I missed the first 15 mins , but I found this quite moving. His dad came across a bit cold and unemotional I thought , but at least they are talking to each other now.
It made me appreciate my own parents who didn't suffer with addictions of any kind , I was clearly very lucky.

It's Wicks without the e!

I thought it was interesting. It's wonderful how he tries to help people, although it sounds like it's getting too much and he could put in boundaries so he has more time with the family.
I had a slightly different opinion from him in that he was saying people should talk openly about their mental health issues to their child, but I found my mum burdened me too much with her mental health and marriage issues from a very young age. She looked for reassurance from me which I gave her, but it meant I had to be the strong one at age 6 and the role reversal wasn't good for me.

I’m surprised there aren’t more comments on this thread. I thought it was interesting but as not as good as it’s hyped up to be. They were different times and his parents were products of their upbringings. It’s astonishing that he was living with addicts and he and his brother weren’t taken into care. I don’t know if that would be different today?

I found it a strange watch as it almost seemed like he wanted to feel now all the angst he managed to avoid then.

I thought that too @CoralBells.

I'm not sure that children being so involved in parents care is a good thing, although I get that being told is not your fault is very useful...

I found it a really interesting watch. It’s refreshing to see how openly they talk as a family now. I really felt for his parents, she had the boys as a teenager and struggled in silence with her mental health and her partners addiction and his dad said he started self medicating with drugs and alcohol at 13. I found it so interesting how he is constantly on his phone, it was like addiction/obsession , he clearly craves attention and has a complex relationship trying to help others and boosting himself in the process. It’s like it was filling a void missing from his childhood, where he didn’t get that. In general in think he’s brilliant, he’s so full of love, honestly and positivity.

re the kids being involved, I don’t think that charity was advocating the children care for their parents, more that they have awareness of their illness. As he was saying kids have big emotions they can’t make sense of and being in that kind of environment they blame themselves. They need to know it’s an illness and nothing to do with them. It’s about honestly and healthy boundaries.

He came across really well in this

...and i loved his house