The Disturbing Effect of Child Neglect

[@theorist]

Click for another Jack Stauber Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqnJqKqpirODrrcsi=kXooxh_dEQyxH11w The Opal video was originally blocked by Turner, meaning I couldn't even upload it. Managed to get it watchable but not monetized (not monetized by me. Might still have ads but Turner is paid for them) Glad I was able to get this one out though :) www.patreon.com/everydaytheorist

[@missmalaphor5786]

I want you to know that your viewers do see you and hear you. I’m so sorry you went through what you did. I wish you so much happiness in your future.

[@magbywithrequiem7344]

Who is Turner?

[@-saltheknight-7318]

@@magbywithrequiem7344 The company that owns Adult Swim

[@theorist]

@@magbywithrequiem7344 turner is the parent company that owns adult swim. From what Ive researched at least. Since adult swim made this, they blocked it. But i appealed and got it overturned to Not Blocked. But no money is given to me if they play ads on it

[@gooeydude574]

Damn it, Timmy Turner

[@binkyboy448]

A point of confusion that's explained in the official synopsis is that the "heavenly music" Opal hears from the top window is actually the sound of someone's crying, and she feels lured by it and decides to brave the house to see who could be in need of help, just to realize it's herself, and that she has nobody.

[@blackmooncultx9552]

Oof. That hit hard.

[@bellathesmolneko9159]

That’s so sad

[@zacharym4592]

Holy shit

[@theorist]

this is why I love putting stuff like this out there. thanks for sharing your insight. definitely gave me a new perspective on Opal

[@NeidenHalffur]

Oh my God. That is brilliant and great! I agree

[@sn4r3333]

this short film was so upsetting genuinely. the drunk mom character hit home so hard. the way she’s self aware and “feels bad” yet continues to traumatize the child with her drunk rants. tooooo real

[@rainbowpuppet77]

no literally like it gave me full on flashbacks the rants and incoherent slurring of words from an alcoholic is the worst especially from a parent!

[@yeahokbuddy2510]

Way too real. I’m glad my dad has been sober now since 2020. I’m 24 now. For 21 years of my life I had to deal with my drunken father who knew he shouldn’t drink but he still did. Even after the multiple hospital visits for his drinking didnt have an affect on him. It took him crashing into a house and the possibility of jail time that made him quit. He’s so selfish for that. I still love him though, he’s not a bad man. I wish he never drank. I wish he took me fishing whenever I asked him when I was a kid. I have hundreds of fishing outings by myself but only a few with my dad

[@toaster9922]

It’s like my dad. Fuck.

[@kittykins9571]

Dude same--- My mom was never an alchogolic but she did this same exact thing to me all the time and ughhh

[@aliceinchainz]

yeah same, my dad has been sober for a little over a year but it took a severe toll on my mental health. he wasn’t abusive physically, but very mentally draining and some instances could be cruel. i love my dad don’t get me wrong…but it’s just something i can’t forget. it’s why i don’t drink or even like alcohol, ppl think i’m a prude ‘cause of that but those who live in a bubble wouldn’t get it

[@d4n737]

The saddest thing that has pretty much been pointed out is that the big fantasy she has of her family is "We see you, Opal". Not only is that the height of her ambitions, but she doesn't even use her own name, not only can nobody else see her, she can't see herself

[@rat2131]

i did something similar as a child, and i continue to do this today i had assumed it was some sort of dissociative disorder

[@JackHaro-r8q]

​@@rat2131Keen. But seemingly the same or at the least a very similar result is presently emerging in society these days. Each cycle of parents over time became more and more neglectful. Public school & TV grew into the ideal baby sitters. Now it's smart phones.

[@larsatticus6807]

I know a few people who changed their names as adults because of childhood trauma leaving them with bad associations. It can be a way to reclaim yourself as your own person outside of who your parents wanted to see. And I don't think the blame can just be pinned on technology. These adults have a responsibility to their children, to cope with their own trauma instead of placing such impossible expectations and perceptions on a kid. The internet has given many people a new escape, both by learning that their experiences aren't the norm and by finding other people to connect with and build healthy connections to.

[@tinyger]

So sorry yall u went through that, honestly that’s something I love God for, because he said he would never leave us nor forsake, and is that perfect father we always dreamed of, then the fact that he would give us a way to heaven through Christ, it’s all to good with that relationship hope u guys join the family, but ur amazing and I love yall 💕

[@ellismhosei]

​@@larsatticus6807Fantastic comment. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@runswithbears3517]

Emotional neglect is so awful. I bet a lot of victims don't even realize they have been neglected until they crash later in life and are forced to search for answers. Art like this is strangely healing, in that it makes one empathize with the child. If you have not been shown enough empathy as a child, learning to empathize with your child self can open up all that unacknowledged grief.

[@mxrl_413]

Sometimes i just question the way in which I do things and why I do them that way, is it convenient? Am I hurting anyone? Ect your behaviour can tell you so much if you choose to look at it from a different perspective. For instance I grew up being admonished everytime I make a mistake in anything literally, and alot of the times belittled by my mother and other adults. Naturally I became more MIA and I fear others judgements of myself. ​@@adm69420

[@BunAiko]

this hit too hard

[@bongboi2831]

Serenity by godsmack is a little bit about this aswell

[@harper.la.vegano]

Totally me! I didn't know that I was neglected until I was in my late twenties. Now, I am 31 and am having to clean up the mess my parents made.

[@MorningTulips]

@@harper.la.vegano Me too

[@Sugerskull]

My mother had four children , I was the youngest one that was neglected. I was molested by my uncle and my cousins when I was young child . If I would say anything I would get threatened by them or get a beating . I believe if my mother did pay attention to me she would of known a difference on my behavior when the molestation was going on. When I turned 18 I felt she was relieved that I left . I'm 45 years old til this day she still doesn't know what happened to me. I am a broken man that lives alone ,I have a problem with anyone touching me i dont trust anyone ,i live in a void . Til this day it never leaves me . I will choose to live alone til the day I die . Please don't neglect your children , every child deserves to be protected and loved.

[@cakeofvanilla5612]

You poor thing. You deserve company. You deserve to feel safe. Please keep looking for help because you can get better. Your past does not define you and god loves you. ❤

[@seizure9328]

damn man

[@KJV_1789]

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. Isaiah 66:10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: 11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies. 15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. KJV The new versions are perversions. God knows your pain. Seek His help. May The grace and peace of God, The Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

[@magdalenabarylska6163]

Umm, instead of quoting half of Bible, I will just wish you all the best. Please take care. And one thing to remember - you deserve to be happy too. I'm just telling you that because I met somebody who was feeling just as empty as you and he told me he would gladly just die. He thought he didn't deserve anything good and that he was a nobody. To this day I sometimes have to remind him that he is important. I don't know you, but look, you are important and you deserve good in your life too.

[@nik021298]

Jesuschrist preachers can be so annoying.

[@pessimist3835]

Just something I’d like to add on: a lot of times in neglectful households a child is force to be an adult a lot faster than they’re ready to. they have to make judgement based on what they think is best rather than the adult. You can see this with Clare/Opal and the grandfather when the grandfather says “don’t try to hide my cigarettes again.” And “it’s cruel to try to help someone that doesn’t need help.”

[@bovinejoannie9429]

Too true. Some times they are forced to grow up fast but not properly so by the time others catch up they are the "dysfunctional" and under developed ones

[@littlepizzabutt4246]

​@@bovinejoannie9429 a quote I've heard recently that has stuck with me is "over developed children create under developed adults"

[@andoriannationalist3738]

My neglectful mother would brag “he just raised himself!” Lol. No one else was doing it.

[@IhaytFukkingsocialmedia]

@@andoriannationalist3738 yep. I think we burn out early, it's a form of emotional burnout.

[@FuZioNFr3nZy]

@@IhaytFukkingsocialmediaserious trauma damages the brain. Child abuse is sick

[@siggevibes]

He's basically a genius. One guy to make the story, the acting, the visuals, the music, the everything basically. That's a lot of talent in just one guy.

[@Cohen-]

Well if you watch the credits, it actually wasn't all him, he did have help :), but he definitely was the main integral part for sure

[@tonitski]

too bad i rarely understand something deep unless explained in detail like this

[@gatertod2018]

YES I love him, and after I found him on KZbin I found opal and I realized my family is the same but not as dramatic, family- divorced, dad only cares about himself and was definitely damaged by a cheating ex wife, mother always drank and smoked pot, never spent time with her kids, stepdad literally just doesn’t exist in my life he is kinda just there, he knows nothing about me personally, stepmom is a Karen…. Nuf said was always neglected as a kid so I stay away from anything ending in ship 😂, might not sound good but I’m happy and I moved away

[@canobenitez]

@@tonitski I think it is a good thing, from what I read all the comments that says that it relates to them are because they had shitty families.

[@tonitski]

@@canobenitez not really,my family isn't perfect too,my mother is one of those types that shouldn't be let to have kids,and i hate it when she act all innocent of all the harm she have done to us,and father is always out of the picture bcos of work...but i guess i do have to be grateful bcos i have the necessities in life,but do I really have to suffer like that?my younger self didn't deserved to suffer like that, nobody does, just for a chance to have a better life. oh well.

[@snakeorino6228]

Seeing Claire daydream about a different family hit really close to my heart. When I was little I would watch Annie and pray that one day I would be saved like she had been

[@AroundTheBlockAgain]

Oof, dreaming of being an orphan and finding a new place to live... I had that, too. Additionally, all my favorite books were about kids who survived some sort of calamity and suddenly had to survive on their own, outside of civilization and society. And I had absolutely no further thoughts on this pattern at the time.

[@VirtualHolocaust]

One thing i think you missed was that the little girl was drooling at the idea of the burger. If you notice a little bit of drool hits the top of the burger. Which could also point towards your idea of the child being malnourished. Obviously both physically but also psychologically.

[@VirtualHolocaust]

perhaps the reason she dances with the burger instead of trying to eat it is because a small part of her sees that its not actually food just the idea of the food.

[@iglusmulmus5171]

That droplet was sweat from the father I believe, you can see him sweating right afterwards

[@esprero]

that was sweat

[@VirtualHolocaust]

@@iglusmulmus5171 onto the burger?

[@VirtualHolocaust]

@@esprero i thought i seen it drip on the top of the burger

[@TheRealCrungus]

Im surprised no one has noticed that in the begining sequences "Opal" has four lights in her eyes, when they go off as she steps out the window, they disappear. Only to come back again as Clair looks out her own window and realizes it's all an illusion. (Most likely symbolizing the billboard.) Just an interesting detail I saw and wanted to share

[@e_i_e_i_bro]

Those were reflections from the 4 ceilings lights above the bed in her room

[@aint.responsible]

i think those were the billboard lights, might be symbolism for how whenever she stares at the billboard she goes into her dream world.

[@TheRealCrungus]

@@e_i_e_i_bro nope, if they were they would've been on the parents eyes in the begining, and the hallway light are in 1's. Most definitely the billboard

[@OutlasterTwink]

Everyone in the original video's comments noticed this, but yeah. This short really is quite the story.

[@gizmo-nz2yk]

I personally believe Claire developed Maladaptive Daydreaming as a way to cope. It’s a trauma response to multiple things Claire suffers from (neglect, boredom, abuse and more). As someone who has it myself for other reasons than Claire, I find the experience of the beginning and end quite relatable. When you latch onto something so hard you pretend you’re a part of it-you become Opal, not Claire, with a far better desired life, you’ll obviously feel better, even if for a few hours. But then when you realise you’re not, finding your hair isn’t pigtails and you’re just stuck in your room and head, pretending, it often feels like being doused in cold water. Whether you know it’s not real or think it is, it’s disappointing when you’ve been that deep in and get jostled back by and to reality. I couldn’t imagine being in this situation, though; it’s clearly just a constant cycle of coming back and going again.

[@Sh1garak1s_alt]

as a daydreamer myself, I to believe this theory, I do this everyday.

[@Killua_Zoldyck3407]

Yes this happens to me everyday especially when i look out the window...

[@TheNumber1RatedSalesman1997]

as a fellow maladaptive daydreamer- honestly can't tell if being aware of it or not is better- not that it matters ultimately personally, still heavily stuck in survival mode despite being free for almost 2 years now & i am only becoming aware of most of my coping mechanisms now; realizing the habit of avoiding reality was a heavy hitter random side note : i've never actually watched through this art before; so i'm still catching up to theories & ideas regarding it- it's already stressful getting halfway through it-

[@XxheymoonxX]

Wow! Growing up in abuse, I also maladaptive daydreamed constantly but didn’t realize why until now. It is like cold water. Also when your daydreams become so consistent i find it’s easy to develop intense anxiety surrounding the daydream world ( I.e anxiety around neglecting or abandoning the world, real emotional impacts caused by daydreams or the daydream ‘rules’).

[@retro_geometry6050]

if you take away the situation, it's kinda like trying to stop dissociating this way (maladaptive daydreaming is basically just a different flavor of dissociation) like, you dissociate for a long while you forget you remember you become stressed/bored/etc you do it again a cycle, in all it's agonizing glory claire is most definitely doing this, there's no way she isn't, really

[@cutetwirll]

I noticed that Claire's face gets more wrinkly throughout the short, then smooths out when she's back in her imaginary family

[@weilyonTOP]

Not sure if you were implying this but I'm gonna add my two cents anyways. I think this is meant to symbolize stress building up as she makes her way through her house. People always say wrinkles can be caused by stress so it would make sense. When she loses the wrinkles when shes back with her imaginary family it makes sense with that explanation of the wrinkles, that imaginary family being her way to cope with the stress.

[@danastalyn6651]

also, her face is half the size of the 'real' opal from the comercial. She is malnourished. It is so heartbreaking

[@descensiongrime6409]

@@weilyonTOPon that same train of thought I made a quick stop to the idea that childhood trauma especially neglect forces us to grow up too soon so the wrinkles can also show the metaphorical aging she’s going through just by being in the house

[@vaomnumba2]

​​@@weilyonTOP It could also represent how Claire sees both of the families. With the IMAGINARY family, they care for her in the way she wants her real family to. They don't have issues to project onto her, they actively acknowledge her- They're smoothed out because they're what a perfect family looks like to her (which is also backed up by her using the name 'Opal' and imagining what they look like from the billboard). Versus her REAL family, which we can see is in utter turmoil and neglectful towards her, only asking for attention from her and never genuinely giving it back. Their wrinkles represent their flaws.

[@CD-ce8yg]

The number of details and how accurate Opal is stunning. It makes me wonder if Jack Stauber himself experienced this trauma.

[@kyrauniversal]

The best artists reflect their reality.

[@whyl0ser91]

Probably

[@TheCanadianWeeb5]

his style does seem to have some of this implied in his songs

[@lmfao9299]

Art imitates life

[@juanmccoy3066]

Of course he did. U don't make something like this just because.

[@GhibliGirl29]

Ugh the mother truly hits me hard. I like how she said “I feel terrible for all of the things I-….I feel terrible….” She almost apologized for her own wrongdoings but caught herself. The mother is a narcissist too refuses to admit she did anything wrong.

[@huntermushero9362]

It does help highlight that there are two different kinds of narcissism. The grandiose narcissist would be the father, while the mother would fall under the vulnerable narcissist category. Both really only care about themselves but in different ways.

[@lyrica_overdose]

unlike the father, the mother dosent truly believe she has done nothing wrong so im not really sure i would call her a narcissist.

[@cookieslovecupcakes5844]

@@lyrica_overdoseshe would still technically be a narcissist. If she truly doesn’t believe she did anything wrong, she is still only thinking about herself and her own struggles, not about how it could have affected Claire in any way. That would still be narcissism, just more vulnerable like the previous person said. I have a parent like that, who is a mix of both grandiose and vulnerable. It’s not really fun.

[@lyrica_overdose]

@@cookieslovecupcakes5844 i think you misunderstood my comment, i meant that the mother is aware of her wrongdoings. sorry if i worded it wrong.. english is not my first language

[@MayvaAva]

@@lyrica_overdose narcissists can be aware of their wrongdoings and still be narcissists

[@aliciasepulveda8493]

She even has the billboards lights reflect in her eyes in the beginning of the film. A small detail that I think adds so much more to the delusion Clair lives in and the horrific reality of her life.

[@skeebys]

I also noticed that at the start when you see the imaginary dad, he has the same expression as the billboard, but then snaps to life, and clairs expression is the one she was making in her room

[@bubbalawrence1]

The scariest part about growing up like this is when you have your own child and realize how hard it’s going to be to make sure you don’t pass down your trauma and how seeming easy it was for your loved ones to neglect you

[@jakespencer6781]

I'm on the curb on thinking my goal is to have a kid and strive for a healthy family, but *I know* I am not ready for this emotionally yet It pains me knowing my father set me down this path and still cannot admit anything

[@billykye]

⁠​⁠@@jakespencer6781My mother recently admitted to neglecting me, my dad was always at work. I don’t blame my parents because they lost two children before I was born (one a terrible tragedy and one a full term stillborn). They were not ready for me and I was passed along to anyone who would take me while they busied themselves with anything to take away their pain. I had children and vowed to be there for them, only working part time jobs when they were in school. I’m not a perfect parent and made some regrettable mistakes along the way, but they’ve grown into happy, functional and well adjusted adults. My boys tell me that I did a good job and that’s why they’re the way they are. They’re confident in themselves too 😂 Don’t be discouraged about having kids for fear of doing what your parents did. Yes kids are hard work at times but are also unique and amazing individuals You can break the cycle!

[@_b_e_a_n_s_]

That's why I refuse to have kids. I grew up being taught that discipline is insults and beatings, and while I know those things to be wrong, I have too much anger and too little patience. I would try my best if I had a kid, but trying isn't enough.

[@Cuntspiracy2.0]

I'd like to push back a bit on that, at least in my own experience, the most crushing thing is when you have your own child and realizing just how easy it is to NOT treat your child like that. If anything, you go through processing grief and anger, denial, all of it, all over again because you realize just how much you love your child and would do anything for their benefit including changing yourself if you have to.... and how your own parents didn't do it. It just makes that pain even more real, again. I grew up in not great circumstances, alcoholic father and emotionally checked out mother... I went through a lot I won't get into, but once I became an adult I went through the therapy and put in the work for myself and I met a great guy. He was so great, that he made me start thinking about what a family would look like. As terrified as I was to repeat anything I have ever gone through, I wanted a family and love so badly... I jumped. Got married, got pregnant, and the very second my child was placed in my arms I was reborn as well. I had a strength and fire I never knew, and with that came a reality I had never known.... and that hurt so badly. I waited all my life to have this and here it is, except I am the mother, not the child, the role I play is different... but my god is it amazing. I have healed in so many ways since her birth, and I have grown, and my lifes purpose now is to ensure that my child has everything I never had emotionally. I make sure I continue to put in the work on myself, to keep checking to make sure I'm doing better, to always be humble enough to know I can do better always.... and my child is so unbelievably loved and happy. She'll never know the life I had, and I did that, and I'm so very proud of myself and happy I have this life I always wanted. If there is anything I could tell you as someone that came out on the other side is, its totally 100% possible if you put in the work to heal yourself and you find a good, healthy, moral partner to do it with. Never be afraid. :)

[@elliescott6953]

​@@Cuntspiracy2.0 wow, well done, you're doing amazing! I needed to read that. Thank you ❤

[@js-yall]

God it's really the little things like not admitting faults. My family wasn't as bad as Claire's but just how they potrayed how alone and afraid Claire felt in her own home. It kinda took me back honestly.

[@bunnywavyxx9524]

Not feeling safe in your own home harmful in a way I didn't understand. It's insecure attachment, meaning you don't want to leave but you don't feel comfortable where you are. It's like belonging to nowhere.

[@Datboljayson]

Honestly.

[@FormulaFanboy]

@@bunnywavyxx9524 Absolutely. I've experienced this to the max. I can testify that when you're an only child, and have a single, narcissistic parent, it scars you for life.

[@Baggerz182]

repent to Christ God

[@StudlyFudd13]

I created fairtale lands in my head as a kid. To the point where it was so obvious to people around me they would mock and laugh at me for being "such an airhead" all the time. Just sit in one spot all day long dreaming of better ways to live. I still do it when things get tough for me, when things are too hard to face. It's my go to response that my brain takes. It worked back then and now I have to fight it in order to get anything done in real life. If I let it take over me I would never leave my bed, I would stay laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling dreaming my life away.

[@Aika_v0calo1d]

Seeing the dads actual face just scares me so much. The way he thinks that he’s so much better than everyone else when in reality he just is so terrifying but he convinced himself he wasn’t. Gives me goosebumps… (idk if it’s just me but he looks like the chef from little nightmares😭)

[@Kai-rs9sv]

Remind me of my stepdad he think everyone loves him and he is such a great person but everyone runs to get away when he comes around literally dreading that he comes around its sad when u realize our parents are like this from they neglect and trauma but its a cycle literally

[@faye8236]

i think it’s more just him struggling to convince himself that he’s attractive because of the insecurities he has about his disfigurement, which is pretty realistic. it’s just something that happens when you delve that deep into self loathing, suddenly everything just becomes about you and how other people see you.

[@selalewow]

The mom's quick flashback looks like she did something to the father and dialed 911, so perhaps she threw someting at him and destroyed his face.

[@AdamK370]

oh god ur so right he DOES look like the chefs,,,

[@ReeRaRoo]

They all kinda look like the chefs tbh..aprt from clair

[@AdamApplebaum]

This thumbnail has haunted me for months now I'm finally watching this video.

[@simzz3957]

Same I only just had the courage to click😭

[@ShadowKitty7908]

The scene with the mom is so genuinely terrifying as she feels so real to how actual addicts behave. How she goes from calling Claire a “Good thing” to seemingly trying to hit her at the end. It’s just so brutal. Special Highlight to the line. “You and I don’t live Claire. We survive”. Feels like something an actual abuse addict would say.

[@maxpotiontcg]

She reminds me of my mom. 😅

[@StandAloneSoul]

Agreed, also I want to add that the line of 'you and I don't live Claire, we survive' for me personally shows/hints at how the mother is using her (maybe indirectly, passively, subliminally) to share her fate with her. My mother was abusive on a different kind of level, but what I realised after I broke contact with my family is how she always wanted to see me being involved/copying the same kind of feelings and states that she was in. It's a mixture of not being alone with it through having someone suffer a similar thing together with oneself, and also i think it works as sort of confirmation that one is not inherently wrong in how their life has turned out, because they somehow confuse the roles of parent and child to a point where 'If my child suffers the same kind of weakness than it is okay for me to portray that kind of weakness to them and need their help with it', also it doubles down as a justification as to why they where treated badly by their parents so they can stay in denial about why they are broken and troubled in the first place, they can tell themselves that 'this is just how things are' and their own unresolved trauma can more easily stay suppressed.

[@ShadowKitty7908]

@@StandAloneSoul I’m sorry you had to go through that ❤️

[@4xzx4]

As a victim of adverse childhood experiences and trauma, I can confirm that (my) life doesn't feel like a "living", it feels more of "surviving". I wanna live life but my traumatized brain only focuses on surviving...

[@jasminechan4705]

“We survive” possibly means “I survive. My life is so hard that I can’t live I have to survive so that’s why my actions are justified” and “you survive. So I’m doing my job as a parent” 🙁

[@ahsjdjsx]

This is so upsetting. The fact that Claire is forced to live in a fantasy to escape her neglectful family is upsetting enough, but the way every member of her family only came to her for attention. Also, as YourEverydayTheorist said, Claire tiptoes around her house to avoid interacting with her family. I think many people can relate to this, which is why it hits so close to home. Claire’s situation is the reality of a lot of kids, and it’s awful.

[@Crystalw5523]

Can definitely relate to this. I grew up in a household (looking back now) where I was the family therapist for everyone. I think I was the scapegoat so it’s like you are put down and looked down on yet when people need something they come running to you expecting you to fix their problems/listen to them. You become the emotional dumping ground for everyone (except for my dad who was emotionally distant to everyone). I’m also a very emotional person so that’s probably why I ended up emotionally taking care of everyone. I didn’t even realize this was neglect or how unhealthy my family was until the last few years.

[@marlennegutierrez3250]

I found out that i was emotionally neglected and when he explained that she daydreamed about having a nice family when looking at the billboard i realized that’s what I’d do. I would just sit there and stare off a lot as a kid (still do) and just imagined myself hanging out with my mom or dad as a family and just overall being happy. I do have a loving boyfriend who has helped with my troubles. And i don’t do it as much, but the fact that my brain still wants to? Especially when I am under any stress is concerning.

[@COFFEEWSUGA]

As a victim of child neglect, Claire's terror when her family speaks to her reminds me of the many times when I'd hear my mom's car pulling into the driveway and be stricken with a deep, terrible fear. It reminds me of my sister, when she was younger, telling me that when she would watch tv and see happy families playing with their kids and wondering why that would never happen with her. It reminds me of the days I'd spend sticking my nose into manga and games to go somewhere else - *anywhere* else, to a different world where my problems didn't exist and where I could be a hero. There's so much more... These children are real, and it's tragic.

[@charmsly9506]

Damn, I hope things have gotten more cleared up for you now

[@COFFEEWSUGA]

@@charmsly9506 I'm in a better place now - struggling with the terrors of adulthood instead, lol

[@charmsly9506]

@@COFFEEWSUGA Thats good to hear that you're in a better place. This video and all these comments are so depressing man

[@xDanacon]

I can really relate to the terror of hearing a parents car pulling into the driveway. I’m sad that I’m not alone in knowing that feeling, but there’s also comfort in knowing someone understands. Wishing you all the best in life. Glad to read that you’re in a better place. I’m rooting for you.

[@Lorreine.222]

Reminds me of hearing the key hole and me and my siblings running to hide.

[@aiden5862]

14:25 Hey man, I for one am very grateful for the effort you put in ,making this video, at least. I think I recognize your voice. I, we, can relate. I"m sure. you are not alone.

[@CrumbledStudios]

I think it’s sickening how accurate this short is. It’s relatable in many ways and it scares me

[@twingames8499]

If all kids need parents, then all kids need god. That’s because god is our father and we need him in our lives.

[@astronaughty5366]

@@twingames8499 god can’t hold us, god can’t feed us, religion is a life-savor for some but isn’t a cure-all to life ailments. Have a blessed day

[@33Verst]

@@astronaughty5366 "We can't expect god to do all the work."

[@5ynthet1c]

@@twingames8499 God's a pretty lousy dad.

[@twingames8499]

@@5ynthet1c nah. Just seek him out you’ll see.

[@april3698]

I think what's most accurate about Opal as a character is her reaction to the trauma she's experiencing as a young child. Her brain has gone through so much it's literally escaping into the single thing known to her outside her household, which is the advertisement. Her brain morphed her reality in order for her to be able to live through her trauma.

[@helpmegetto1k4channelnotab78]

Its those burgers man --got crack in em... how the little girl got so chubby the crack isaffecting her metabolism. But, yeah. They represent hope i think why she imagines them as an escape.

[@SafeRouteDown]

My mom used to tell me "you're my person. You don't watch gray's anatomy, that's why you don't understand. You're *my* person" meaning that I was her closest confidant and friend. I never got to ask her if she ever thought about whether or not I wanted to be her person.

[@LizLuvsCupcakes]

I can only assume she didn’t want to ask in case your answer was no

[@kiddosneakybeaky3934]

@@reeannabelle3572 When you’re a young kid?????

[@JD-fx9ly]

​@@reeannabelle3572 To an extent. If OP is asking that question imo, it's likely that this reliance has turned overdependent and toxic.

[@vidal9747]

@@reeannabelle3572 If you're an adult, yes. If you're a child you're not emotionally mature or stable to do so. It will negatively impact your development.

[@LizLuvsCupcakes]

@@reeannabelle3572 it can be, if she’s also supporting you.

[@Jakeipoo14]

IVE HEARD ALL THE SONGS MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING AND NEVER KNEW THEY WERE BY HIM

[@sparks4820]

same

[@melynn_0355]

I hate that so many people still underestimate the severe impact emotional neglect can have on someone. Sure I've never been left to starve but my friends have become more family than my parents ever were... i fear leaving my room a majority of the time

[@placeholder846]

Hey I know you don't know who I am or anything but I just want to say stay strong. I can't really relate to your situation but I'm really hoping you can get away from all the toxic people in your life completely and safely.

[@javierlandaverde4108]

I feel like people should understand what Generational Pattern Parenting is. It will help understand why your parents are who they are. Same way this video emphasize on child neglect. Your same parents were neglected as child consequently affecting you. Be the first to make peace, understanding your parents, change that Generational Pattern.

[@123till321]

@@javierlandaverde4108 It's the parent's responsibility to work on their own issues until they are fit to raise a child. The child is not responsible for fixing a relationship the parent broke. The victim does not have to force those around them to change, and in many cases, they are not even capable of doing that because people won't change unless they want to. I am sick and tired of this "you can fix them" narrative, it only encourages people to stay in abusive situations. All of this is especially true when you consider we are talking about literal children.

[@gammegamme1578]

competely agree@@123till321

[@lunyxappocalypse7071]

@@123till321 I believe they were implying after a far bit of distance and time. I suppose it depends alot on individual cases whether they want to reunite.

[@orbathealien8868]

My neglect was mostly just being set in front of a television and was never taught to do anything. In fact, it was encouraged that I do nothing but play video games or watch tv and stay quiet. Any emotion or any serious discussion was met with outbursts of anger and just complete narcissistic treatment. Imagine being in your 30's and having the gall to not only belittle your son, neglect him, and shame him for emotions, but to also talk shit to an 8 year old - consistently - as a fully grown man? Then mentally torture me to the point of multiple attempted suicides, major self harm issues, neglecting school work, dropping out of high school. I was given an ultimatum a month before my 18th birthday: drop out and get a better job, or move out when I turn 18. I ended up doing both. Moved out in 3 hours while my dad was at work. I was pretty much a man child from 18 to 25 before reality hit me and I started taking accountability for life and changing. It's never too late to heal your voice, my friends.

[@hootscooter1075]

I’ve left this comment up long enough. I will say that every thing in this world is as it should be, open for change that we must start. I’m pretty excited about what the future will bring like the plan for a base on the moon in the next 10-20 yrs is awesome I doubt but awesome I can totally see spaceX collaborating with nasa big when it comes to a moon base.🇺🇸🦅

[@feywynnightrunner9380]

@@hootscooter1075 No, the beating were never justified. They pushed you until you acted out, so they could feel justified in punishing you.

[@peachysailor]

This is all terribly relatable.

[@unionunicorn6776]

I unfortunately can relate. I moved out at 18 too. I know this pain. 💔

[@callummacleod1033]

I grew up in a very similar situation. I hope you’re doing better now.

[@theworstwizard]

the way her face just completely crumbles when she accidentally steps on something and makes noise… i want to cry, that’s too real

[@kittypost3929]

I may be reading into it too much, but inside the house Claire has to do something for the adults in order for them to notice her. In her fake family, she dances in order to gain their praise and love. Even within her mind, Claire has to do a favor in order to be deserving of love.

[@ArnisKaye]

It makes sense. If you've never experienced healthy love and attention then it's very hard to imagine what that actually looks like. Even in her mind when she does something she wasn't supposed to (she looks at the house), the father pokes at her, the burger's pulled toward the mom, and she's sent to bed like a punishment. It's done in a "nice" way, but it's still an overblown reaction to something very minor. So there's still an abusive element to her imaginary family because that's what she knows. (For instance, the dad pokes and sings down at her which I saw as similar to her real dad "poking" fun and putting her down but not as cruelly. It's playful with an uncomfortable undertone.) If you're raised to believe that love and attention are transactions based on your performance for others, you don't stop believing that just because you're around healthy people or in your head. It's more that you think your performance, how you please others, will be positively rewarded instead of negatively or not at all. It's still an abusive mindset, but you don't have another frame of reference to go by. It also plays on a second level where her brain is trying to delay and protect her from the reality of what must be done as it gets dark outside The sweat dripping down the father's face is probably her own anxiety. The punishment because it was "bad" (fear inducing) to interrupt the fantasy with reality even briefly. What happens when we're "bad"? We get punished. Because your reality molds your mind and perception, you can't completely escape it even in fantasy.

[@ai8788]

@@ArnisKaye I just had an eye opening experience from my past and current coping ways

[@Elizadeath]

Opal staring at a photo of another family is a good way to portray the reason so many people are addicted to social media.

[@andrewn.caldwell6218]

That's such an accurate and amazing analogy.

[@everydayimshuffling7437]

bro that's so real 😨

[@CreatorLovesLegos]

Yeah

[@julievanhelvert6587]

Yeah but it’s not about social media 🧐

[@MisterJohnDoe]

Yep...

[@nicetomeetyou3461]

As someone who was severely abused in all ways except sexually and burdened with an adult level of responsibility and work at age six, no film has ever represented how I felt as well as Opal. Watching it triggered forgotten memories. It's a masterpiece.

[@Ruth-fx2fl]

Im sorry you had to go through that. I hope you’re doing ok

[@alexanderbanman9288]

I experienced a lighter version of this, I was praised for being more mature than my age and acted as an ear for my parents troubles. I felt more mature than them, and still feel more mature than both of them, to this day. Children are not your friends folks, they're your responsibility. Stop burdening them with adult responsibilities. I'm sorry you experienced this. I hope you have gotten stronger through it and are working to create the kind of live you want to have. Bless up!

[@Veldazandtea]

I know people that have been through worse. Blood, pain and death included. Breakdown? Try a MELTdown. As bad as it was I NEEDED that. I had to suffer through the neglet and isolation to learn to find my own answers. It's made me stronger. I don't fear anything now. If we don't go through shit then we don't learn. Just make sure you make the effort to get noticed. If someone ghosts you it's their own weakness and inability. There's a reason I'll always stand my ground 100% of the time. Neglet is something I won't ever do. Any other thing, yea, but eye to eye. Sympathy isn't the point. The ideals of courage, honesty and accountability is. The cold hard truth is most people are cowards in denial living a lie. I actually know the stastistics for depression and suicide and know psychology. Well, no point worrying. Every point in trying.

[@jetstreamsad2458]

😂

[@Mika-dv9ul]

idc

[@mjw9821]

As a traumatized child myself, neglect was the least of my problems unfortunately, I grew up feeling like a victim. Now, I don't see it that way anymore. I am a survivor. My husband taught me how to love myself and realize that I don't need validation from anyone, I needed to validate myself. Letting go of the victim mentality was the most freeing feeling I ever had. It took years to finally understand it was not my fault. I hope that people who experience what I have, gain the strength to learn how to become a survivor, love themselves, and thrive. My family is basically four people. Me, my husband, our son and my husband's mom. She actually has a pretty big family but despite her having to raise her siblings she is still neglected and alienated by her family. I don't know why she doesn't give up on them like I did with mine. Giving up on them was the best decision I ever made. It's hard to feel disappointed when you don't expect anything from them. I'm not saying that I am no longer effected or don't have triggers, but that it's so much easier to deal with them when they arise. The water of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. Make your own family. God bless you and anyone who reads this. I hope that you find peace and love.

[@allys744]

This is the creepiest and depressing yet well made, creative and beautifully made short film. It’s scary to think that so many kids go through stuff like this. I hope they all get the happy endings they deserve.

[@Howl-Runner]

Have you? I certainly haven't.

[@Redemptive_Neerdowell]

​@Jay Unfortunately, not many people will get a happy ending. I know I probably won't.

[@Sssteelo]

It’s a reality a lot of us are still healing from. I’m glad I found spirituality/therapy as my solution for my trauma.

[@englisch9150]

i js try to ignore my shi n say that its not that bad cs it could b worse

[@ilookcuteasf5491]

@@Redemptive_Neerdowell I think you you will.

[@kcool1554]

What Opal does as a way to cope is called “Maladaptive Daydreaming.” It’s a coping mechanism often used among children to essentially escape their reality. Maladaptive daydreaming is identified by extremely intricate and detailed characters, stories, and worlds built inside someone’s mind. They also usually last long periods of time, these worlds can be based off of things that the person likes or simply made up all together. I used to be a maladaptive daydreamer, the world I had created was based off of a video game I liked. Every single character was so intricately crafted and the story was deeply rooted inside me. That world of mine lasted for 4 years. It’s what I would use to feel better when I was upset or stressed, it would help me sleep at night, and i would escape there anytime I remembered anything about my Dad. This type of daydreaming can be very disruptive in a young child’s life, the main example of this is in school, usually the teacher would be talking and my mind would slip away unwilling and I’d zone out completely and get left behind. I didn’t mean to zone out, it would just happen and I wouldn’t even notice. I remember when I first saw this short, I understood Opal completely. Escaping reality using a world formed inside your mind. And completely off topic but Opals mother acted the same way my father did, he’s a changed man now.. at least somewhat. There’s always hope for a better tomorrow

[@jarvis5552]

Wait, that's what maladaptive daydreaming is? Oh boy I've been doing that my entire life. Thank you for the knowledge.

[@twingames8499]

If all kids need parents, then all kids need god. That’s because god is our father and we need him in our lives. Looking back to the family in opal there are ways that the family could have been changed for the better by Christ. The blind grandfather would be thankful for his life and his daughter, who he would treat with the kindness of Christ. The narcissistic dad would be able to find comfort in Christ and realize that life isn’t all about how you look or how others think you look. And would instead follow Christ instead of himself. Even the addicted mother would be able to find comfort in Christ by venting her troubles to him and finding comfort and healing through Christ. Even the sprouts of the seeds of faith would do wonders for the family, let alone the tree that will come from the seeds. Let us all therefore follow Christ and see his greatness and glory.

[@kristynkelsey9760]

I started doing this when my best friend was killed in a car accident when I was 6, and kept going throughout the emotional neglect and abuse I experienced my whole life.

[@thebookless3381]

wait what... it's just that? I thought that...that was normal yknow? maybe a bit nerdy or rare, but normal... oh no

[@helpmegetto1k4channelnotab78]

im curious at this point if me getting bored and coming up with Netflix seriesor random fantasy stories pacing around /w music for years at likee 1am-or in my room during 2020 was avarage im creative ii do know that but i dont use it when im getting yelled at or hit..? many fictiomal scenarios/arguements usually about terrible people though--alot of peole think they have MD maybe the music things just a general habit-? idk about the other one

[@kwithhh]

Man, the thing that got me was the mom using the daughter as a therapist. My own mom said that she wanted kids so they can rely on them. Such as caretaking, taking them anywhere they want and using us for money once we get successful. Sure, mothers need a break. But once you have kids, *you* are the ones that are supposed to take care of them. Not the other way around.

[@nyxcole9879]

Yeah, I was my dad's therapist, I felt that too

[@KombuchaBuzzed]

My mom said the same thing growing up. Now as an adult, I’ve cut ties with my narcissistic and abusive family. I’m not taking care of people who’ve hurt me for so many years.

[@TT-xz5sy]

I feel you, I was my father’s therapist. He always spoke about his upbringing and how it impacted him. Never asked me about myself.

[@TiffyAlwaysBlissy]

I was my moms therapist while I cannot remember one “real” conversation my father and I had in childhood. I can remember him telling me one of my purposes in life was to take care of them when they were old. So much of this video resonates with me…. I’m still living in a sea of anxiety. I’ve cut both of them off now…. really my entire family has been cut off. And I’m still trying to figure out how to survive.

[@Ranran_W]

i was also neglected as a child and it really made an impact in my life... the film is such a masterpiece but sadly relatable for me

[@syreji]

The moment I realised something was wrong with my family was when I went over a friend's house and when dinner was called, we all actually sat down and talked with one another. No one stormed off, no one got mad and started screaming trying to one-up the other, and they'd actually offer to get things for other family members (like drinks with some ice, or pass the salt). My mind was BAFFLED. LOL. I wasn't sure whether to join in or pick the safe option and stay quiet. I'm uncertain what I decided to do but I remember that moment being a fairytale. It made my day and I couldn't stop smiling throughout the entire hang out. Eating peacefully with the family was a genuine movie scene to me, I didn't think it existed. Never eaten like that with my family ever. Was very weird to learn that families do in fact love each other like in the movies, but it was also definitely cathartic to finally realise that it wasn't my fault that I couldn't fix a dysfunctional family. None of that abuse was my fault. I hope everyone who didn't have the great childhood they deserved can heal and prosper!!❤️❤️ It was never your fault at all for being a kid who wanted to be cared for. I still have a pretty bad relationship with food (among other issues) as a result but I've been doing a lot better for myself and you can too. I believe in you!

[@Eye5x5]

L

[@syreji]

@@Eye5x5LOL I giggled have a nice day

[@Eye5x5]

@@syreji lmao 😂

[@alexanderbanman9288]

That's a crazy story.

[@watermelon_cat134]

gawd dang

[@st.haborym]

My own mother walks unusually quietly, and after watching this, now I'm wondering what might have happened in her childhood to cause this. My own family is seriously dysfunctional, and pain is generational.

[@kaden-sd6vb]

When I was younger, I was deathly afraid of my father(who was physical sometimes back then), and my parents, especially him, would often take away any and all things that brought me entertainment as punishment for the smallest things. I often resorted to trying my best to avoid them noticing me, which would put me at risk of conflict and thus further punishment, and would sneak around at night to take back the things they took from me. I am 21 now, and while they've gotten better, the scars remain. I remain a night owl with a horrid sleep schedule(it is 5AM as I type this), and unconsciously move very quietly, sometimes startling people who didn't hear me moving around.

[@ARABELLABORRELLO]

Talk to your mom and end the pain

[@spazmaticfanatic6235]

This was my childhood. My safe haven was a desk with Legos in the drawer. I would sit for hours away from my family at that desk. One day my mom threw my desk across the room and it shattered my world. I lost my temper for the first time and it started a series of events that led to my dad taking my sisters and me away from that house. We never got help though. I relate to this so much, especially the tip toeing.. my coping mechanism is forgetting and numbing my emotions. I become cold and emotionally dead as I've been told

[@miserablepumpkin9453]

I hope you get help eventually.

[@nate9948]

I cope the same way, I feel for you my man

[@AbelardoHuerta-c3t]

my parents suddenly started seeing me now as an adult. but i can’t help remembering everything from my childhood and how much that kid needed them. im all grown now but i feel so behind emotionally. thank you for this video

[@ChristianThomasLeitel]

Relatable

[@Tayvezn]

I think its because the parents know they will get old and no one will take care of them except their children and no one will spend money on them, so they try and act like they care about their children when they are adults, well at least in my fathers case after years of neglect, emotional/verbal and mental abuse he decides to lie and gaslight me about the past because im an adult and i have a future ahead of me.

[@anngee2189]

Literally! I feel you, you're not alone. Sending you love

[@Ave_Satana666]

Girl in the comments made me realize why I have a straight humiliation fetish

[@eatingsushi3408]

Yeah bro when I got the fuck out of there at 18 and went no contact, suddenly they wanna talk to me. Like what?? You never gave a shit for 18 years and now you want to? So confusing. Could they have done it all along? Is that a trap to get me back? This fucks me up

[@soranoso]

im 23 and been breaking from the shame and guilt i feel about my childhood / teenagehood, the loss, neglect the false stories and beliefs my family made me believe about myself. it is a really painful process, almost feels like learning how to human. It has affected me so much in relationships , fearing them, but now chanigng it and seeing myself as worthy for love and setting boundaries and non-negotiables. Right now Im focusing on seeing myself beyond the trauma - being the person i am and want to be while accepting the things that happened on the past that i cant change. Droping down defensivness and coldness as that was a way to push people away. Focusing on the now and building my future step by step. Droping the defense and coping mechanisms that no longer work and getting comfortable with things and situations that wouldve made me previously uncomfortable. Acknowledging that i am not my family or my past and that im not alone and to that i am still young - i have my entire life ahead of me lol.

[@Phoebe5448]

Wow, this hits home. I'm an only child who grew up with my single mother who was an alcoholic. I was always a naturally shy, obedient child who also had anxiety most likely. I had a lot of emotional abuse and neglect. This sums it up completely.

[@helpmegetto1k4channelnotab78]

It makes me wonder- why and how do these people keep having kids, and mess up in the same ways too

[@user-nq9lv2by1c]

The shots with Claire as her fathers mirror, her mothers pills and her grandfathers eyes really hit home for me, my old man was a little of all of them.

[@donovancartier2402]

not an alcoholic but mines is the same..

[@jeanetty]

My mother used me as an emotional punching bag and would get angry when my therapist told me to tell her to leave me alone because the stress was negatively affecting my undergraduate studies. Later in life, she tried threatened to get me fired from my job if I left her to move in with my current, loving partner. She just wanted someone to take care of her. Claire's mom hits too real for me.

[@twingames8499]

If all kids need parents, then all kids need god. That’s because god is our father and we need him in our lives.

[@helpmegetto1k4channelnotab78]

it makes me question..the rational--were they always entitled kids--? are tose the ones you see in your class? that just decide they dnt care so much they ruin their own lives--?

[@Mary-Ann_B_Mabaet]

Find a Lawyer about how to protect yourself about her if she tries it. Try to find the facts in the law system instead of agreeing to her anger. Ask HR if they can connect you with Legal in someway that can protect you from someone externally that may be trying to purposefully get you in trouble. If they don't find that escalating, use the word fired instead of trouble. Know how to protect what you want, what you love, and what you want to love. If at all you should feel bad about leaving her, ask about Social Worker options that Governmental Services may be able to provide. That information could help. She may hate it for years but if she gets better, that's the goal.

[@GalladeTheWarrior]

​@@twingames8499 stop.

[@cincinnati4391]

@@twingames8499 Stop with your cult indoctrination oldhead, go take a nap.

[@kitcat-xn1mn]

This hit home so hard. Like, people don't understand why my childhood was so traumatizing because I never showed up to school with bruises, CPS was called but they never did anything because it all looked fine for the most part. It wasn't about physical effects, it was always about me being so hyper aware that I didn't matter. It was always about sneaking into my own home because who knows what kind of mood moms in. It was about 4th grade being way way too soon to want to die. And now it's about never being able to fully convince myself that I matter and being confused when someone shows they care about me and never being able to fully shake my family because all anyone's sees is people that "care" about me but only if I'm working myself to death to fit into their image that they want to tell their friends about.

[@shatteredscry]

'Only if I'm working myself to death' I swear noone in my family admires me unless I'm doing something profound or working to death. Otherwise they see me and my interests as puny, worthless and distasteful.

[@Ricval33]

This is exactly my situation. Unless I am spending every minute of my life the way they want me to live it, I don’t deserve their respect. I’ve cut myself off from them multiple times but each time they promise to change. Each time I want to believe them because there’s nothing more I want than a family Each time it’s the same

[@kitcat-xn1mn]

@@Ricval33 all I ever wanted was a family too. I'm sorry we're here

[@notfamedtvpersonalitydrphil]

One thing that I haven’t heard anyone mention in their analysis of Opal: In the scene with the mirror man, when the grandfather comes up the stairs and Claire panics and runs, her father startles and begins to reach out his hand to make her stay, calling out “Where are you going?!” This movement knocks one of his mirrors to the ground and it shatters, and he cries “No, this makes me feel!…” He uses the mirrors as his own escape from reality (similar to the others), presumably so he doesn’t have to confront the reality of his ruined face. Seeing his reflection in the shattered mirror breaks his illusion, causing him to lose his imagined beauty. The mirrors help him take his mind off his situation and seeing his broken reflection causes a swift reality check, and he feels vulnerable and broken without his illusion of beauty. I haven’t seen anyone notice this in their analysis of this film so I figured I’d point it out! :)

[@HaruHikaHaruHika]

Thank you, this was a lovely read :)

[@dadyos]

I thought he was saying “you know how this makes me feel” but

[@7eartcat248]

​@@dadyos that is what he says i took it as him saying "you know how rejecting me makes me feel"

[@gold2291]

Thanks for pointing this out! I thought Claire's father said 'You know how this makes me feel..' was because she left and wasn't giving him any attention anymore

[@notfamedtvpersonalitydrphil]

@@gold2291 that makes sense tbh

[@Vincentbozo]

As someone who’s been through a very similar type of trauma, words can’t describe how comforting “we see you” is. To me it means that someone SEES you and your needs, sorrows, and opinions as a person. It makes me feel loved and fills the void left by the absence of comfort when you witness violence. This feeling brought me a odd sense of comfort when it was sang, like a small desire deep down to have that normal life

[@bethneild108]

Opal was my life as a kid. Narcissistic father and alcoholic mother. I was just lucky enough to have grandparents who did their best to help but even they couldn't fully protect me.

[@Freshest_Water]

Are you doing good now though? I hope this isn't rude and ignoring what you've been through but I hope you're okay...and I want to confirm.

[@bethneild108]

@@Freshest_Water not rude at all, it is kind of you to think to ask. I'm doing better now thanks, I emigrated a few months ago and got married. Things are a lot more settled now. Things do get better. I promise ❤️ I hope you are doing well too!

[@raccoonjuice1913]

I certainly understand that. My grandma called DCFS or (CPS in some states) on my mom for us.

[@bethneild108]

@@raccoonjuice1913 I am so sorry you had to go through that. It is a hell I wouldn't wish on anyone.

[@raccoonjuice1913]

@@bethneild108 22, and I'm doing great. I've got trust issues like hell. But, I'm better than I used to be 🎉

[@misseselise3864]

9:00 the mom part hits home for me. my mom was an addict. less than three weeks before she died of an OD, i was talking to her about how upset i was that she left me alone in a hotel with no food, money, or transportation (i had just gotten into a car wreck and couldn’t even walk) and she started arguing back with stuff like “yeah, it’s always about you, isn’t it? thanks for asking how i’m doing. i have shit going on too you know”. and i told her “i am your daughter, not your friend. i can’t even hold my own shit let alone yours”

[@misseselise3864]

to clarify some stuff: -we were homeless. a church paid for us to be in the hotel -my mother denied being a drug user even when i found syringe caps in her car and had videos of her nodding off -my car accident was really bad and i nearly died. my jaw had been wired shut bc i broke it and had just gotten the wires off after six weeks so i was RAVENOUS. all i could consume was broth and water and protein shakes. -i had shattered my femur and had been given permission to start using a cane to walk but then a bug got on me in the shower and i launched myself out, fracturing my fibula and being put back on complete weight bearing restrictions -prolly irrelevant but my mom had an extensive substance abuse history. i was 20 when she died and she had been using drugs long before i was born. up until the 3ish months before she died, i genuinely believed that she was sober. she died at the house of a guy she used with. i used to drive by his house in her car to see if i could creep him out and i guess it worked cause eventually i got in trouble with the police for it. really funny, honestly but he was also a drug user so i know he probably thought it was my mom even though he’s the one who found her and watched her be pronounced dead and put in a body bag by a coroner

[@suspiciousplatypusmoth]

@@misseselise3864 goodness I’m so sorry- my parents (particularly my father) love to do the whole “who cares about you what about ME” thing. I never had a situation as extreme as yours, but fuck I know how badly it burns to be made to feel like a useless burden for the crime of being injured. I had a foot injury bad enough to require surgery. Twice. By the time I finally was going to get checked out by a professional, I was having a really hard time walking for long distances. Just going about my school was agony. Despite this, my father wanted to go on a walk for Father’s Day. I just… couldn’t. I didn’t know what was wrong or just how bad it was yet, but I knew a long walk on a gravel road was a horrible idea for me. I let him know this, and told him he could take the rest of my family and go without me. He then threw a passive aggressive hissy fit because I was being “lazy” or “not caring about him on Father’s Day” or something like that. About a year later, something completely out of my control happened, and his drunk ass called me useless over it. I’m still unlearning thinking of myself and my needs as a burden- because that’s what I was taught to think of them as. I hope you’re doing better, and that you can find a way take care of and love yourself in all the ways your mother refused to.

[@HyperNova808]

@@suspiciousplatypusmoth the worst part is how I can see parents not thinking of it as a big deal in the long run, when childhood trauma is probably the most important time of anyone's life to treat the trauma

[@suspiciousplatypusmoth]

@@HyperNova808 oh absolutely. I saw a post somewhere that went like “for us, it’s a core memory of trauma. For them? Tuesday.” and it lives rent free in my brain. Parents seems to forget that for most of our early lives- they’re our whole world! Anything and everything they do will effect us eventually, one way or another. What they see as just a bit of light ribbing or simply a “joke” that fell flat could change how a child perceives themselves for the rest of their lives.

[@arberismaili9560]

I am so sorry that you had to go through that none of that is youe fault in any way whatsoever okay you deserve people who love and care and appreciate you for who you are as a person your mother needs help with her own problems okay and I hope that you are doing better for yourself okay do not let anyone bring you down okay you got this

[@autisticaxolotlponies]

As someone who has the complete opposite, overbearing emotionally manipulative mother, narcissistic grandmother, and a short fuse father, Opal's fear of her grandfather, her mother, her father all deeply resonate with me. I feel her immense pain and fear despite our opposite situations.

[@jaxonplaysgames552]

its the father that's a narcissist. and the grandFATHER who has a short fuse

[@autisticaxolotlponies]

I'm talking about my own experience, cant you read?????? @@jaxonplaysgames552

[@IsaacHND]

@@jaxonplaysgames552 did you not see "As someone who has the complete opposite" bro 😭😭

[@jaxonplaysgames552]

@@IsaacHND i think they might have edited i dont know i cant remember but at the time of posting that reply I read 'grandmother' when she was referring to opal's grandfather. my brain often mixes things up, so its also possible I just read the comment wrong!

[@IHAVENOGENDERONLYRAGE]

My parents somehow manage to be overbearing and neglectful at the same time. They'd neglect my feelings and need, but make me abide by their rules. Time alone is prescious.

[@eden-elysium]

One of the small disturbing details I noticed during the initial encounter with the grandfather is that he says to Claire, “You smell weird.” This implies that Claire was neglected to the point that she *smells.*

[@cidercake4373]

The question is, have any of them taught her how to shower or take a bath? Because if she doesn’t even know how, she’s probably covered in dirt and grass from sitting outside.

[@flowgangsemaudamartoz7062]

@@cidercake4373 Dirt and grass dont smell bad. Month old body odor on the other hand? Yeah that stinks.

[@spacebar9733]

My parents never taught us how and they would yell at us for embarrassing them. Until I was 13 I didn't know you were supposed to shower everyday. It didn't become a habit until 2 months ago. I'm 17. My parents never talked to us. Let alone taught us ANYTHING about how to take care of ourselves other than brushing our teeth.

[@renuvee7397]

@@spacebar9733 I had similar situation, we didnt have washing machine that works properly and my clothes would just stink all the time. At some point I started hand washing them just not to smell in school all the time, I was scrubbing one sweater so hard I managed to give myself wounds on hands. Parents are suppoused to teach children these things, to clean themselves and how to take care of clothes etc, some parents shouldnt be parents tbh.

[@margaretwilson8736]

I mean yeah, her in fantasy land vs her in her actual home... her hair is messed up, her skin looks horrible, she's underfed like... oof.

[@MJY5drives]

As a high school student with an unappreciative blind father, a younger sister who heavily takes after him, and a mother that is nowhere in my life; This hit pretty hard.

[@twingames8499]

If all kids need parents, then all kids need god. That’s because god is our father and we need him in our lives.

[@taylorfireflame]

@@twingames8499 stop commenting this

[@hawkeyenextgen7117]

I hope you feel better

[@azzy8121]

@Le-Johnny Hope is cope baby bro get some racks

[@rjeanne4683]

I went through some stuff in my family life. It is SO hard as a teen when you start to actually realize what's happening but can't control it. I very seriously encourage you to seek out mentors. Adults with a healthy family life- a friend's parents, maybe a cousin who didn't get the shit bag side of the family, a church and people who will let you come over for lunch. I was kicked out early and an old family friend invited me to visit them in Korea. I was 18 at the time I went. They had a healthy family life. Good communication. Everyone ate dinner together every night. Not perfect, but healthy. 6 years later, I have been to hell and back but that family... those parents are going to become my godparents soon. Having mentors around, especially spending time aroubd a healthy family even if they aren't your own, is lifechanging. It will help you escape some of the classic results of addiction or fear in relationships. Just knowing there is a different way to live, it might hurt to see at first, but its inspiring also. Fighting it alone with no hope or understanding is so hard. Stay strong. Save your money and make sure you have a solid foundation- at least deposit for a tiny apartment somewhere - before you become an adult. You can do this. It gets SO much better. People always told me high school was the best time of my life. It so seriously is not. Keep looking foreward and seriously, find community away from your family. Even if you can just spend a few hours a week away from home. Do it asap. Its 100% worth it. Plus, you'll find people who you love and who love you. You got this.

[@fish_and-chips]

9:57 in grandpas defence. He literally has no idea whose there. Not in the metaphorical sense, he literally is guessing who’s there based off of footsteps and breathing.

[@jpurser55]

My mom was with an abusive man for 7 years-ish and it was the most awful experience I've ever been through, as a 10 year old kid a dreaded coming back home after playing outside and even then I'd rush to room to escape with video games. thrown furniture, tense silence, screaming and yelling, and ultimately physical abuse, my mother always hides behind the fact that she was a single mom with 5 kids but will never accept any sort of criticism she deflects everything on to the fact that she was a single mom of 5 kids. she was neglectful, a drunk, picked bad men to have around her children, and was emotionally unavailable only offer condolences when she sees an opportunity to criticize or say "I told you so" my mom was a bad mother. I still love her because she's my mom, but damn it would be nice to get some acknowledgement for my trauma rather than her deflecting every once of responsibility she had in it.

[@MartinBielkovic]

dang im sorry for you bro. its great that you still love your mom though even after all that. reminds me of Jesus as he was dying on the cross saying "Father Forgive them for they know not what they do" after they scourged, tortured, nailed to a cross, and dislocated his arms and legs. They never asked for forgiveness, nor were they sorry. It takes a lot of virture to forgive someone after they treated you like that. Much love bro God bless you, ill try and keep you in my prayers.

[@simplyixia3683]

I’m sorry about what you’ve been through. I just hope that you love your mom because you choose to and have healed, not because you feel you’re supposed to because she birthed you and society tells you your are eternally indebted to her for it. It’s okay to not love your mom. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s not any of my business if you do or not, but I just wanted to tell you that, in case nobody ever has. I hope your life will be filled with peace and healing. 🙏🏻 ❤

[@ninjawithgunz1060]

This exactly is how I feel, and I know exactly what you mean

[@SarahBaer-wd7iq]

If you mom was Mary she would have had a good husband

[@FluffyEclairs]

Ignore the comments. Your childhood was not good, and you probably want to go no contact with your mom.

[@Death4271]

I’ve had a strange combination of neglect and overbearing from the same parent. Like when he wanted to control part of my life and keep me from living like a normal kid he was all in my business, but in any other situation I was neglected. It’s given me severe anxiety to this day and makes me feel trapped because everything I do is wrong. And my family still treats me like I’m the bad guy for being reclusive. There’s no self reflection on their part whatsoever, I’m the problem.

[@feywynnightrunner9380]

You are not, and never were the problem. THEY are sick, and have tried to make you just as sick as themselves. Try to make friends and create a new family, a family of YOUR choosing.

[@Death4271]

@@feywynnightrunner9380 Well, yeah, I know I’m not, but they don’t. As for friends, well, easier said than done as an unemployed adult still stuck at home because of poor life decisions. But I appreciate the kind words.

[@feywynnightrunner9380]

@@Death4271 I have found good friends that I have known for several years, through gaming online. Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, are all fun games with great player communities.

[@justalittleturtle5600]

My mother did the same thing. She never wanted to do anything with me or take care of me past the age of 10 (like legit said aight I’ve taught you how to take care of yourself, don’t talk to me unless someone’s dying). She would ignore me when I tried talking to her, or get annoyed and start yelling at me. Yet, she wanted to be involved in my relationships, my academic career, my actual career, etc. I wasn’t allowed to do any of my own paper work (Like FASFA), and when I tried to involve myself to learn, I would be berated and mocked. This is a control tactic to isolate a you and make you dependent on them. It’s a form of abuse/grooming.

[@IHaveF-ingOpinions]

That is called disorganized attachment. I experienced similar. It sucks.

[@namelessking111]

Claire trying her best to never attract attention from her parents and having the solitude in her room as her only safe haven, i relate to that on a spiritual level.

[@Seatonni]

❤️‍🩹

[@juliana.x0x0]

God this is so sad. I resonate with it on SO many levels. My mom is a narcissist with sadistic tendencies, or just some kind of anger problems that were always directed at me. My dad wasn't around very much, and when he was, he would use me as a therapist, dumping wildly inappropriate heavy issues on me. I was isolated in the home of a hoarder, pitted against my siblings, and blamed for all of the problems in the household. I too always walked on eggshells, and ended up in abusive relationships down the line as well, effectively recreating my childhood by getting into relationships with people who asserted authority over me. My mom would use me being "bad" for sympathy, while bragging about my siblings for praise. I had a brother that died and she seemed to resent me for living and not being the "perfect angel" that he was regarded as since. This trauma has plagued me since, no doubt contributing to my former substance abuse, self harm, homelessness, and general feeling of shame for simply existing. This is heavy but definitely brings a sense of comfort knowing there are others out there who understand and relate, knowing that I'm not alone in this turmoil and attachment/abandonment issues, and undesirable neurological wiring to distrust others (or overly trust the wrong sort of people). I've never seen this before, thank you for bringing it to my attention. Love the channel, appreciate the work you put into this❤

[@arberismaili9560]

I am really sorry that you had to went through that I hope things are better for you and I wish you eternal happiness and joy in your life and that you never let anyone bring you down ever there are people out there who love and care for you always and you life will be amazing ar the end of the day keep up the good work okay you are doing amazing I know things will be amazing for you

[@twingames8499]

If all kids need parents, then all kids need god. That’s because god is our father and we need him in our lives. Looking back to the family in opal there are ways that the family could have been changed for the better by Christ. The blind grandfather would be thankful for his life and his daughter, who he would treat with the kindness of Christ. The narcissistic dad would be able to find comfort in Christ and realize that life isn’t all about how you look or how others think you look. And would instead follow Christ instead of himself. Even the addicted mother would be able to find comfort in Christ by venting her troubles to him and finding comfort and healing through Christ. Even the sprouts of the seeds of faith would do wonders for the family, let alone the tree that will come from the seeds. Let us all therefore follow Christ and see his greatness and glory.

[@izzy-mew]

Watching Opal when I was 19 it disturbed me and sat with me for way to long, seeing this break down made me realised why it got stuck in my head. thank you for making a break down video! I, myself, was neglected as a kid by my siblings and mother that led me feeling alone in a household of 10. and to this day I am praised for being independent... but that is a product of being told to go away and that everyone seemed to be too busy to listen to me or or even help me. often id be playing with duplo alone in my room as lego was for my older brother and I even managed to find entertainment from playing with soft toys that the family thought I loved my soft toys they bought me more.. internally I saw it as another way of saying go away. Opal spoke to me in the sense of having a family that doesnt seem to care for my wellbeing or see me as a person. to this day my mum has a hard time listening to me talk about the past that she flips the convo to "I'm so sorry. I should have done better. I am this... I should have that..." causing me to need to reassure her and being left with the feeling that I am still not being listened to nor seen. >_> so thats fun XD

[@scorchedrosearts7821]

As someone who grew up in that situation, the idea that Claire's mother abused/abuses her father makes a lot of sense. My dad was awful and abusive in his own way, but he also enabled my mom to be a narcissistic alcoholic. He was so wrapped up in wanting her to love him again and go back to earlier in their marriage when they were happy together he completely neglected my brother and I emotionally and physically. He would also abuse us to make my mom happy, by hitting us or screaming at us whenever we did something that might have upset her. One parent becoming abusive because they themself are trapped in an abusive relationship with the other parent is not exactly a rare occurrence. Sometimes it's because the abuser directly demands it of them, and sometimes it's because they're so wrapped up in trying to protect themselves they forget about their responsibilities to their children.

[@theoriginalglitchqueen2544]

Saw this with my grandpa. He fell in love with someone meaner than him. So whenever I did something “bad” if she was there it was 10x worse punishment. I remember him even being NICER after they split. Breaks the heart in a way…

[@skrunkly5221]

I watched it and noticed how her alternative family was happy with her at the start. While she was dancing with the burger, like her mind was all so muddled not even a fantasy could save her from what’s what traumas been engraved into brain. But has been made a lighthearted scene with the praise she’s given.

[@mistyymoonmilk]

I have been through everything Claire had to go through. I never had a happy childhood. So when I watched this and saw myself. I sobbed. It was very accurate. The careful stepping- the things that went on, being used, being relied on and escaping to false realities. I used anime and story making where the character is strong and seen. Everytime I leave my room I panic. I have become a shut in due to all the abuse and trauma I have faced in childhood and early adulthood. I rarely leave my home, my social skills are bad and I suffer from mental illnesses. Not only was it relatable but the music and story telling was beautiful. Jack makes art. Truly. I realised however even though I missed out on childhood, I at least haven't starved. Some people are worse off and my heart goes out to them. It affects my relationships today. I often emotionally attach easy and get over personal. Or I completely shut myself away because I don't know how much I should talk, or I talk about what I always wanted to say to my family but couldn't, all at once, in too much detail.

[@katie_cant_compute]

Me too :) I hope you get everything you want and need some day soon

[@Spiderella3959]

I wish you good luck in recovering from all of this! Please take care of yourself, you deserve to be happy, don't be afraid to seek help. If you need someone to talk to, there are many places where you can safely learn how to communicate with people who care. I used to have the same issues myself, and happened to stumble upon one such group that helped me. I feel it would be weird and dumb of me to ask, because I'm worried I might make you uncomfortable, but you can contact me in case you need to discuss things

[@twingames8499]

If all kids need parents, then all kids need god. That’s because god is our father and we need him in our lives. Looking back to the family in opal there are ways that the family could have been changed for the better by Christ. The blind grandfather would be thankful for his life and his daughter, who he would treat with the kindness of Christ. The narcissistic dad would be able to find comfort in Christ and realize that life isn’t all about how you look or how others think you look. And would instead follow Christ instead of himself. Even the addicted mother would be able to find comfort in Christ by venting her troubles to him and finding comfort and healing through Christ. Even the sprouts of the seeds of faith would do wonders for the family, let alone the tree that will come from the seeds. Let us all therefore follow Christ and see his greatness and glory.

[@Kira-pv4xq]

You wanted them anime Waifus?

[@Kira-pv4xq]

Or husbandos?

[@AndalaASMR]

As part of my own healing journey from an abusive parent with narcissistic issues, I'm grateful for videos like this that calmly in a non judgmental type of way explain deeper videos like this. It helps to put identifiers on things I thought were normal and work through them with knowledge. Thank you, and whatever support team helped to make this. ❤

[@thegooldash2443]

what's specially haunting about this, is that the family is neglectful because of their own struggles, every member has a disorder that makes life difficult for them and even more so for Opal it's not that the members are evil and that's why they mistreat her, but they literally can't help themselves, let alone Opal.

[@spacebar9733]

I think there are two types of ppl. Ppk who grow from trauma and those who to internalize it and control them. Whether that starts as a choice or not idk, but I genuinely believe it's from a lack of empathy. And a lack of empathy by choice or not makes ppl a bad person, even if you are a victim.

[@mercy5004]

Exactly. I think that's also a core component of the often said "You have to love yourself before you can love someone else." Its not the literal wording of it that matters, but what it's trying to convey. If you aren't capable of even baseline caring for yourself, mentally, emotionally, or physically... You can't take care of someone else's physical, emotional, or mental needs. You don't INTEND to neglect or harm them, but your own inability to care for yourself or self-regulate will harm them nonetheless. Many relationships (romantic, friendship, parental, etc.) fail because someone has so many problems and baggage, and refuse to care for themselves enough to actually try and fix/seek help for them in a healthy way, but place the burden of caring for THEIR needs onto the other individual. Its in the trying, that makes the difference. But if you don't love yourself enough to try, then all you're going to do is take the other person down with you. The other person cannot fix you if you don't want to fix yourself.

[@CuarentaZ40]

@@mercy5004 this comment is literally an art

[@IronicReality]

The way the grandpa says that it's evil to help people who don't need help, implies that he thinks what he's doing is fine and good which makes it more sadder.

[@silverkitt]

TW for abuse: My parents are better now, but when I was born, my mom and dad divorced and my mom left. After that, my dad married a year later to my step mom who abused me all the time when my dad wasn’t home. He usually got home only around night and was also emotionally distant so he just never talked to me about where my bio mom was, who never talked to me anyways. Sometimes my step convince him to hit me himself and threaten me of him getting home. I used to trap myself in the bathroom because that was the only place I felt safe… she smacked me, dragged me around by my hair, threatened me, screamed in my face, told me she hated me, called me a bitch and a slut… It’s just now that she’s all better and both of them don’t put their hands on me.. they’re really caring and supportive and it makes me so … angry and uncomfortable. Even tho I know they mean it and genuinely care for me, I can’t forget everything my parents did to me. Especially my step mom. There’s so much more I could vent about, but I don’t really feel like going in that deep. If you read this far, Ty, and I also hope you’re doing okay

[@4647Mo]

that’s horrible, i’m sorry you had to go through that :/ i relate to your experience on so many aspects and understand the feelings of frustration for the past abuse. hope you’re doing alr now and are in a safe environment. please keep in mind that you don’t owe these people anything and should prioritize your own well-being. if you need to talk i could give you my discord, i’ll gladly support fellow ptp enjoyers

[@helpmegetto1k4channelnotab78]

mental illness alones no exuse.

[@silverkitt]

@@4647Mo no it’s okay, you don’t have to do that! You are so kind thank you, I hope you’re doing okay too

[@ungloriusbastards4955]

It’s a trick! If you were brave enough you would take revenge!

[@CelestialRedPanda]

As a victim of child neglect, a lot of things from this short hit home in a comfortable way, I didn’t feel disturbed, I felt for Claire. Understanding her helped me understand my childhood better, it’s kind of hard to explain but this short was brilliantly written and made.

[@Herbentto]

I relate to this short so much is saddening. As a child with ADHD and someone who was forced to witness a lot of domestic violence my parents thought emotional abuse and neglect were the only ways to "raise me right" and now I struggle being able to cope with emotions at all. From being my mother's therapist to dealing with family that care more about their egos than the safety of their kids this shit hits home perfectly. Even down to the maladaptive daydreaming about being in a home where everyone is happy. Please for the love of God just love your kids. It shouldn't be that hard.

[@arberismaili9560]

I am really sorry that you went through that I hope things are better for you now and do not let anyone bring you down no one deserves any kind of abuse thrown at them in any way possible and you deserve people who love and cherish you always okay I wish you all the best ypy got this

[@twingames8499]

If all kids need parents, then all kids need god. That’s because god is our father and we need him in our lives. Looking back to the family in opal there are ways that the family could have been changed for the better by Christ. The blind grandfather would be thankful for his life and his daughter, who he would treat with the kindness of Christ. The narcissistic dad would be able to find comfort in Christ and realize that life isn’t all about how you look or how others think you look. And would instead follow Christ instead of himself. Even the addicted mother would be able to find comfort in Christ by venting her troubles to him and finding comfort and healing through Christ. Even the sprouts of the seeds of faith would do wonders for the family, let alone the tree that will come from the seeds. Let us all therefore follow Christ and see his greatness and glory.

[@GalacticNovaOverlord]

​@@twingames8499 found the brainless cultist

[@Herbentto]

@@twingames8499 I use to pray every night for the violence to end. Did it? No. God didn't help me or my family. I was born a bastard and was told by family members that I was automatically rejected from the church. Religion isn't the cure my guy.

[@xantanaman]

and the disturbing part about this is that each of us that faced this always come together and relate with the darkness the most …

[@SpriteWild]

The most important step in my journey was admitting that I've been hurt & wronged. There was a long time from age 18-24 where I disassociated from the situation and actually thought (for my own sanity) that my parents were "good". This is a stage that we all go through and, if not caught early, is the very fork in the road that can lead us down a path of becoming abusers ourselves. I was very close to becoming a narcissist myself by saying things like "I empathize because their parents were the same way" "I understand why they did it" "I turned out fine". Before we can break the cycle, we need to realize that we didn't turn out fine. Any behavior we don't condemn and hold accountable in our parents, is behavior we're in danger of repeating. Any boundaries we fail to set, are boundaries that will trigger us when we see other people setting them from us. Remember that holding someone accountable is not the same thing as judging or not loving someone. If you think it's the same thing, then YOU will turn into a person that says "So you don't love me?" when someone tries to hold You accountable for hurtful actions. Becoming a disappointment to my parents has been the scariest but most freeing experience, and the only way I could break the generational cycle.

[@Imthatgirl62]

How did you do that? Accepting the truth about your parents? I'm 19 and I feel stuck and lost because of this. The thought of my parents being bad people terrifies me so much! So I always made the same excuses as yours. But I realized that I'm slowly becoming like them, and I hate it so much! I always thought that I'm fine and that I should be a good child to them and I should be understanding and empathetic towards them to compensate for their bad childhood ( and I still do, to be honest), and if they hurt me that meant that I wasn't good enough. It's just so exhausting cuz I don't know what to do. It would be very helpful if you gave me some advices.

[@SpriteWild]

It was so hard at first, I had nightmares every night and so much guilt, but slowly I started to feel so free and experienced joy that I never allowed myself. The thing is, there I was sitting & wondering whether I could possibly hurt them by setting a simple boundary.. and are they sitting there wondering whether they hurt me? no. They say and do things that are *actually* hurtful, and on purpose, just to hurt me and keep power over me. I bet you are thinking of all these ways that your parents had a bad childhood, and u want to be a good child and you're so empathetic, but they are not doing the same for you. Another thing that helped was this: Say you were a parent, or even just a friend to someone, and they expressed that you hurt them, so much that they even feel like limiting contact. Wouldn't you feel embarrassed, and try to better yourself? Or would you immediately make excuses for yourself and say, "Well you can't set boundaries. I'm like this because of MY parents, so you have to make excuses for me forever." Likely not haha. we wouldn't make those excuses for ourselves - so why are we endlessly making them for our parents? A boundary is just a boundary, and learning to communicate them is important so that you can accept criticism from Others someday. Remember this life is yours alone. And if you're very concerned about your parents being sad: Remember that an abuser is never helped by letting them continue to abuse (even covert emotional abuse). Only when people around them hold them accountable, can they actually grow and learn something.

[@Imthatgirl62]

@@SpriteWild your words opened my eyes to a new perspective of thinking about my situation, I'll try my best to make up for myself and think more about myself, not others. Thank you so much! I hope you have a lovely day☺.

[@neonbelly4]

Very well said. Last thing I'd be is like my parents. People allow disrespect from their parents because they "owe" them for their upbringing, as if raising a child consists of only satisfying basic material needs. Treat parents as they deserve

[@justalittleturtle5600]

My grandmother likes to say “Never say never” when I tell her I’ll never hit my kids like my mother did. The stuff you’re talking about is how I know. My mother was beaten by her father, and she ended up doing the very same thing to her own kids. She also idolizes her father and empathizes with him. I will end this generation trauma, and the first step is recognizing the wrong and holding those responsible accountable. I am *not* hitting my kids.

[@breannasue2179]

when the imaginary parents are talking to clair they say mom-“there she is” to show that the mom can depend on clair at all times and clair is always “there” dad-“thats my girl” my is still implying that everything still has to be about him. even when talking about other people he has to find a way to make it about himself grandpa-“hi Claire” just to show the non existent relationship they have as she is used at his disposal (idk if anyone mentions that lol)

[@thatcher6923]

Weirdly enough, I always saw these in the reverse, where each line is what Claire wants from each person. "There she is" shows that the mom is able to love Claire even when all she's doing is being there, instead of her love being based on if Claire is emotionally validating to her. "That's my girl" is an acknowledgement of Claire's existence, to show that her dad finally sees her. It's also prideful, which considering that her real dad insults her, would mean a lot. "Hi opal" is the grandpa being able to finally recognize her. Instead of doubting if it's actually her or not, he is able to confidently say 'hi' to her.

[@zhoncinema]

​@@thatcher6923 You are both right really. It's not even the most thoughtful or interesting things to say yet to Clair these are some of the best things she can think of based on her perception of her family. It makes it even worse that her family flaws are so rooted in her perception that even the good versions of them aren't perfect. Horrific yet fantastic work by Jack.

[@CottonCandySharks]

I saw that too. I only have the narcissist dad and that one seemed realistic, since you're a possession. An extension of them and only worth anything because of it.

[@Fawndolyn]

Absolutely agree here - the imagination takes who they are and tries to put it in a positive light! I'm going to also throw in Billboard Dad saying "It's not where your attention needs to be" while physically moving her eyes. And Billboard Mom taking the food away as she says "you're looking tired" which might also explain why she didn't bother eating it, because she knew mom would take it away from her.

[@erenhawke3806]

My neglect was in the form of being on my own for the majority of the time. Even though I looked happy in baby photos, my parents couldn't watch over me. Starting from like 7 years old onwards, I mainly sat in my room (wasn't allowed personal video game systems until I was older) and began imagining different scenarios with fictional characters in books I got my hands on. It still affects me to this day, and I've been told from various supervisors at work that I "talk to myself" a lot. An unfortunate side effect from having to entertain myself a lot in my childhood. My parents deny it to this day too.

[@ronnie9379]

the world felt like such chaos to me growing up, and my billboard was video games. It's all I wanted to do. My family wasn't horrible, but parents yelled at eachother, nobody knew how to connect and see past their own trauma, and I felt their pain and confusion, and I thought that's all the world was. So I was scared of everything and of being hurt or humilated. So I played games and watched TV whenever I could. I always felt a deep sense of "not being human like everybody else". Like I was fundamentally different and I can't connect with other people. Like I am stunted. When I saw the end of Opal I felt it deeply, and knew that it resonated greatly with how I felt on some level. I now know that that's my own trauma world and there's more to it, but that is just an understanding. The feelings are there and I still deeply feel all of these things. And all the memories of how bad it was, and now it's over, and it feels like I have to just act like it all never happened.

[@haleywideman7452]

DAYMN I relate to you on every little aspect, I love you Stranger I hope you're doing amazing out there ♥️🫂🫶🏻✨🦋🌺🌸🥹🩷🌹🤭☺️

[@gabrielcosta3301]

What do I do when I see my life reflected this well on the Internet? Do I feel good that I'm not alone? Or do I feel bad that someone had to live the same childhood I did?

[@myantiaircraftfriend]

this is pretty much identical to whqt i went through, i hope youre doing well now :)

[@limitlesslizzie]

fr i also used gaming and tv as an escapism coping mechanism when i was younger. now that i'm out of my parent's house i rarely play video games anymore, although i still love gaming i just dont feel the need to because i know I'm not walking on eggshells for anyone anymore.

[@Cliohna]

@ronnie9379 "[...] it feels like I have to just act like it all never happened." Dear Ronnie, I wanted to let you know how deeply I felt every word you wrote in your comment it made me cry. A release of emotions, signaling that I'm in my body, I'm connected to myself. Thank you for that little gift. It also makes me feel more connected to the world. 💐 Furthermore please let me reflect to you, this did happen to you, I believe you. Please trust yourself. And yes, I feel your pain of experiences not being acknowledged or downplayed by the same people who caused them or the people who witnessed them. It's not about how horrible an experience was, it's about how it made you feel. Again not being seen and heard is actually a fresh wound on top of the old one. You're maybe not able to change how they react, but you can start with intrapersonal actions. Allowing yourself to act like it happened. Allowing yourself to be sad and angry and all the feelings you could possibly have. And ultimately I wish nothing more for you than to find the person or even the people in whose presence you feel safe enough to be sad, to feel safe enough to show the need for comfort. And in whose presence you feel safe enough to cry, be curious, ask questions, share your deep state of wonder of things you mostly definitely have, and who mirror your joy.

[@portalunderoceanblvd]

This video was a great watch and some parts of it really hit home for me, like avoiding interacting with family members because of substance abuse or being used. But sometimes I also feel like an impostor when I relate to stuff like this. Like my experience wasn't nearly as bad growing up. Idk it's a battle within myself that I have when I see things like this. I feel like I have been negatively affected because I have social anxiety and depression which I think stems from my childhood, but when I compare what I went through versus what other people went through I get the feeling that I'm just believing in that theory to cope. Idk, I just felt like I needed to vent this somewhere. Thanks for uploading though! When I first saw this video I couldn't watch it because it creeped me out, but this analysis really showed me that there was a lot more to it than that.

[@Axqu7227]

I’m one of those specific other people with absolutely hideous experiences that you’d probably compare yourself to, and unfortunately, I can categorically tell you you’re not an impostor. I’ve been abused physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and sexually. Of the five, the emotional abuse was the worst/ most damaging kind and it’s not even close. You’re not faking, you’re not an impostor, and you’re not wrong thinking you’ve been traumatized. You got the worst one that nobody is willing to recognize as the worst one. I’m sorry.

[@shatteredscry]

I relate to this so much. Despite my *occasional* childhood malnourishment, *occasional* emotional battery, the trauma dumping emotional incest, the *occasional* trips to hotels while dad was chasing us and semi annual physical abuse, I still fucking say 'well my dad DID take me to McDonald's sometimes' UGH.

[@jian6569]

I knew i was neglected and abused as a kid but never i could relate to a part of media this bad. The dad is so like my dad which makes me have shitty feelings. My mom was absent, addicted to the internet and used me and my lil sis as a therapist. I used to imagine myself in a movie, having a better family, being loved and getting the attention i needed as a adhd kid. Im ruined now, having both the traits of my parents plus being addicted to weed. I really wanted to be born in a normal family. I still wonder if i would be successful in life if it was the case :/

[@xeres6232]

Realizing your faults is the first steps, now comes the part where you cna think of the future and be the one to break the cycle of abuse. Seek help, therapy and learn to be happy with the person you can become. Sending love o/

[@FatimaKhan-um3wx]

You’re not ruined! Please don’t say that about yourself. You are your own person and your family, your place of Upbringing hell even your thoughts don’t define you! Countless people have turned their life around because they choose to become their own support. I know how you feel, even the part about fantasies of growing up in a normal family. You can be a new start to a new generation. Break the cycle and start from yourself. Starting anytime is better then just thinking about what ifs. You won’t ever regret any step you took towards healing yourself so please, you can and you will, you have a successful life ahead of you I promise but only if you want it that is.

[@bobtheball5384]

It's never too late- I know people say this a lot but it's true dude.

[@Jenna_Talia]

One insidious killer is that a lot of people think you're only abused or neglected if you've lived through agreeably horrendous situations. Children's brains are fickle, Barney The Dinosaur is designed to be as amicable and as friendly looking as possible but I guarantee you one child got deeply upset seeing him and now feels severely unsettled looking at him.

[@bruhism173]

@@xeres6232 therapy is lies, I can confirm.

[@onyxlezviye5823]

My mom was a hoarder and a drug addict. We were homeless most of my childhood and very poor.I got taken from my mom by social services when I was 11 and I've been in the system ever since. This short story really hits me.

[@rosalieramirezx]

Crazy to think that I grew up with this guy and now he’s all over the place. Jack had always been so talented and it’s so nice to see him get credit finally Edit: no this is not me bragging that I know him, it’s literally just awesome to see someone who was such a staple in the local music scene and a big part of the best years I’ve had get the recognition he deserves. He’s always been a hard worker and extremely talented. It’s nice that the world gets to experience it now too.

[@SekyAbuelas]

How did Jack act and do growing up? I am genuinely curious because the way someone acts and is treated leads to who they become, and I want to get an inference on what compelled Jack onto making these close hearted stories.

[@xw591]

​@@SekyAbuelas i grew up with a lot of people who I wasn't really privy to their home situation

[@rosalieramirezx]

@@SekyAbuelas if you’re asking about his home life growing up that’s a little much to be asking someone… but Jack has a loving and supportive network and always has.

[@MalibuDreamin-cu3dy]

@@rosalieramirezx that didnt answer their question they were just curious how he acted since u claim to have grownw up with him, theyre not asking for home life

[@malailea5007]

or just like, how was he like to you and other kids/people around you?

[@tobyrightenger9748]

Even the lights in her eyes reinforce the idea of neglect, she has 4 lights in her eyes when she thinks she has 3 people taking care of her. And then when she’s looking at her room, she sees one window, because she’s actually alone.

[@GalacticNovaOverlord]

Yeah, it's her realizing, oh i'm alone... it's sad

[@ashleyellis7428]

I think the billboard also has 4 lights, reinforcing your theory

[@CatDribble]

Something that you might have missed, but I noticed while watching your video, is clare has 4 lights in here eyes throught the beginning section which further implys her staring up at the billboard when opals family only have a single light shining

[@KachuaOnWoW]

I think the distorted face as the dad's mirror is turning is actually a combination of the comedy and tragedy masks, alluding to his clinging to a failed acting career ("they turned me down" line from his song) to the point that it forms his whole identity. In the mother's flashback I think she was the one getting hit, which likely led to her conviction of powerlessness.

[@SquirrelKilnBTS]

8:09 "As her real family needlessly bangs on her door, wanting attention from her." Something about this line really struck with me. Watching initially reminded me of horror movies, with monsters banging on locked doors, but it's not monsters. It's the people who are supposed to make her safe and loved. But no, she's just a little girl being abused. "Wanting attention from her" is such a small thing in concept but when it becomes your whole life...

[@twingames8499]

If all kids need parents, then all kids need god. That’s because god is our father and we need him in our lives.

[@helpmegetto1k4channelnotab78]

No they are, by choice. They choose to be because its in their best interest, and even with a moment of clarity theyll crush it away as they do with criicism

[@helpmegetto1k4channelnotab78]

@@twingames8499 Not everyones religious and if that were the case me with the hyper religious mother i wouldnt have been abused-no religious people would be abused-

[@shaunbarber2325]

​@@twingames8499why

[@libbylapisburst]

​@@twingames8499 but "god" is the justification so many people use for the abuse

[@shrimpdan2557]

I was abused in pretty much every way to varying degrees, and both the short and this analysis really hit home. Evading family out of fear and even resentment, never really feeling truly safe or seen in the home, constantly stepping on eggshells and being turned into a parent for an emotionally incapable parent. My home situation has improved significantly, but the remnants still remain. I always jump and get a little agitated when someone raises their voice or accidentally slams a door, or I feel even the slightest bit invalidated or misunderstood when I try to talk about how things were a few years ago. It's a healing process for all of us. It sucks. I'm glad this short exists. Also: I can really relate to the whole "using the internet to feel validated and seen" thing. The idea of being a big KZbinr is something that occupied my brain ever since I was a young child, even though I knew it was something that would never happen and would realistically not be in my best interest. But it's still very much a manifestation of wanting to be seen, validated, even loved on a wide scale, even if that love is shallow and that attention only persists for as long these strangers decide that you're worth their time.

[@QuisshyArchive]

this video is so relatable for me, and while my case isn't as extreme, i still deeply relate with the video, and the short film, i never even knew that i was being neglected, and my parents have always just brushed everything off, and acted like its just normal for a family to be that way. for anyone out there experiencing the same thing you are not alone.

[@averagelizard2489]

I wasn't really ever neglected, but I was hit, and by hit I mean punched right in the face, then my mom would just walk away and pretend nothing happened.

[@michaels_madness]

As someone who has zero relationship with their parents now and am constantly overcoming the after effects, this comment section and video made me feel way less alone. Stay strong everybody, you deserve to be happy.

[@schoolisstressful3212]

My friend is currently facing child neglect and I feel so bad for them. I have never experienced anything like this and I feel bad for anyone that has been through it. No one deserves this!

[@red_velvetcake1759]

Are they getting any help from anywhere? Does anyone know about it eg teachers/other adults?

[@schoolisstressful3212]

@@red_velvetcake1759 Yes they are currently getting help by a professional. I’m pretty sure only some of their friends, including me, knows.

[@Bun_Bun51]

​@@schoolisstressful3212 That's really good, sadly, it's really dangerous to intervene especially if it's unefective, because then they have to go back. I really hope they're ok

[@funilyily]

I’ve heard that it’s a necessary evil 😅

[@Bun_Bun51]

@@funilyily oh god that's terrifying :(

[@CBIPodcast]

I usually never comment on KZbin posts.... but man your video really touched me and this short is simply amazing. Thank you for sharing your own personal experience that was very brave of you. I hope you find ways to heal over time.

[@MusicMixxed]

I’ve never heard a story similar to mine until just now. I’ve never felt so seen or understood. I never realized how strong I must be. Until I saw someone else going through it (Opal in this case) This video definitely made me cry. Thank you for your analysis.

[@aaaaaaaaaaa638]

It's weird hearing someone describe my entire childhood experience in such a way. It's so understanding.

[@Ryry.5649]

When you go into detail, YOU GO INTO DETAIL! I love how well you pointed out every single thing in this short. you are doing amazing ❤

[@tjtjmich16p]

The fact that the short touched on the abuse of the father and his obsession with himself as a coping mechanism really resonated with me He's trying to make himself presentable so his wife will start to appreciate him enough not to hurt him, Far more common than people think.

[@foodie_nightos]

Yeah. And usually the roles are inversed.

[@sainttheresetaylor2054]

this made me burst out crying, as i realised i might use the same coping mechanisms due to early abuse.

[@TheBeggies95]

@@foodie_nightosDoesn’t mean it don’t happen to men

[@17lvrz]

wow intriguing point

[@foodie_nightos]

@@TheBeggies95 I didn't say (or want to say) it doesn't happen to men. Though, I personally think it's less common. That's why people like me had failed to notice the abuse in the short film, before the narrator pointed it out.

[@duglife2230]

I think it's fair to assume that the father's childhood was probably very similar to Claire's. Parents who overreacted when he did something wrong but gave less spirited reactions to his feats and successes probably led him to become a perfectionist who will never be satisfied with the way he looks, because in his mind he could always look better. He was probably compared to peers or family members when he could not do something "right," and this gave him feelings of shame that persist when he does not feel like he looks good enough to be seen. And because he has had to build this facade just to feel acceptable in the eyes of others, he too is like his daughter in that he has never truly been seen for who he really is by the people who are supposed to care. Although this could have been something his marriage taught him, like you mentioned in the video, I really feel like it's probably a trait he picked up in childhood. More families carry trauma from generation to generation than we might think, whether that's because parents are too lazy to figure a better way of raising their children and just opt for the same style their parents used because it's "easier," or some other factor. I hate to admit it, but I do not only see see a piece of myself in the character of Claire, but also in the father, and even the grandfather and mother as they use vice and their imaginations to cope with their traumatic childhoods.

[@duglife2230]

I'd just like to add too, that whether intentional or not, I think the cartoon "Dan Vs." was a pretty good look at what types of people these children can turn into as adults. Dan, the main character was an antisocial sociopath who uses everybody and everything for his petty vengeance missions. Chris, his best friend, was a chronic people-pleaser who had extreme trouble saying "no" to anybody or anything, usually resulting in situations that were not ideal for him. Then Elise, his wife, was a perfectionist who always had to get everything right. The little detail with her character that sold me on that idea was the Thanksgiving episode where you meet her awful parents and then see her room full of trophies from when she was growing up. Again, whether this silly cartoon about an angry little man getting petty revenge was supposed to be this deep, I am not sure. That is just what I picked from it.

[@NotALotOfColonial_SpaghettiToG]

I thought his obsessive looking into mirrors was a reference to Narcissus. NPD is more common in men and is almost always trauma-induced, too, so that'd definitely help explain the "lore" of this, if you will. It's very common for people who were abused in childhood to wind up marrying an abuser, unfortunately. He might be too focused on how much his wife/family living situation is hurting himself to focus on how much it's hurting his daughter.

[@toothfairy10133]

"Parents who overreacted when he did something wrong but gave less spirited reactions to his feats and successes" just completely summed up my parents' treatment of me throughout my childhood and adolescence

[@edgy_name_]

This hits to close to home

[@smol7224]

Well said, the analysis of this was thorough and so many points hit home and are appliable to situations that I have heard about or know first hand. Another comment said it here but the wishing you could be apart of another family or have something happen to end up being apart of another family in better or different circumstances? That is a very real, and rough thing to come to terms with, even as an adult, even as I am out and away from the neglectful childhood I had alongside raising myself, and even though things are better, deep down I know my body and mind don't feel the same. I remember the many times after another day of everyone arguing and fighting, of just sneaking down to some room in the house where the moon was visible on the nights it was visible, and just thinking to myself 'I wonder if there is someone out there that secretly is related to me or knows me and could take me in' and 'I wonder what it would be like to be born into a different family altogether, if I didn't look the way I did, if I didn't have the siblings I did, I wonder what that would be like? That sounds nice'. I wish I could give my younger self a hug, wrap myself in the softest blanket I own, and sit in a chair and sing songs until I fell asleep peacefully and carefree. I deserved that and so much more. Childhood trauma runs deep y'all. Take the time to process what you went through and if you are ready and want to (forcing yourself to go doesn't make it better or "work"), seeking therapy or counseling on CPTSD and Neglect is a great start. Also finding support groups from mentors and survivors as well can be a way to build up connections and find a source of grounding and support. Take care of yourselves and take it easy. Take it one day at a time and hey you are still here. I'm still here too, things will even out in the end as they are supposed to.

[@Cat-the-dragon]

Everything about Opal hits way, way to close to home for me. I pretty much had this exact sort of family dynamic when I was a kid. Alcoholic father, narcissistic mother, sick grandma who smoked a lot. My dad and grandma both passed away and my mom is becoming a combination of all three. I know exactly how Claire feels, the things she went thru. How hopeless it all feels. Using escapism to cope with everything that going on. It is truly a hell I would never wish on anyone.

[@bingobunny7862]

No one should have to deal with it, you shouldn’t have to and I’m glad you’ve made it this far. Keep going! I see you, even as a stranger on the internet.

[@twingames8499]

If all kids need parents, then all kids need god. That’s because god is our father and we need him in our lives. Looking back to the family in opal there are ways that the family could have been changed for the better by Christ. The blind grandfather would be thankful for his life and his daughter, who he would treat with the kindness of Christ. The narcissistic dad would be able to find comfort in Christ and realize that life isn’t all about how you look or how others think you look. And would instead follow Christ instead of himself. Even the addicted mother would be able to find comfort in Christ by venting her troubles to him and finding comfort and healing through Christ. Even the sprouts of the seeds of faith would do wonders for the family, let alone the tree that will come from the seeds. Let us all therefore follow Christ and see his greatness and glory.

[@noripowell6385]

Growing up my dad beat me every night after work. My mom would abuse me with her words. I grew up being bullied and without solid friends. It's safe to say that I was abused and didn't develop correctly. I now have the firm belief that I'm just a tool to be used by everyone because that's all I knew growing up. I was taught to make ramen at an early age and left to fend for myself. Child abuse has more impact on a child then I think anyone truly realizes unless you yourself has been abused in some way. I'm glad I clicked on this video to see it

[@miserablepumpkin9453]

I know it's just words, but please remember you are human. You have needs and fears and dislikes, and you didn't deserve to be used and abused by everyone around you. I hope you find the support and compassion you need

[@Tionaintown876]

How do you manage? Sometimes it feels like this stuff is impossible to overcome

[@noripowell6385]

@@Tionaintown876 tbh very poorly. I isolate and I drink my pain away a lot of the times. I sit in my room and play video games instead of having hobbies that require me to go outside. Realistically I'm all levels of messed up but I just pretend I'm okay and do for others instead of myself

[@Johnathan777]

@@noripowell6385 same bro same

[@berdan2810]

​@@noripowell6385Please man, get help, go to therapy i know im just a guy on the internet but please, for your own sake, get help

[@tylerf8518]

one of my favorite stories from Jack stauber can't wait

[@kyrohowe3156]

At first, I only know him for his music but never the animated shorts

[@tylerf8518]

@@kyrohowe3156 same and then I feel down the rabbit hole

[@friedyt]

One thing you missed is that in the beginning when there are the flashy musical songs playing over the cigarrettes/tv, mirrors, and pills, each one was compared to its counterpart to contrast reality from their coping mechanisms to show that claire isn't the only one suffering in the household...

[@friedyt]

Also, each member of the household was later on shown living in their old fantasy worlds (grandpa talked about himself living in the TV, for example), like claire lives in the billboard, and claire is the one who always 'ruins' it by interrupting it and pulling them back to reality, as do the lights on the billboard for claire.

[@LudiusQuassas]

This short always makes me think why is the issue of abusive households so widespread? The fact that this is relatable to so many is a big problem. Like, I don't even want to start a debate but it's quite striking. But staying on topic, this short is fantastic. Everything just seems to be into place to draw you in this grand narrative of the sorrowful tale of a lonely, hopeless little girl.

[@aishadelva1623]

BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SELF CENTERED AND THAT DOESNT STOP WITH THEIR KIDS THEY WORRY ABOUT THEMSELVES FIRST BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THEIR OWN LIFE

[@buliontro]

Usually the cycle of abuse is a never ending loop where traumatized children themselves repeat the same trauma their parents gave to them. You can only really stop it when people decide to be better than their parents. Which is definitely why our parenting methods have changed in recent times, versus a few years back it being normal to abuse children.

[@Griot-Guild]

Abusive government

[@jbgibbons3423]

Caused by atheism in modern society. People these days don't think something is immoral and wrong to do unless they get caught and it damages their reputation. People need to remember that God is always watching for both good and bad actions.

[@jbgibbons3423]

​@@buliontro parenting methods are getting worse. These modern helicopter moms are responsible for all the social anxiety going on these days. Kids are less able to act like kids than ever before. Their parents are forcing them to be political propaganda tools.

[@dedguysrule3791]

I love how in the "We See You, Opal." Song, they say her troubles are Miles away, quite literally referring to the fact she sees herself in this place, and that her home is miles away from the burger joint. I also like to think that she dances after getting the burger because she's seen others on TV dance. Afterall there's not really anything else dance related in the short besides that scene and the Grandpas song, which ironically is in front of a TV. Which could possibly mean she saw an advertisement too, where the real Opal danced after receiving her burger, since fast food commercials can get pretty crazy like that. Though perhaps that's a bit of a stretch.

[@dedguysrule3791]

@A O True a ratio against myself.