AITA for telling my parents I would not care for my obese brother?
From the moment Teddy took his first breath, a shadow was cast over the family, one that shaped every interaction and stole the narrator’s childhood.
The haunting excuse of Teddy’s near-death at birth became a weapon, justifying his cruelty and demanding endless sacrifice, leaving the narrator trapped in a world of pain and inequality. Years of torment drove the narrator away, seeking refuge from a home ruled by fear and favoritism.
Now, decades later, Teddy’s struggles have only deepened, his life marked by isolation and despair, while the wounds of the past linger, unhealed and ever-present.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get the latest stories delivered to your inbox.
The original poster (OP) is facing a severe emotional conflict stemming from a childhood characterized by severe favoritism and a**se directed toward their younger brother, Teddy.
The OP's firm refusal to provide financial support or take in their 26-year-old brother, who weighs nearly 600 lbs and requires constant care, directly contrasts with the parents' expectation that the OP should sacrifice their adult life to compensate for years of enabling Teddy's behavior and neglecting the OP.
Given the extensive history of parental enabling and the direct physical and emotional harm inflicted upon the OP, is the OP justified in completely severing financial and caregiving responsibility for their brother, or does the biological relationship create an unavoidable, ongoing moral obligation to assist the parents and Teddy financially?
From Supportive to Savage: The Crowd Responds:
What started as a simple post quickly turned into a wildfire of opinions, with users chiming in from all sides.