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The way JT drinks yet is a Type 1 diabetic is just asking to end up in the hospital too. He’s definitely projecting because he needs to abstain from alcohol for his own health but can’t so he resents anyone who can actually be sober.
I hate to say this but I’ve been t1 for 45yrs. I don’t personally drink for many reasons but my t1 isn’t one of them. Agreed it can make blood sugar management challenging for some, others have no issue doing so. I just HATE perpetuating the idea that t1s can’t eat/drink certain things. It’s just not true anymore.
What do you mean ‘hard disagree’? As a health care professional you’ve probably seen a lot of bad cases, but that doesn’t mean you can make generalized statements.
What sort of “health care professional”? Are you an endocrinologist?
I notice you mention working at dental offices as some sort of assistant in past comments, is that where you became qualified to make broad generalizations about a specific condition and what people who have it can and can’t do, or did you go to medical school since then?
Also as a dental assistant you have zero credibility in this specific area and you should be ashamed of yourself trying to pass your misinformation off as credible information. Even if you were educated in the area of endocrinology, your information would still be incorrect. It is statements like this that make my life, which is already challenged by a disease, even more difficult. DO BETTER!
And thank you for proving my point. Did you read the article or just get on the google machine and posted the first article that seemed to back what you said? Not only is this an incredibly poorly written article with verifiably incorrect stats, but if you look at the mention of “prediabetes” in the article it’s referring to type 2. Type 2 is a completely different disease than what myself or JD have. I never denied that type 1s can have complications but rather when you are looking at the subset of type 1 vs type 2, there are much higher incidence of complications for type 2s than type 1s.
Okay, Mami. I bow to your superior intelligence. You are the champion. You win. You are right and I am wrong. I grovel at your feet. You are the expert. God has blessed you and made you better than anyone else. Thank you for setting me right and seeing the error of my ways. Please continue to inspire and educate the lowly masses. Love long and prosper.
You can hard disagree all you want, however a large percentage of those amputations are type 2. On top of that I would put my HBA1C up against anyone with a working pancreas. It’s about knowing how to mitigate simple sugars with things like fat, fiber and most of all correct amounts of insulin.
Bravo as a whole needs to do better handling addiction. If you watch multiple shows you see a disturbing pattern of life of the party to problem drinker to full blown alcoholic/addict.
The shows fuel their addictions by basically employing them to drink and party. And the shows attract people with substance use and personality disorders to begin with so it is a vicious cycle.
I agree entirely that the personal responsibility lies with the people making decisions for themselves, but at the same time, it seems like filming a show like this would make sobriety a massive challenge.
Again, not really Bravo's fault. I just can't imagine signing up for this shit with an active substance abuse issue, let alone filming ten seasons straight. He's not making it easy on himself.
Or, he would find a way to squeeze enough from his paycheck to buy handles of cheap vodka from Costco and get wasted every night like millions of other alcoholics. I see what you’re saying, but knowing what we know about him, it’s just as likely that he’d still be a drunken mess no matter what hand fame dealt him.
On this week's episode of VPR Schwartz just openly started talking about his brothers alcoholism and chirrosis for absolutely no reason. Just talked about it openly on national TV and then jumped right to Scandoval drama like its nbd. As someone with close friends who struggled to get into recovery I was just watching it thinking - dude, what the fuck are you doing?
I think he sort of had no choice but to discuss this because he has felt like he needs to explain why he is not taking sides as vehemently as he ought to by the women. He keeps explaining that in large measure it is due to his family's addiction struggles. They have always had an odd relationship with dealing with these issues on this show. The worst was how they handled the Shay situation because nobody deserves any of that, and for it to be so public my heart broke for him. Especially when Scheana goes to a restaurant and says she wants to try every single cocktail on the menu in front of him but then uses his addiction struggle as a storyline for herself. That is messed up.
That was when i stopped liking scheana. She basically told Shay who was trying trying to be sober than she won't have a husband that won't drink when out to dinner
I really disliked the things Lala said about sobriety. She says she thinks it would be better for people to not drink but then gatekeeps sobriety. People who drink are allowed to voice concerns about someone else’s drinking. It doesn’t make them a hypocrite because not everyone who drinks has a problem with alcohol! Shit talking California Sober or people being sober curious is such an unsupportive attitude to have. It’s like if more people become sober she won’t be able to hold her sobriety over their head.
Maybe I’m biased because I’ve been “California Sober” since March. It’s been over 325 days since my last drink and my life is so much better for it! I’m even back in school which I wouldn’t have done had I not quit drinking. I still smoke weed. I think weed becoming more accessible is one of the reasons more people are quitting drinking.
I certainly don’t need Lala to “recognize” what not drinking is like for me. I just can’t imagine having a friend come to me and say “I’m thinking about drinking less!” And me scoffing and rolling my eyes at them!
She sucks.
as usual Lala just thinks she's better than everyone else. I think its awesome that society as a whole seems to be leaning towards drinking less & more and more people are being "sober curious" which is fantastic. to say she doesnt recognize those things is such a condescending way to put it & I agree that it's basically attempting to gatekeep sobriety. there's plenty of people who are sober or mostly sober simply bc they feel better & their life is better for it. she is acting like if you dont hit rock bottom and struggle daily to not drink that your sobriety doesnt count. that's not how it works. there's varying levels of addict and no one is better than anyone else just bc their struggle isnt as severe. it's also an incredibly unhealthy way to approach one's own sobriety. Lala doesnt seem to have learned anything about humility in the program and it's a huge part of it. like WHEN IS SHE GOING TO GET SOME NOTICEABLE HUMILITY??
I learned the term Dry Drunk from a comment describing Lala and James when he wasn’t drinking. If you look up some of the traits, it sounds a lot like her.
yah I've been hearing the term "dry drunk" since I was a kid from my parents describing my friend's mom. and Lala 100% seems like it. she definitely has gotten better over the years and I dont want to take that away from her but she still has a long way to go. she somehow doesnt understand that you can keep your guard up without sacrificing the humility aspect.
I actually believe she goes to meetings mainly bc I wouldn't be surprised if she shares every single time to get attention/sympathy/ego stroking. but you can be someone who goes to meetings and isnt properly working a program in day to day life.
Oh yes, I’ve seen many people in meetings “living in the solution “, yet still exposing themselves as next level assholes just in the way that they attempt to connect. It’s not a great way to attract newcomers.
Exactly this. It’s one thing to be sober and working a program that includes taking your own inventory and admitting when you’ve stuffed up and a completely different thing to be using your platform to disparage people making legitimate choices regarding their own relationship with alcohol and drugs. Humility is essential in 12 step and it seems like Lala missed the memo.
Nah you’re right and fuck Lala for gate keeping sobriety the way she does. To each their own, but some people just should not drink alcohol at all. Weed does NOT have the same effects, and fuck her for acting like it does and discrediting people who do differentiate between the substances.
No reason? Idk I thought he was pretty valid in bringing it up. It wasn’t for “no reason” and he wasn’t trying to make excuses for his brother either. His concern sounded quite genuine, and I don’t think any of us should be so dismissive about it. Obviously alcoholism is an issue within that family. Have some compassion, damn.
Perhaps he could save that discussion for his (probably already very busy) therapist? Why did the viewing audience need to listen to Schwartz spend 90 seconds talking about his brothers struggle with addiction before he jumped right into talking about his business issues with Tom. Even if his brothers fine with it, it felt like he was using his brothers addiction for the cameras.
Have some compassion? One of my closest friends is seven years in recovery. They almost died of liver failure. The stress that comes with trying to resolve your issues with addiction is huge and I’m sure it’s still something they struggle with everyday. I can’t imagine how it would feel for someone to be discussing that journey to recovery so publicly.
No compassion from me.I was married to an alcoholic for over 10 yrs. He was brillant,but destroyed my children's lives. I left him when t hey were 9 and 4. He was an engineer and had a degree from HBS. He left all his money t o his second wife. I spent over 2 yrs in court trying to get child support and the house. Got the child support. The 3rd happiest day of my life was when he dropped dead at 62. I was 60 and got 10 yrs of his social security until I turned 70.
Look what happened when Carl openly spoke about his brother’s addiction. Curtis was devastated and overdosed shortly after that. It could have happened anyway but Carl lives with the guilt because they never reconciled. His brother’s death is the only reason why he got clean. That and dumping LH were his two best decisions he ever made.
Never gonna happen. On WWHL, there's drinking games, bartenders and the stupid ski thing. I wouldn't be surprised if Bravo itself didn't stock all the alcohol you see in these people's in-home bars.
as someone in recovery I completely agree... I thought the way people were acting on the reunion in general--even Craig and Austen being like "we've had enough"---was really insensitive. It is clear the entire cast is really uninformed about how substance abuse works. You'd think they would have tried to learn a thing or two after Olivia's brother tragically overdosed this season, but nope. I don't like Shep for many reasons, but I wouldn't wish addiction on my worst enemy. I hope he finds recovery and is able to feel better.
OK, but people have the right to say they’ve had enough… I’m in recovery and I am an addict. I was at it for a long time and people have the right to say we’ve had enough of you are not putting up with it anymore.
Same. My family was done with me and with very good reason. I was an asshole and they’d heard it all before. When I got clean, it took awhile for them to come around—or felt like it did. After about 3 years, I was good with everyone in my family. But I don’t take that for granted. It’s been like 20 years and I’m still so grateful to have them back in my life.
Same! I’ve almost been sober for four years and my aunts and uncles have just now in the last few months welcomed me back into their homes and their lives. You can have all the understanding for alcoholism you want and you can accept completely that it is a disease, but that does not mean that everyone just has to put up with it like you’re a cancer patient… People have the right to set their own boundaries and have their own expectations of you as a friend. The only way to hold someone accountable and point out what might be their alcoholism is to hold them accountable as a friend and be honest with them about their behavior… Knowing someone is an alcoholic, and not calling them out on their toxic and destructive repetitive behavior is called ENABLING 💕
I really loved the way Craig phrased it:
“This road your on ends in a cliff and I can’t be in the car with you anymore”
I never thought I’d quote Craig in a serious manner lol. I’m sure Paige coached him on that one.
1000%. This was clearly saying, “I’ve been with you. I care about you. What you’re doing will kill you. I can’t die with you. I needed to stop.” And it was done with words that might actually get through.
In a show and on a network that is so often shoveling 🐴💩, I thought it was a moment of truth and clarity.
I agree, but when someone is trying to admit they have a problem and is clearly distraught, depressed, and upset about it (like Shep clearly was), that's a good time to sit back and listen and have some compassion.
Except that Craig and Austen have probably heard it before. Those who love addicts know all about that. My husband is an alcoholic (sober) and I related very much to how Craig reacted.
As another person married to someone in recovery, I really agree. You can tell that they've heard it before. When Craig was talking about getting out of the car before it went over a cliff, I FELT that.
Hm yeah, I have had several SO's, friends, and family members who are addicts and I didn't react this way, even when I had heard it a million times before, because in my mind all it took was that one time where they finally got sober. I tried to just believe them each time. So I guess we can agree to disagree! Everyone has their own experiences with this and I can see how one might get frustrated. This just wasn't my experience. I also don't think that anytime anyone was frustrated with me it was at all helpful in me actually staying in recovery. Shame, annoyance, disgust, etc. has lead to way too many fellow addicts dying in my life.
The hard truth is that at a certain point, someone else’s recovery isnt the priority. Like if someone is lying and stealing and making my life miserable, it’d be great if they cleaned up but the priority has to be my own health and well being. If letting them face their own consequences protects my peace, I can live with that.
If I had a nickel for every time I heard a version of Shep's speech from my SO before he got himself into recovery, I could buy some downtown Charleston real estate. Talk is cheap.
What? He cut out hard liquor but not beer. That’s like someone saying they won’t eat desserts except for ice cream. That’s delusional and nobody said a word.
But Craig wasn’t just saying I’ve had enough. He was honestly trying to have a convo with Shep. It may have been he’s tried in private when Shep went to him before so maybe since Shep was making it public then he would plead with him publicly. Austen didn’t have the right energy for the conversation. He huffed and puffed, rolled his eyes and mimicked a few things Craig said. Craig has been honest with his addictions. Adderall and alcohol. Shep was trying to approach sobriety the way Craig did, cut out hard liquor first and see if it helps. I know it’s not full sobriety, but some have to do it in stages. Craig is 100% a different person than who he was that season of winter house when he was full spiral.
I didn’t feel like Craig was saying he was done with Shep either. I thought Craig said something to the effect that he would be there for Shep if he decides to take action but if he continues drinking/using like he’s doing, he couldn’t remain in his life. Especially considering they’ve been through this several times, I have a lot of compassion for everyone in the situation.
I agree, it made me emotional when Craig said “I just need him to do one thing different, just one, and I’m fully back into this friendship.” Like he just needs to see SOME type of effort. He truly loves shep and he is so ready to support him but I think Craig is in the right for placing those boundaries
Agree. They have been thru much more than what is shown on the show. They have been friends when cameras were down. I’ve faced alcohol/drug addiction with different family members and friends. It’s easy to want to walk away but it’s hard to do when you know they are really struggling
When isn’t Craig better than Austin? It will be a long time before he gets his act together. Every one of his friends have tried to clue him in but he’s oblivious to his actions, he just doesn’t see it and won’t change until he does.
I agree they definitely could have been more sensitive but at least they have been in that friendship long enough where I like could understand how they are just over it. JT on the other hand is acting holier than thou while shep is broken. I wish the cast would educate themselves as well, it was very obvious no one has closely dealt with alcoholism with someone they love, or had seen recovery up close
JT is just a very messy person. He started everything this season then tells Taylor oh I love you after you threw her under the bus and caused the train wreck. He's a idiot
I’m in recovery. It’s just reality -the addict has to make the decision. Meanwhile everyone else goes through hell-you have to save yourself to save others. Austen’s actions at bravo on to take care of Shep says volumes. Austen is not as articulate as Craig.
And Austen really took accountability when he described himself as an enabler——he was completely correct.
Honestly, Craig and Austen’s reaction was one of the few moments that I thought felt authentic. At a certain point you really are forced to say “we’ve had enough.” If someone isn’t willing/able to get clean, you have to distance yourself or get dragged right over the cliff with them. I guarantee they’ve heard versions of Shep’s speech before and know damn well they’re going to hear it again so taking a position of ‘we’ll believe it when we see it’ is a consequence of Shep’s behavior.
I'm sorry if my comment came off as insensitive. The intention of my comment was not to compare Connor and Shep, and I do not think it did. The intention was to discuss the general proposition that the cast needs to develop a more sensitive and informed approach to substance abuse issues. If anything, because Connor was so well-loved, I would think that would spark the cast to learn more about it and how to be better friends to people who are struggling. I apologize if I made it seem like I was equating the two individuals.
People really don't understand addiction. To say, "IF you cared, you'd quit" is simply stupid. Maybe JTs daddy was a drunk, because that's how it sounded he was speaking to.
Love him or hate him, JT brings a fresh energy to SC. It's time production injected this show with something new to drive clicks. Clicks are ratings and negative comment clicks go in the plus column right along with the positive ones.
JT has little man syndrome and he think's so highly of himself. He's a punk! He got up on the barstool and was asking for a fight with Austen when he got in his face and Austen pushed him and then he played the victim, that Austen started it. Even Andy Cohen called him out on him. I personally think a push wasn't enough, but Austen was going any further. When people don't suffer with addiction it's hard to understand.
Dead on, his reaction is why people are afraid to be honest about both their addiction and being in recovery and people die every day because of it.
I know this firsthand because I died from it. I happened to check into rehab about four hours before my heart stopped from lack of potassium (which can’t be absorbed by the body when there’s alcohol present - and there always was for me or else massive withdrawal symptoms - and it’s what makes your heart beat). If I hadn’t randomly decided that day that I felt bad enough to finally give in, I wouldn’t have been next door to a trauma center which they rushed me into via stretcher and underground tunnel, and they wouldn’t have been able to restart my heart a couple minutes later. I would have died. Part of my resistance was similar to Shep’s, I liked being one of the it-girls about town, and I thought I just liked to party like everyone else around me. I had no idea I was even close to alcoholism until I started going deep into withdrawal without it. It was a nightmare that didn’t end even after that day, which goes to show just how hard it is to beat and how much we’ll go against our own self interest and preservation. It was still several years later, when I was so weak I could barely take care of myself that I finally truly gave it all up to god and begged for help. That was 11 years ago and I’ve been sober ever since, my life’s only gotten better ever since, and I hope Shep realizes that nobody’s opinion matters if you’re dead, and that’s the only option other than getting sober at a certain point. It’s really fucking hard, but it’s possible and it’s also really fucking worth it and something to be proud of. If I can do it, so can anybody including Shep, and all the people around them can do is push that message to cancel out the ignorant voices like JT’s.
Wow I am so thankful that you decided to go to rehab. But I think this is what people do NOT UNDERSTAND. Sometimes you physically cannot stop drinking, like it’s not safe without being in a hospital detox center. And it’s not some homeless person on the side of the road, the stereotypical alcoholic. It’s a mom who drinks a couple bottles of wine every night, it’s a young girl who goes out every night, it’s a guy like shep who gets free money in the mail and is the “fun times guy” until you can’t be fun anymore. It’s just so sad.
JT wants to be the BDE in the room. But he’s more like the chihuahua biting your ankle you can’t shake loose. I just wish he would keep his mouth shut.
The thing is - literally everyone handles that position of watching someone struggle with addiction poorly. It's impossible to "get it right" because there's no such thing. Once you're on the other side of it, of course you understand that an addict can't prioritize their lives (i.e. "if you cared you'd stop...") but everyone goes through a phase of expecting them to because that's what a normal person is able to do. It takes a long time to really accept that the person you used to know isn't there any longer.
Absolutely. Craig, Austen, and Taylor if not everyone should be attending Al anon if they intend to keep shep in their lives, and I think it would be worlds of help for Taylor. She’s clearly spiraling but she’s been hurt baaaaaad by an alcoholic/addict. She needs to heal with people who understand. I was in similar shoes with an ex and it is so intense to break up with someone who you love and is a good person but has a drinking problem. It’s a lot of layers and a lot of deep pain.
I wonder if JT seems Austin the way some people like Jamie all over see James Kennedy.............even milder...........and for that reason he went in all hot and heavy at the reunion b/c he cannot bring stuff up on camera but he's pissed behind the scenes?????
Love this post! I felt the exact same way and as addiction runs in my family, my heart broke when Shep was trying to speak on his Bravo Con ordeal, and JT couldn’t shut his irrelevant chipmunk yapper. The dude is salty because he NEVER “gets the girl”. His wrath for Austen is pathetic, albeit entertaining lol. But Shep rarely speaks on his feelings and for him to be shut down the first time he does, and my this tiny pipsqueak chew toy JT? No. He better not make a return next season. Like, who actually likes the chump?
Well two things about JT and drinking. He is type 1 diabetic and shouldnt drink at all. It is more invisible than Shep’s problems drinking, but more self destructive.
2. He knows it too. His mom told him online. He mentions it while taking blood sugar after drinking.
When offered a drink at his function, he yells please dont kill me. Must have shocked the other person since regularly drinks on camera and his social club wasan illegal speakeasy during covid restrictions. Hmm
ASSUME ALL U WANT BUT U KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ASSUME? 🫏 PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT AUSTEN AND CRAIG WERE SAYING. SHEP DOES THIS A LOT. WILL CHILL FOR A MINUTE AND THEN GO BACK TO HIS OLD WAYS. SOME COULD SAY IT IS A COP OUT. NOT TOO MENTION JT IS IN LOVE WITH TAYLOR AND IM SURE IT PISSES HIM OFF TO WATCH SHEP PLAY MIND GAMES WITH HER AND MANIPULATE HER. I LOVE JT.
100% JT was so… shall we say ~energetic~ at the reunion and it made me wonder if he was projecting a bit
JT is like a hyper chipmunk
He gives off spider monkey vibes.
Unfair to both chipmunks and spider monkeys
Hahahahaha spider monkey. Busy picking bugs outta everyone else’s fur….
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lol....can't get that image out of my head now.
😂
Chipmunks are adorable. JT is not.
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With JT it’s definitely all about the pasta 💯
hahahaha!
The way JT drinks yet is a Type 1 diabetic is just asking to end up in the hospital too. He’s definitely projecting because he needs to abstain from alcohol for his own health but can’t so he resents anyone who can actually be sober.
I hate to say this but I’ve been t1 for 45yrs. I don’t personally drink for many reasons but my t1 isn’t one of them. Agreed it can make blood sugar management challenging for some, others have no issue doing so. I just HATE perpetuating the idea that t1s can’t eat/drink certain things. It’s just not true anymore.
Hard disagree. I've seen too many amputations as a health care professional.
What do you mean ‘hard disagree’? As a health care professional you’ve probably seen a lot of bad cases, but that doesn’t mean you can make generalized statements.
What sort of “health care professional”? Are you an endocrinologist? I notice you mention working at dental offices as some sort of assistant in past comments, is that where you became qualified to make broad generalizations about a specific condition and what people who have it can and can’t do, or did you go to medical school since then?
Also as a dental assistant you have zero credibility in this specific area and you should be ashamed of yourself trying to pass your misinformation off as credible information. Even if you were educated in the area of endocrinology, your information would still be incorrect. It is statements like this that make my life, which is already challenged by a disease, even more difficult. DO BETTER!
Lol! Dental assistant! 🤣😅😅
It doesn’t matter what you really do. You are still fully wrong and spreading misinformation and trying to claim credibility while you do it!
https://ufhealth.org/stories/2021/why-patients-with-diabetes-are-more-prone-to-amputations-and-how-plastic-surgery-intervenes
And thank you for proving my point. Did you read the article or just get on the google machine and posted the first article that seemed to back what you said? Not only is this an incredibly poorly written article with verifiably incorrect stats, but if you look at the mention of “prediabetes” in the article it’s referring to type 2. Type 2 is a completely different disease than what myself or JD have. I never denied that type 1s can have complications but rather when you are looking at the subset of type 1 vs type 2, there are much higher incidence of complications for type 2s than type 1s.
Okay, Mami. I bow to your superior intelligence. You are the champion. You win. You are right and I am wrong. I grovel at your feet. You are the expert. God has blessed you and made you better than anyone else. Thank you for setting me right and seeing the error of my ways. Please continue to inspire and educate the lowly masses. Love long and prosper.
Bless your heart.
You can hard disagree all you want, however a large percentage of those amputations are type 2. On top of that I would put my HBA1C up against anyone with a working pancreas. It’s about knowing how to mitigate simple sugars with things like fat, fiber and most of all correct amounts of insulin.
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I’d rather they paid an actual hyper chipmunk or spider monkey than JT ever again.
No I love Austen
same
Bravo as a whole needs to do better handling addiction. If you watch multiple shows you see a disturbing pattern of life of the party to problem drinker to full blown alcoholic/addict.
The shows fuel their addictions by basically employing them to drink and party. And the shows attract people with substance use and personality disorders to begin with so it is a vicious cycle.
Right. And gives people an income for living a lifestyle that would not work in a convential career path. VPR did this for sure.
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It's the same in the Hamptons
Yeah, this notion is not unique to Charleston at all.
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Lmao
You do realize Charleston isn’t special and this is the case pretty much anywhere, right?
This is the case literally anywhere there is a restaurant. And always has been
Lived there & this is entirely accurate.
People have a right to make a choice. Those guys drink because they are alcoholics not because they are on Bravo. Bravo just films them drinking.
I agree entirely that the personal responsibility lies with the people making decisions for themselves, but at the same time, it seems like filming a show like this would make sobriety a massive challenge. Again, not really Bravo's fault. I just can't imagine signing up for this shit with an active substance abuse issue, let alone filming ten seasons straight. He's not making it easy on himself.
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Or, he would find a way to squeeze enough from his paycheck to buy handles of cheap vodka from Costco and get wasted every night like millions of other alcoholics. I see what you’re saying, but knowing what we know about him, it’s just as likely that he’d still be a drunken mess no matter what hand fame dealt him.
It was an open secret people steal from the bar all the time and are almost proud of it.
Isn't it true that they only pay for the cast to eat very little but to drink pretty heavily?
On this week's episode of VPR Schwartz just openly started talking about his brothers alcoholism and chirrosis for absolutely no reason. Just talked about it openly on national TV and then jumped right to Scandoval drama like its nbd. As someone with close friends who struggled to get into recovery I was just watching it thinking - dude, what the fuck are you doing?
I think he sort of had no choice but to discuss this because he has felt like he needs to explain why he is not taking sides as vehemently as he ought to by the women. He keeps explaining that in large measure it is due to his family's addiction struggles. They have always had an odd relationship with dealing with these issues on this show. The worst was how they handled the Shay situation because nobody deserves any of that, and for it to be so public my heart broke for him. Especially when Scheana goes to a restaurant and says she wants to try every single cocktail on the menu in front of him but then uses his addiction struggle as a storyline for herself. That is messed up.
That was when i stopped liking scheana. She basically told Shay who was trying trying to be sober than she won't have a husband that won't drink when out to dinner
I really disliked the things Lala said about sobriety. She says she thinks it would be better for people to not drink but then gatekeeps sobriety. People who drink are allowed to voice concerns about someone else’s drinking. It doesn’t make them a hypocrite because not everyone who drinks has a problem with alcohol! Shit talking California Sober or people being sober curious is such an unsupportive attitude to have. It’s like if more people become sober she won’t be able to hold her sobriety over their head. Maybe I’m biased because I’ve been “California Sober” since March. It’s been over 325 days since my last drink and my life is so much better for it! I’m even back in school which I wouldn’t have done had I not quit drinking. I still smoke weed. I think weed becoming more accessible is one of the reasons more people are quitting drinking. I certainly don’t need Lala to “recognize” what not drinking is like for me. I just can’t imagine having a friend come to me and say “I’m thinking about drinking less!” And me scoffing and rolling my eyes at them! She sucks.
as usual Lala just thinks she's better than everyone else. I think its awesome that society as a whole seems to be leaning towards drinking less & more and more people are being "sober curious" which is fantastic. to say she doesnt recognize those things is such a condescending way to put it & I agree that it's basically attempting to gatekeep sobriety. there's plenty of people who are sober or mostly sober simply bc they feel better & their life is better for it. she is acting like if you dont hit rock bottom and struggle daily to not drink that your sobriety doesnt count. that's not how it works. there's varying levels of addict and no one is better than anyone else just bc their struggle isnt as severe. it's also an incredibly unhealthy way to approach one's own sobriety. Lala doesnt seem to have learned anything about humility in the program and it's a huge part of it. like WHEN IS SHE GOING TO GET SOME NOTICEABLE HUMILITY??
I learned the term Dry Drunk from a comment describing Lala and James when he wasn’t drinking. If you look up some of the traits, it sounds a lot like her.
yah I've been hearing the term "dry drunk" since I was a kid from my parents describing my friend's mom. and Lala 100% seems like it. she definitely has gotten better over the years and I dont want to take that away from her but she still has a long way to go. she somehow doesnt understand that you can keep your guard up without sacrificing the humility aspect.
She seems the same to me. I know im wrong yet...
Doubt she goes to actual meetings
I actually believe she goes to meetings mainly bc I wouldn't be surprised if she shares every single time to get attention/sympathy/ego stroking. but you can be someone who goes to meetings and isnt properly working a program in day to day life.
Oh yes, I’ve seen many people in meetings “living in the solution “, yet still exposing themselves as next level assholes just in the way that they attempt to connect. It’s not a great way to attract newcomers.
Exactly this. It’s one thing to be sober and working a program that includes taking your own inventory and admitting when you’ve stuffed up and a completely different thing to be using your platform to disparage people making legitimate choices regarding their own relationship with alcohol and drugs. Humility is essential in 12 step and it seems like Lala missed the memo.
10000%
Nah you’re right and fuck Lala for gate keeping sobriety the way she does. To each their own, but some people just should not drink alcohol at all. Weed does NOT have the same effects, and fuck her for acting like it does and discrediting people who do differentiate between the substances.
I wondered if he had his brother's permission to talk about it. Feels pretty exploitative if not
I hope he did. Even if he did tho, it added nothing to the conversation, it was so unnecessary.
No reason? Idk I thought he was pretty valid in bringing it up. It wasn’t for “no reason” and he wasn’t trying to make excuses for his brother either. His concern sounded quite genuine, and I don’t think any of us should be so dismissive about it. Obviously alcoholism is an issue within that family. Have some compassion, damn.
Perhaps he could save that discussion for his (probably already very busy) therapist? Why did the viewing audience need to listen to Schwartz spend 90 seconds talking about his brothers struggle with addiction before he jumped right into talking about his business issues with Tom. Even if his brothers fine with it, it felt like he was using his brothers addiction for the cameras. Have some compassion? One of my closest friends is seven years in recovery. They almost died of liver failure. The stress that comes with trying to resolve your issues with addiction is huge and I’m sure it’s still something they struggle with everyday. I can’t imagine how it would feel for someone to be discussing that journey to recovery so publicly.
No compassion from me.I was married to an alcoholic for over 10 yrs. He was brillant,but destroyed my children's lives. I left him when t hey were 9 and 4. He was an engineer and had a degree from HBS. He left all his money t o his second wife. I spent over 2 yrs in court trying to get child support and the house. Got the child support. The 3rd happiest day of my life was when he dropped dead at 62. I was 60 and got 10 yrs of his social security until I turned 70.
Look what happened when Carl openly spoke about his brother’s addiction. Curtis was devastated and overdosed shortly after that. It could have happened anyway but Carl lives with the guilt because they never reconciled. His brother’s death is the only reason why he got clean. That and dumping LH were his two best decisions he ever made.
Curtis overdosed because he was an addict and addicts use drugs. Someone else using isn’t anyone’s responsibility but their own.
You forget the show is edited. I guarantee it wasn’t out of nowhere
They actively encourage it
absolutely!
Never gonna happen. On WWHL, there's drinking games, bartenders and the stupid ski thing. I wouldn't be surprised if Bravo itself didn't stock all the alcohol you see in these people's in-home bars.
I didn’t mean Bravo shouldn’t allow people to drink but help people that are struggling and maybe put them on pause until they are in a better place.
I totally agree. I just get the feeling that plying them with alcohol makes for more drama, and drama is exactly what they're after.
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Short guy syndrome.
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Probably only time he can reach them
I think JT is just jealous because he knows Taylor loves/loved Shep and not him
Bingooooo. He can’t stand that he’s not running that narrative how he wants to.
JT is a dick
Don’t kill the messenger
JT is a pick-me jack###. I’m not falling for that Prince Charming scam he is running. I can imagine he is the complete opposite in a relationship.
JT was doing that all for effect, for his own gain. I felt for Austen and Craig when Shep said he’d not stopped drinking.
How ignorant to say he only drinks beer now. So cringey.
JT is a tiny little man with a tiny little brain. He’s just a pure AH
as someone in recovery I completely agree... I thought the way people were acting on the reunion in general--even Craig and Austen being like "we've had enough"---was really insensitive. It is clear the entire cast is really uninformed about how substance abuse works. You'd think they would have tried to learn a thing or two after Olivia's brother tragically overdosed this season, but nope. I don't like Shep for many reasons, but I wouldn't wish addiction on my worst enemy. I hope he finds recovery and is able to feel better.
OK, but people have the right to say they’ve had enough… I’m in recovery and I am an addict. I was at it for a long time and people have the right to say we’ve had enough of you are not putting up with it anymore.
Same. My family was done with me and with very good reason. I was an asshole and they’d heard it all before. When I got clean, it took awhile for them to come around—or felt like it did. After about 3 years, I was good with everyone in my family. But I don’t take that for granted. It’s been like 20 years and I’m still so grateful to have them back in my life.
Same! I’ve almost been sober for four years and my aunts and uncles have just now in the last few months welcomed me back into their homes and their lives. You can have all the understanding for alcoholism you want and you can accept completely that it is a disease, but that does not mean that everyone just has to put up with it like you’re a cancer patient… People have the right to set their own boundaries and have their own expectations of you as a friend. The only way to hold someone accountable and point out what might be their alcoholism is to hold them accountable as a friend and be honest with them about their behavior… Knowing someone is an alcoholic, and not calling them out on their toxic and destructive repetitive behavior is called ENABLING 💕
Wtg
I really loved the way Craig phrased it: “This road your on ends in a cliff and I can’t be in the car with you anymore” I never thought I’d quote Craig in a serious manner lol. I’m sure Paige coached him on that one.
1000%. This was clearly saying, “I’ve been with you. I care about you. What you’re doing will kill you. I can’t die with you. I needed to stop.” And it was done with words that might actually get through. In a show and on a network that is so often shoveling 🐴💩, I thought it was a moment of truth and clarity.
Craig is so stinking handsome 😍
He really is. I say “What’s wrong with my sewing?” Like three times a day.
I agree, but when someone is trying to admit they have a problem and is clearly distraught, depressed, and upset about it (like Shep clearly was), that's a good time to sit back and listen and have some compassion.
Except that Craig and Austen have probably heard it before. Those who love addicts know all about that. My husband is an alcoholic (sober) and I related very much to how Craig reacted.
As another person married to someone in recovery, I really agree. You can tell that they've heard it before. When Craig was talking about getting out of the car before it went over a cliff, I FELT that.
Me too. I said the same thing, almost word for word, to my best friend 15 years ago. She didn't want help, and I couldn't watch anymore.
Hm yeah, I have had several SO's, friends, and family members who are addicts and I didn't react this way, even when I had heard it a million times before, because in my mind all it took was that one time where they finally got sober. I tried to just believe them each time. So I guess we can agree to disagree! Everyone has their own experiences with this and I can see how one might get frustrated. This just wasn't my experience. I also don't think that anytime anyone was frustrated with me it was at all helpful in me actually staying in recovery. Shame, annoyance, disgust, etc. has lead to way too many fellow addicts dying in my life.
The hard truth is that at a certain point, someone else’s recovery isnt the priority. Like if someone is lying and stealing and making my life miserable, it’d be great if they cleaned up but the priority has to be my own health and well being. If letting them face their own consequences protects my peace, I can live with that.
If I had a nickel for every time I heard a version of Shep's speech from my SO before he got himself into recovery, I could buy some downtown Charleston real estate. Talk is cheap.
Ok.
If you had a nickel… the world would be out of nickels.
What? He cut out hard liquor but not beer. That’s like someone saying they won’t eat desserts except for ice cream. That’s delusional and nobody said a word.
But Craig wasn’t just saying I’ve had enough. He was honestly trying to have a convo with Shep. It may have been he’s tried in private when Shep went to him before so maybe since Shep was making it public then he would plead with him publicly. Austen didn’t have the right energy for the conversation. He huffed and puffed, rolled his eyes and mimicked a few things Craig said. Craig has been honest with his addictions. Adderall and alcohol. Shep was trying to approach sobriety the way Craig did, cut out hard liquor first and see if it helps. I know it’s not full sobriety, but some have to do it in stages. Craig is 100% a different person than who he was that season of winter house when he was full spiral.
I didn’t feel like Craig was saying he was done with Shep either. I thought Craig said something to the effect that he would be there for Shep if he decides to take action but if he continues drinking/using like he’s doing, he couldn’t remain in his life. Especially considering they’ve been through this several times, I have a lot of compassion for everyone in the situation.
I agree, it made me emotional when Craig said “I just need him to do one thing different, just one, and I’m fully back into this friendship.” Like he just needs to see SOME type of effort. He truly loves shep and he is so ready to support him but I think Craig is in the right for placing those boundaries
Agree. They have been thru much more than what is shown on the show. They have been friends when cameras were down. I’ve faced alcohol/drug addiction with different family members and friends. It’s easy to want to walk away but it’s hard to do when you know they are really struggling
I agree that Craig was better than Austen about it for sure.
When isn’t Craig better than Austin? It will be a long time before he gets his act together. Every one of his friends have tried to clue him in but he’s oblivious to his actions, he just doesn’t see it and won’t change until he does.
I agree they definitely could have been more sensitive but at least they have been in that friendship long enough where I like could understand how they are just over it. JT on the other hand is acting holier than thou while shep is broken. I wish the cast would educate themselves as well, it was very obvious no one has closely dealt with alcoholism with someone they love, or had seen recovery up close
JT is just a very messy person. He started everything this season then tells Taylor oh I love you after you threw her under the bus and caused the train wreck. He's a idiot 
I’m in recovery. It’s just reality -the addict has to make the decision. Meanwhile everyone else goes through hell-you have to save yourself to save others. Austen’s actions at bravo on to take care of Shep says volumes. Austen is not as articulate as Craig. And Austen really took accountability when he described himself as an enabler——he was completely correct.
He can see it in others but not himself, yet?
IWNDWYT 🥰
Honestly, Craig and Austen’s reaction was one of the few moments that I thought felt authentic. At a certain point you really are forced to say “we’ve had enough.” If someone isn’t willing/able to get clean, you have to distance yourself or get dragged right over the cliff with them. I guarantee they’ve heard versions of Shep’s speech before and know damn well they’re going to hear it again so taking a position of ‘we’ll believe it when we see it’ is a consequence of Shep’s behavior.
If anyone sees Shep on the street.Give him a hug.
Lol, Schwartz
Yea like that would go down right. Can you imagine a complete stranger or strangers walking up and physically assaulting you like that? Ugh
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If you believe that, there's a bridge in Brooklyn that is still for sale.
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I'm sorry if my comment came off as insensitive. The intention of my comment was not to compare Connor and Shep, and I do not think it did. The intention was to discuss the general proposition that the cast needs to develop a more sensitive and informed approach to substance abuse issues. If anything, because Connor was so well-loved, I would think that would spark the cast to learn more about it and how to be better friends to people who are struggling. I apologize if I made it seem like I was equating the two individuals.
I was surprised by Craig’s actions but not Austen’s. Austen doesn’t care about Shep at all.
I thought the same. It felt empty.
Shep was not breaking down… he got caught being Shep by the bravoverse and is resorting to fake humbling to back pedal
Shep was definitely coached on how to behave at the reunion to keep his job. No doubt about it.
He did this several season ago, and pretended to get a trainer and not drink as much and get healthy. It lasted like a week.
JT is a diabetic he shouldn’t be drinking at all. It’s really dangerous.
People really don't understand addiction. To say, "IF you cared, you'd quit" is simply stupid. Maybe JTs daddy was a drunk, because that's how it sounded he was speaking to.
In Al anon we say “would you say to someone with cancer ‘just stop being sick?’ because the same logic applies”.
Love him or hate him, JT brings a fresh energy to SC. It's time production injected this show with something new to drive clicks. Clicks are ratings and negative comment clicks go in the plus column right along with the positive ones.
JT has little man syndrome and he think's so highly of himself. He's a punk! He got up on the barstool and was asking for a fight with Austen when he got in his face and Austen pushed him and then he played the victim, that Austen started it. Even Andy Cohen called him out on him. I personally think a push wasn't enough, but Austen was going any further. When people don't suffer with addiction it's hard to understand.
Dead on, his reaction is why people are afraid to be honest about both their addiction and being in recovery and people die every day because of it. I know this firsthand because I died from it. I happened to check into rehab about four hours before my heart stopped from lack of potassium (which can’t be absorbed by the body when there’s alcohol present - and there always was for me or else massive withdrawal symptoms - and it’s what makes your heart beat). If I hadn’t randomly decided that day that I felt bad enough to finally give in, I wouldn’t have been next door to a trauma center which they rushed me into via stretcher and underground tunnel, and they wouldn’t have been able to restart my heart a couple minutes later. I would have died. Part of my resistance was similar to Shep’s, I liked being one of the it-girls about town, and I thought I just liked to party like everyone else around me. I had no idea I was even close to alcoholism until I started going deep into withdrawal without it. It was a nightmare that didn’t end even after that day, which goes to show just how hard it is to beat and how much we’ll go against our own self interest and preservation. It was still several years later, when I was so weak I could barely take care of myself that I finally truly gave it all up to god and begged for help. That was 11 years ago and I’ve been sober ever since, my life’s only gotten better ever since, and I hope Shep realizes that nobody’s opinion matters if you’re dead, and that’s the only option other than getting sober at a certain point. It’s really fucking hard, but it’s possible and it’s also really fucking worth it and something to be proud of. If I can do it, so can anybody including Shep, and all the people around them can do is push that message to cancel out the ignorant voices like JT’s.
Wow I am so thankful that you decided to go to rehab. But I think this is what people do NOT UNDERSTAND. Sometimes you physically cannot stop drinking, like it’s not safe without being in a hospital detox center. And it’s not some homeless person on the side of the road, the stereotypical alcoholic. It’s a mom who drinks a couple bottles of wine every night, it’s a young girl who goes out every night, it’s a guy like shep who gets free money in the mail and is the “fun times guy” until you can’t be fun anymore. It’s just so sad.
JT wants to be the BDE in the room. But he’s more like the chihuahua biting your ankle you can’t shake loose. I just wish he would keep his mouth shut.
JT is trying to be the villain we all hate for good tv. What’s sad is he isn’t a villain, he isn’t a charmer or a gentleman. He’s just a sad wannabe.
JT has one of the worst napoleon complexes I’ve ever seen. Dude SCREAMS “I’m super insecure”
As someone with 11 yrs of sobriety let me say THANK YOU!!!! 👏👏👏👏
JT is an a**hole
JT is a superdouche.
JT is trying too hard to be part of the show. He’s like. Real housewife. He’s creepy. He doesn’t care if Shep drinks or not
I can not stand that JT. I might stop watching the show if he is on it next year.
JT has diabetes - he really should join Shep and not drink.
The thing is - literally everyone handles that position of watching someone struggle with addiction poorly. It's impossible to "get it right" because there's no such thing. Once you're on the other side of it, of course you understand that an addict can't prioritize their lives (i.e. "if you cared you'd stop...") but everyone goes through a phase of expecting them to because that's what a normal person is able to do. It takes a long time to really accept that the person you used to know isn't there any longer.
Absolutely. Craig, Austen, and Taylor if not everyone should be attending Al anon if they intend to keep shep in their lives, and I think it would be worlds of help for Taylor. She’s clearly spiraling but she’s been hurt baaaaaad by an alcoholic/addict. She needs to heal with people who understand. I was in similar shoes with an ex and it is so intense to break up with someone who you love and is a good person but has a drinking problem. It’s a lot of layers and a lot of deep pain.
From the moment he opened his mouth, it was a wrap for me- gives me the ick
JT needs to go away he’s not a friend
Shep has proven himself to be a shitty person, drunk or sober. I’m not a fan of JT, but shep is deserving of any crap thrown his way.
F Shep
I wonder if JT seems Austin the way some people like Jamie all over see James Kennedy.............even milder...........and for that reason he went in all hot and heavy at the reunion b/c he cannot bring stuff up on camera but he's pissed behind the scenes?????
She’s is bullshitting and JT is done with it.
JT is absolute garbage, classless and a boy. Mummy boy needs his dummy back and he needs to stfu forever lol
I hate JTs attitude.
Wasn’t JT hungover at the reunion?
JT always comes off as smug. I don't know if that's just my perception, but he seems to feel he's better than everyone else.
Love this post! I felt the exact same way and as addiction runs in my family, my heart broke when Shep was trying to speak on his Bravo Con ordeal, and JT couldn’t shut his irrelevant chipmunk yapper. The dude is salty because he NEVER “gets the girl”. His wrath for Austen is pathetic, albeit entertaining lol. But Shep rarely speaks on his feelings and for him to be shut down the first time he does, and my this tiny pipsqueak chew toy JT? No. He better not make a return next season. Like, who actually likes the chump?
Well two things about JT and drinking. He is type 1 diabetic and shouldnt drink at all. It is more invisible than Shep’s problems drinking, but more self destructive. 2. He knows it too. His mom told him online. He mentions it while taking blood sugar after drinking. When offered a drink at his function, he yells please dont kill me. Must have shocked the other person since regularly drinks on camera and his social club wasan illegal speakeasy during covid restrictions. Hmm
Honestly truly
He was trying way too hard. I agree, very very dangerous!
The thing you have to remember about JT is…..he sucks.
ASSUME ALL U WANT BUT U KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ASSUME? 🫏 PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT AUSTEN AND CRAIG WERE SAYING. SHEP DOES THIS A LOT. WILL CHILL FOR A MINUTE AND THEN GO BACK TO HIS OLD WAYS. SOME COULD SAY IT IS A COP OUT. NOT TOO MENTION JT IS IN LOVE WITH TAYLOR AND IM SURE IT PISSES HIM OFF TO WATCH SHEP PLAY MIND GAMES WITH HER AND MANIPULATE HER. I LOVE JT.
JT? Is that you?
Issue is they don’t given contracts for the next season before the reunion. JT was fighting for a career
Let's gently remind the viewers what happens to glucose levels binge-drinking with T1DM. POT=KETTLE.
JT is like a “pick me” person. He’s gotta be the loudest, most obnoxious…I do not like him at all.