Illustrator Brianna Gilmartin gives the backstory on her autobiographical comics, particularly a recent comic which gained enormous attention and respect and dealt with no longer wanting to carry the weight of her father’s 15 year addiction by holding onto it as if it were her own secret. Joining Chelsea, she talks about the conflicting emotions of denial and guilt which she experienced as a child witnessing her father choose a substance over her every day and yet how she’s outgrown hope for change and cultivated an acceptance toward her life being what it is. With a quiet strength, she answers every pointed question and even indulges in Thank You Heartbreak’s first ever round of rapid fire Reflection Cards by Holstee. Gems to look out for:+ the comfort that comes with knowing others relate to your specific experience+ why your own sense of denial can make you resistant to joining support groups+ using humor to overcompensate for the heaviness of addiction+ what are parents do shape us+ her older siblings see their father as a superhero dad because they got a different version of their father+ not fantasizing about who your father could be because this is all you know+ finding acceptance when you understand you have no control over others+ humans are mostly compassionate people; we want to help each other so if something is going wrong, we try to see if we did something wrong to fix it+ it’s not that easy to see addiction as a disease because there is the choice to choose treatment+ the paralysis of too much choice+ not having the desire to date can turn you into an outlier in today’s dating culture+ looking for validation within relationships rather than validation from within can turn you into a serial monogamist + the nerves surrounding "what do I even do on my own, how can I excite myself?”+ the nice things about relationships that keep you coming back+ knowing you are more than alright on your own takes the fear out of being solo and the pressure of dating+ failing hurts less than not trying+ how experiencing her father’s addiction has given her a superpower strength and appreciation for real relationships + having compassion for someone doesn’t mean you have to have patience for their toxic behavior And so much more.__To connect with Brianna, visit her:Website: https://briannagilmartin.comComics mentioned within the episode:"I used to hide my dad’s addiction. Now I can talk about it, but I’m still learning how to cope." via The Lily: https://www.thelily.com/i-used-to-hide-my-dads-addiction-now-i-can-talk-about-it-but-im-still-learning-how-to-cope/"I have a hard time making decisions, but I realized taking the risk is better than losing out." via The Lily:https://www.thelily.com/i-have-a-hard-time-making-decisions-but-i-realized-taking-the-risk-is-better-than-losing-out/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buhbuhbriannaTwitter: https://twitter.com/BuhBuhBriannaReflection Cards by Holstee: https://www.holstee.com/products/reflection-cards-conversation-questions__Work with Chelsea: www.breakupward.com/shopChelsea’s website: www.breakupward.comSign up for Chelsea’s newsletter: bit.ly/tyhbletterInstagram: www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreakConnect and send in your questions and/or letters viawww.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreakOr by email: [email protected]