October 4, 2015

Patrick Kennedy describes his family as dysfunctional

Boston Globe - In a new book that is strikingly raw and emotional, Patrick Kennedy paints a detailed portrait of the complex and fraught relationship he had with his father, Edward M. Kennedy, as well as some of the intense pressures of living in one of America’s most storied political families.

Kennedy ... provides an intimate picture of a dysfunctional family and some of its well-publicized struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues — and what he describes as a blanket of secrecy that papered over their problems.

Kennedy says he believes his father suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after living through the assassinations of both of his brothers, President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy.

His brother, Ted Kennedy Jr., released a statement early Sunday.

“I am proud of my brother Patrick for his tremendous work to make mental health parity part of our national conversation,” he wrote. “However, I am heartbroken that Patrick has chosen to write what is an inaccurate and unfair portrayal of our family. ... Mental illness and addiction are critically important issues that deserve a serious discussion, not a narrative that is misleading and hurtful.”

Patrick Kennedy, a former eight-term Democratic representative from Rhode Island, retired in 2010 and has since married and had two children. He says he has bipolar disorder and has dedicated his life to becoming an advocate for fighting, and speaking out about, mental health issues. He decided to write the book, with coauthor Stephen Fried, to highlight his personal journey.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are no surprises in the story but it's unfortunate no one challenged his stance on medical marijuana, which is a glaring psychological thicket. So glad he's out of office.

Anonymous said...

he's a hypocrite and a dick, regardless of what he says about his family is true or not... frankly, if this was the jones family, would anyone give a shit ? isn't he being a little bit parasitical trading on his family name to trash his family ?
who does that ? ? ?

greg gerritt said...

I ran into him at the RI statehouse one day. As he walked by i told him he voted the wrong way and that he should not be voting for wars. He looked shocked. He always voted for violence by the state. His history of addictio0n makes anything he says about drugs suspect.