Be Honest as you can be with God ,and ask him to help you , every day .God loves you and desires a relationship with you...I was 29 years old when I got sober form drugs and booze...have been clean 41 Years ..God is good ...remember God Loves you ,more than words can say ...and as you are suffering , I love you also..
Twelve steps helped me. Not all groups are the same. But just doing 90 meetings in 90 days if possible (or connecting to someone for accountability daily with one meeting a week) is helpful. I just listened for the first 3 months bc I was so emotional.
Breanne and I served together in missions 15 years ago!! She is the friend I call in my darkest moments. I have heard Breanne share many times over the years in ministry. Her testimony shines a light on of the dark places of my heart where i am often trying to save myself. And that daily invitation from the Lord to hand it over to Jesus and ask for help! Thank you for your brave witness and vulnerability. Jesus saves!! 🙌🏼
The minute I saw her and the tattoos my jaw literally dropped. I worked for a ministry across the street at the same time as her, and breanne and I worked the Christian club table over the summer during new student orientation. She was the first catholic I ever talked to that exposed me to some of the arguments behind catholicism, as I was very VERY anti-catholic before. I met with her a few times and we talked through questions I had. She had awesome stories, and i think the way she talked about catholocism and her experiences really drew me in. I distinclty remember there was a unique authority and confidence in the way she spoke that I found intriguing. A few years later, I tried to remember her name to contact her but I couldn't remember. To be honest, after moving back home and going through some stuff, I've actually had a difficult time going back to church. It was hard finding a church community after college, and then I had anxiety between catholicism and protestantism. Some other things also have put me in a backsliding funk that makes me feel a bit twisted inside. Its almost overwhelming. That time we met feels like so long ago ): I've been watching Matt fradd videos for a while now, so I'm shocked to see her since I haven't thought about her in so long. haven't watched the video yet, so I'm excited to hear the other parts of her story on more detail than before :) I guess if anything, I hope my long drawn out message shows someone that thise conversations you have with people do actual make an impact more than you know.
It's a small world isn't it. Some of us do feel conflicted. I'm still a Christian and always will be. I'm not anti Catholic, and have known some wonderful Catholics, some not so wonderful and same on the protestant side where I remain. I feel a bit between the two, as I did attend Mass for years, going out w/ a Catholic. Still can't reconcile myself to some of their essential doctrines. There is no perfect church. That's all I know for sure. Follow Christ and go where he leads you.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 I myself had conflicting thoughts. Then it hit me, everyone here is for the same reason. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. Nobody will be perfect, but the Church (which is the body of Christ) is most certainly perfect. She is there to guide us and help us become more holy. We must always keep focused on our first love, and that is Jesus. He is who we should always be reaching for, in the Eucharist. God bless, luv. 💕
@@junglequeen7386 That's an odd Catholic belief that your side of Christianity oddly adheres to. We have no such beliefs on the protestant side about any of our churches. So it's not just that we see fault w/ the Catholic church, but not our own. The bible is very clear that there was no perfection in Judaism and neither was there in the early NT church. It was made up of sinners and mistake makers, just like we all are today. Only God is perfect, but it's inexplicable how a church made up of sinners could somehow be perfect. There is no biblical claim that the body of Christ on earth is in any way perfect, on the contrary. God bless you too sweetie.
Awesome share :) I pray you find your way back to Catholicism. Going to the Mass and reading the Bible both can help. Also - go to the Mass daily, if you can. Besides that I would recommend based on my own personal experience the Hallow App and TV Show The Chosen. All of this has drawn me closer to God than I've ever before wanted to be. Hope it helps! God bless!
This video came out the day that my dad checked himself into rehab for the first time. Please pray for him that God places the desire on his heart to get better and find healing. Update: my dad celebrated 6 months of sobriety this week. Praise be to Jesus Christ, now and forever!
His platform is truly unique for this reason. She was able to express herself seamlessly, and not to a microphone but to someone who was willing to listen.
I had to pull my truck over listening to that story about the kid in the parking lot. Had to wipe the tears outta my eyes before I pulled up to my construction crew. She got me
I was listening to this while at work.. thankfully the restroom is nearby my desk. I quickly walked into it to let out my cry! (Twice) The priest sitting at her desk then becoming Jesus. It goes to show the power of prayer 🙏 and what she said after about the kid who confided in her about his brothers death.
Geez... glad I'm not the only one! To hear somebody that gets it and passes it along is a real blessing. Real story with real humility, reminding us that we don't do this (or anything) on our own. Having been down some bad roads, as we all have, it's such a grace to realize God is always there to pull us back, save us from ourselves and strengthen us when we need it. Blessings to you, Breanne, for this eye-opening testimony. The tears were worth it!
19 years in recovery and just did RCIA and was confirmed this Easter. I was operating out of mostly fear for my whole life, including in recovery, but now true Love is beginning to replace this fear-based set of motivations. Thanks to Breanne for sharing!
Thank you so much for this Matt and Breanne. I just celebrated 3 years clean from heroin and crack. My son recently turned 2 and a half. Life is so good in recovery, recovery is possible! I am a big proponent of the 12 steps and my grandma hosts Al-anon meetings
As a long time listener this is my favorite episode of PWA hands down. I wept through nearly all of it and I think about it many times a week. God is so good.
This talk was so so helpful for me. We hear so many stories of instant healing - whether from addiction or sin or physical or mental illness, or even spiritual warfare, anything - , but I'm finding that for the majority of us it's a roller coaster and a constant work in progress. It's so good to hear a story that reflects that reality. "Encountering Christ is just the beginning."
Thank you Matt, for having Breanne come on and share her experience, strength, and hope. As a Catholic and fellow AA member, I am grateful you had a guest shed some light on this subject matter.
@26:57 When I first got sober, a coworker told me "I liked you better when you were high." That was 15 years ago. The insensitivity of others is astounding. And a friend whom I had volunteered to donate a kidney to, called me a "worthless junkie" during an argument we had. That one hurt, and I was 7 years sober at the time. Hurt people hurt people. Thank God for the 12 steps. "God brought me to AA, and AA brought me to God." I know a ton of men and women who have come back to the Church via AA. God is good, and His miracles are all around us. I'm really enjoying this young lady's testimony. Good stuff!
The raw and frank truth this woman speaks is jaw dropping. This may not be the average ‘Catholic’ podcast story but I am so glad Matt had Breanne on and just let her talk. I have rewatched sections of this five times. These are behaviors I don’t get and she helped me connect to fellow humans who suffer beyond my understanding. Believe that someone can recover incomprehensible things through the love of Christ after listening to this lady! Praise be to God.
from the age of ten I've been addicted to porn and masturbation. Like hardcore, everyday for years on end. Now I'm (hopefully) porn free or at least close and I'm working on not masturbating. As a girl, I couldn't get help, and I experienced such intense levels of shame and anxiety that the idea of someone finding out would cause panic attacks, passing out, throwing up etc. The only thing that ever made a difference was prayer. 2 years ago I committed to St. Bridget's 1 year devotion, and a year ago her 12 year devotion, now I'm actually making progress, and I have hope that one day I will be lust sober.
I hear you, and I know from experience it’s hard. I’m so happy for you that you’re making progress! Consecration to Mary was a major turning point for me, but may not necessarily be for everyone. Praying for you! ❤
I was crying through about half of this. What a beautiful testimony; thank you so much for sharing, and for all who are struggling through addiction, or anxiety, or loneliness, or anything that is tormenting them, God bless you and know you are not alone
This interview is incredible . As a woman and mother in recovery, I felt so seen and supported just by listening to this. Thank you for sharing so bravely, Breanne.
Breanne was a youth leader at my local church, her testimony is beautiful and very touching! She has this way of allowing God to speak through her that makes her very special ❤️
I dint usually listen to a 3 hour interview on TH-cam. Breanne was so engaging, real, and raw! We need more ppl like her in the Catholic Church! Thank you for your testimony, as I can imagine you touched so many ppl on different levels. I how to see more of you and how God will use you more to build up His kingdom. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!
She is the epitomy of the verse "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness". As she kept speaking about her struggles and God calling her the more i could see how incredibly strong she is. ❤
I would LOVE to hear an episode two, about how her life turned out now (kids, marriage, etc.)! Thanks so much for this testimony! We are all involved in addiction, we are all living in and/or around it.
"It's not up to me to decide what my holiness looks like" "it's going to look how He wants it to look". So true! God's grace and much prayer has brought me to this realization recently. Lots of wisdom in this interview. God bless Breanne and Matt, and all watching!
@@zsedcftglkjh Some can make it seem that way or use it as an excuse, but she's truly saying that God is really in control of our lives. Yes, we make choices, but it's only by His strength we can overcome any of it. But, some addictions and sins are much harder to quit than others. Some need more resources and counseling than others to truly find freedom from. And, all of us are imperfect and still sin, no matter how strong of a Christian someone is. No one is without sin, but God expects us to all grow in holiness and to always take inventory of our sins and struggles. But, little victories are definitely worth celebrating, defeats are to be mourned but not be ashamed about. It's a balance of seriousness of sin and God's infinite grace and mercy. It truly is a massive paradox.
although I listen to Matt's show regularly, I find myself only commenting when there are guests that I profoundly disagree with. In the spirit of this episode, I cannot thank Matt enough for this guest and episode. It absolutely spoke to my heart in so many ways and there is so much to take in. The only way to summarize my thoughts is to rely on Mother Teresa, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." And I know that's particularly true in my own life.
My cousin is an alcoholic and watching her parents struggle with the helplessness is heart breaking. Very enlightening and deep topics in this interview. Thanks!!
Breanne! It's a blessing to see where you are and I still have memories when you were on mission here. I still have the gift you gave me and it's been a blessing to many others since then.
I literally just created a channel so I could comment on this video. Oh my goodness, this woman is amazing. After finishing watching this interview, I’m literally going to watch it all over again. Matt has had some amazing big name guests on i.e. Jordan Peterson, but please have more guests like Breanne! I have no idea who this woman is, but now I won’t forget her name. Edit: I literally just yelled at my tv: “Ugh, stop talking to me Breanne!” She’s speaking to my soul❤
It’s remarkable; addiction, period of sobriety, return to substance, find purpose and renewed sobriety, mission canceled and return to substance… the cycle of Judges really is each of our own lives, and the human need to serve and live with purpose is an incredible “fix” for most of our problems
There were so many things said in this interview that helped me understand the loved ones in my life who struggle with addictions. Excellent interview!
God led me to watch this interview. Thank you Matt for your TH-cam channel ministry. You help save lives. Thank you Breanne for transparently sharing your life story. Your interview saved me. You are both God’s missionaries. Thank you. 🙏❤️
It’s such a gift to hear someone willing to expose their vulnerability as well as the healing that results. I felt not invisible in my healing adventures from eating disorders and severe self harm. It’s a joy to hear another’s healing and know I’m not alone/outlier in the Church.
Sometimes, it feels like Jesus is hitting me right in the feels. It hurts so bad, yet there is a weird comfort in it. I'm balling my eyes out not because I'm sad or upset, but because He is so good that it physically hurts. That is this whole interview. Thank you and God bless you both so much
Desde que vi el título de la entrevista me sentí identificada, no supe porque, at that momento. Luego escuché una parte, algo empezaba a tener sentido para mi. Empecé a verla desde el principio, me preguntaba cuándo iba a terminar tanto tormento porque debía llegar un punto para que ella estuviera hablando así, con tranquilidad y empoderamiento. No dejo de pensar por todo lo que pasó y cuan grande es el amor de Dios. Please, pray for me.
Wow, the things this woman has been through. She is carrying a heavy cross. Incredible testimony, really touched my heart. Stay strong everybody and God bless all of you in your struggles.
By far my favorite long form discussion this year. I cried several times. Thank you Breanne for sharing your story. You are such a beautiful woman! May God continue to bless you.
Thank you for your sharing your story Breanne. I don't struggle with addiction, but your story of of the struggling to know where God is calling you and all the highs and lows of life really resonated with me. Thank you for being real. Your story is going to touch a lot of lives. Praise Jesus! I pray for anyone in the trenches of life, anyone who feels stuck or in despair. Peace be with you. ❤
There is just something so touching about her story. Thank you so much for the testimony Breanne. 🙏🏾🙏🏾 What you've been through adds much depth to your spiritual journey. Its really encouraging to hear this because Im still undergoing my own spiritual journey and I pray to God that I also find my vocation in life!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Peace and blessings to all of us.
This was one of your most compelling videos to date. When I first came across it I looked at the time to see how long it would be, and I had no intention of watching and getting invested in this, but I couldn't pull myself away. God bless this women
This has taught me so much on how to walk with people. Love the advice on how to help the homeless. Thank you Breanne, for sharing and for Matt, for just letting Breanne speak. May God bless both your ministries.
A child doesn’t have to be physically assaulted to be abused. There are many kinds of subtle yet equally powerful abuse - neglect, parentification, emotional incest, codependent modeling/expectations, to name some common ones. Many in recovery won’t ever go there with their pain because they feel they can’t bear the fact that their parents abused them. It nearly always begins at home. God bless you all on the journey to wholeness. Praise God and our Holy Mother.
I agree that abuse comes in many forms BUT I need to say that so many parents of addicts blame themselves- I would venture to say that the majority do this every day. But this hurts not only the parents/famiily but hurts the addicted person because that often causes the parents to behave in enabling ways or just muddies the water. There are so many people struggling with substance use out there who grew up with wonderfully loving and healthy parents. Nobody is perfect but sometimes addictions begin because of a vulnerablility plus stress plus access. It is much more complicated than just saying it "nearly always" begins at home. That is only one of many reasons. Peace.
I can relate to your marriage! My husband was confirmed a year ago, but he has always been good about reminding me to pray and giving me time to go to confession. Beautiful story.
So needed to hear this. This brave woman is my hero! Sometimes I feel unworthy when I'm around people smarter and more holier than me and that God doesn't love me or is real because I'm not healed in an instance and still have setbacks in my struggles. Not everyone heals overnight and it's important to seek outside help other than private prayer and more people need to hear that.
The ways that God uses her while she is still sinful really stick out to me, even months later. This interview has really helped me reflect on the "worthiness" religion that I was raised in and how much more merciful and loving Christ is in reality. Glory to Jesus Christ. Thank you for sharing your story.
This was an amazing interview! Breanne is such a wonderful treatment of what it means to surrender to Christ. Particularly when what we’re called to and for isn’t what we imagined. Just beautiful
I grew up Catholic but I got away from it. All of the traditions in my church had little meaning (or so I thought). It took me leaving the church to finally understand what the Lord’s Prayer meant. You are such an inspiration to so many of us out here. Congratulations on your sobriety, you wear it well. Peace be with you!❤️🤗😘😘🤟🏻
I have to say, this was one of the shows where I only tuned in because its Pints, and I didn't really see anything else compelling - but this show was amazing, and Breanne is amazing. This is why I love Matt - he always finds these people that you didn't know you needed to hear from...
Oh God help us being dragged through the sand by the waves, give us your Rock to hold and let us be unafraid to let go of what we cling to that we know cannot sustain us
Loved this interview. Thank you Breanne for coming on and chatting. And thanks for following up with Kyle as well :) That was great. Helpful stuff in both. 💛
Maximum respect and gratitude for your honesty of worldly experience and sincerity... Your story has resonated through my mine and into my relationship to my kin... You did good sister...your intention is obvious and you're honesty is admirable .... God be with you ❤️
She’s wonderful. I remember a similar feeling the first time I used pills “I’m finally ok- this is what life is supposed to feel like”. Luckily been off them 12 years but it’s such a similar experience.
Good time! I almost deleted Pints With Aquinas. I’m glad I didn’t delete this video! I can relate with Breanne in different things she shared. I’m a recovering adult child and I started two months ago going to ACOA meetings, which is Adult Children of Alcoholics, but before I was going to Al-Anon 5 years ago and had quit going, but I’m back and I’m glad I did. You just can’t do it alone and I’m so grateful to my Lord and to a beautiful friend Robbie who invited me to ACOA meetings. So Matt, Thank you for inviting Breanne. She’s a POWERHOUSE! Thank you Breanne and I’m praying to Jesus, mama Mary, and St. Joseph for you and family unity as well as for everyone. Love is the answer, Amen!!! ✊🏼Like Fr. Corapi use to say, “No pain no gain.” ✊🏼 Love is the answer. ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏼🕊 Thanks again Matt! 😊👋
Sorry! I meant to say I can relate to Breanne. I made an error by stating, “I can’t.” O well it is what it is. I just reposted my comment above. The video was so powerful that I didn’t notice I had made an error, 😂 lol Abundant blessings! Thanks Breanne! 👊🏼🙌 ⚡️💥💫🌟✨🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️✝️🕊🕊🕊
Great episode. I had so many thoughts. One was she kept saying she was doing all these incredible things in ministry, literally saw Jesus, has incredible tangible experiences of conversion and helping others yet is still like “God, what do I do???” Im like GIRL youre doing it! Its right there in your face! It makes me wonder what I should be doing if she felt like she was doing nothing in the midst of all her works lol.
It was sad to hear about the suffering she went through, but it also shows how true it is that God can bring about good through anything. Her story brought me a lot of hope.
So much of this interview spoke to me but the comment "I have been breastfeeding and pregnant for three years and when it's time to eat, it's time to eat!"...Yes and same :)It's my two year old who says "Pray?" if I forget.
One of my good buddies got sober the day after my wedding. He is 7 months sober now and I am so proud of him, but it can be scary to think how quickly it can get derailed. One way I try to support him is if that try to help him from isolating and invite him over and just call him regularly and he tells me that helps a lot especially when the days are tough.
This talk pushed me to go to my first AA meeting yesterday. Her testimony may have saved my life.
@@lagranorac Hey, was wondering how did the meeting go and how are you doing?
Amen!
Keep going, friend!
It DOES get better! ❤
Haven't watched the whole thing but already more than an hour into this. Very deep, please pray for me as an addict.
Prayers, brother
Be Honest as you can be with God ,and ask him to help you , every day .God loves you and desires a relationship with you...I was 29 years old when I got sober form drugs and booze...have been clean 41 Years ..God is good ...remember God Loves you ,more than words can say ...and as you are suffering , I love you also..
I’ll be praying. Confession, Communion, Community, Counseling. You can do this, but not alone.
Twelve steps helped me. Not all groups are the same. But just doing 90 meetings in 90 days if possible (or connecting to someone for accountability daily with one meeting a week) is helpful. I just listened for the first 3 months bc I was so emotional.
@@aadamy thank you, and thanks everyone
Breanne and I served together in missions 15 years ago!! She is the friend I call in my darkest moments. I have heard Breanne share many times over the years in ministry. Her testimony shines a light on of the dark places of my heart where i am often trying to save myself. And that daily invitation from the Lord to hand it over to Jesus and ask for help! Thank you for your brave witness and vulnerability. Jesus saves!! 🙌🏼
What’s the missions group called?
Thank you Breanne
That's awesome! She's helped for so much over the past year. We've been email partners and I've learned a ton from her!
@@saraconway3468 Family Missions Company in Abbyville, LA
The minute I saw her and the tattoos my jaw literally dropped. I worked for a ministry across the street at the same time as her, and breanne and I worked the Christian club table over the summer during new student orientation. She was the first catholic I ever talked to that exposed me to some of the arguments behind catholicism, as I was very VERY anti-catholic before. I met with her a few times and we talked through questions I had. She had awesome stories, and i think the way she talked about catholocism and her experiences really drew me in. I distinclty remember there was a unique authority and confidence in the way she spoke that I found intriguing. A few years later, I tried to remember her name to contact her but I couldn't remember. To be honest, after moving back home and going through some stuff, I've actually had a difficult time going back to church. It was hard finding a church community after college, and then I had anxiety between catholicism and protestantism. Some other things also have put me in a backsliding funk that makes me feel a bit twisted inside. Its almost overwhelming. That time we met feels like so long ago ): I've been watching Matt fradd videos for a while now, so I'm shocked to see her since I haven't thought about her in so long. haven't watched the video yet, so I'm excited to hear the other parts of her story on more detail than before :)
I guess if anything, I hope my long drawn out message shows someone that thise conversations you have with people do actual make an impact more than you know.
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
It's a small world isn't it. Some of us do feel conflicted. I'm still a Christian and always will be. I'm not anti Catholic, and have known some wonderful Catholics, some not so wonderful and same on the protestant side where I remain. I feel a bit between the two, as I did attend Mass for years, going out w/ a Catholic. Still can't reconcile myself to some of their essential doctrines. There is no perfect church. That's all I know for sure. Follow Christ and go where he leads you.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 I myself had conflicting thoughts. Then it hit me, everyone here is for the same reason. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. Nobody will be perfect, but the Church (which is the body of Christ) is most certainly perfect. She is there to guide us and help us become more holy. We must always keep focused on our first love, and that is Jesus. He is who we should always be reaching for, in the Eucharist. God bless, luv. 💕
@@junglequeen7386 That's an odd Catholic belief that your side of Christianity oddly adheres to. We have no such beliefs on the protestant side about any of our churches. So it's not just that we see fault w/ the Catholic church, but not our own. The bible is very clear that there was no perfection in Judaism and neither was there in the early NT church. It was made up of sinners and mistake makers, just like we all are today. Only God is perfect, but it's inexplicable how a church made up of sinners could somehow be perfect. There is no biblical claim that the body of Christ on earth is in any way perfect, on the contrary. God bless you too sweetie.
Awesome share :) I pray you find your way back to Catholicism. Going to the Mass and reading the Bible both can help. Also - go to the Mass daily, if you can. Besides that I would recommend based on my own personal experience the Hallow App and TV Show The Chosen. All of this has drawn me closer to God than I've ever before wanted to be. Hope it helps! God bless!
This video came out the day that my dad checked himself into rehab for the first time. Please pray for him that God places the desire on his heart to get better and find healing.
Update: my dad celebrated 6 months of sobriety this week. Praise be to Jesus Christ, now and forever!
Most precious blood of Jesus Christ, save us and the whole world. 🙏❤
I appreciate Matt giving her space to talk and not interrupting her, and asking good questions. Great hosting job
His platform is truly unique for this reason. She was able to express herself seamlessly, and not to a microphone but to someone who was willing to listen.
I had to pull my truck over listening to that story about the kid in the parking lot. Had to wipe the tears outta my eyes before I pulled up to my construction crew. She got me
Sitting in my office tearing up. Had to pause it a few times so people didn't see me just crying at my desk.
Jesus coming to her hospital bed and she still felt ashamed- I lost it. I’m thrilled she’s doing well.
I was listening to this while at work.. thankfully the restroom is nearby my desk. I quickly walked into it to let out my cry! (Twice) The priest sitting at her desk then becoming Jesus. It goes to show the power of prayer 🙏 and what she said after about the kid who confided in her about his brothers death.
Geez... glad I'm not the only one! To hear somebody that gets it and passes it along is a real blessing. Real story with real humility, reminding us that we don't do this (or anything) on our own. Having been down some bad roads, as we all have, it's such a grace to realize God is always there to pull us back, save us from ourselves and strengthen us when we need it. Blessings to you, Breanne, for this eye-opening testimony. The tears were worth it!
19 years in recovery and just did RCIA and was confirmed this Easter. I was operating out of mostly fear for my whole life, including in recovery, but now true Love is beginning to replace this fear-based set of motivations. Thanks to Breanne for sharing!
Praise the Lord 🎊😁 May God Bless you abundantly 🙏🏼✝️
Thank you so much for this Matt and Breanne. I just celebrated 3 years clean from heroin and crack. My son recently turned 2 and a half. Life is so good in recovery, recovery is possible! I am a big proponent of the 12 steps and my grandma hosts Al-anon meetings
Glory to Jesus Christ, one day at a time
Keep going.
Praise the Lord 🎊😁💃🏼🙌🏼 God bless you and your family 🙏🏼❤
As a long time listener this is my favorite episode of PWA hands down. I wept through nearly all of it and I think about it many times a week. God is so good.
This talk was so so helpful for me. We hear so many stories of instant healing - whether from addiction or sin or physical or mental illness, or even spiritual warfare, anything - , but I'm finding that for the majority of us it's a roller coaster and a constant work in progress. It's so good to hear a story that reflects that reality.
"Encountering Christ is just the beginning."
Amen!
Thank you Matt, for having Breanne come on and share her experience, strength, and hope. As a Catholic and fellow AA member, I am grateful you had a guest shed some light on this subject matter.
@26:57 When I first got sober, a coworker told me "I liked you better when you were high." That was 15 years ago. The insensitivity of others is astounding. And a friend whom I had volunteered to donate a kidney to, called me a "worthless junkie" during an argument we had. That one hurt, and I was 7 years sober at the time. Hurt people hurt people. Thank God for the 12 steps. "God brought me to AA, and AA brought me to God." I know a ton of men and women who have come back to the Church via AA. God is good, and His miracles are all around us. I'm really enjoying this young lady's testimony. Good stuff!
The raw and frank truth this woman speaks is jaw dropping. This may not be the average ‘Catholic’ podcast story but I am so glad Matt had Breanne on and just let her talk. I have rewatched sections of this five times. These are behaviors I don’t get and she helped me connect to fellow humans who suffer beyond my understanding. Believe that someone can recover incomprehensible things through the love of Christ after listening to this lady! Praise be to God.
from the age of ten I've been addicted to porn and masturbation. Like hardcore, everyday for years on end. Now I'm (hopefully) porn free or at least close and I'm working on not masturbating. As a girl, I couldn't get help, and I experienced such intense levels of shame and anxiety that the idea of someone finding out would cause panic attacks, passing out, throwing up etc. The only thing that ever made a difference was prayer. 2 years ago I committed to St. Bridget's 1 year devotion, and a year ago her 12 year devotion, now I'm actually making progress, and I have hope that one day I will be lust sober.
God bless you. I love the Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows that was first taught by St. Bridget. Keep going, with God on your side, you can do this!
Praise be Jesus Christ.
May the blessed Mother guide you and lead you to freedom in her most glorious son.
I hear you, and I know from experience it’s hard. I’m so happy for you that you’re making progress! Consecration to Mary was a major turning point for me, but may not necessarily be for everyone. Praying for you! ❤
I was crying through about half of this. What a beautiful testimony; thank you so much for sharing, and for all who are struggling through addiction, or anxiety, or loneliness, or anything that is tormenting them, God bless you and know you are not alone
This interview is incredible . As a woman and mother in recovery, I felt so seen and supported just by listening to this. Thank you for sharing so bravely, Breanne.
Breanne was a youth leader at my local church, her testimony is beautiful and very touching! She has this way of allowing God to speak through her that makes her very special ❤️
I dint usually listen to a 3 hour interview on TH-cam. Breanne was so engaging, real, and raw! We need more ppl like her in the Catholic Church! Thank you for your testimony, as I can imagine you touched so many ppl on different levels. I how to see more of you and how God will use you more to build up His kingdom. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!
She is the epitomy of the verse "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness". As she kept speaking about her struggles and God calling her the more i could see how incredibly strong she is. ❤
I would LOVE to hear an episode two, about how her life turned out now (kids, marriage, etc.)! Thanks so much for this testimony! We are all involved in addiction, we are all living in and/or around it.
Thank God she's been sober for 8 years! I haven't finished it yet, but your interview with Breanne Demarco has been awesome.
"It's not up to me to decide what my holiness looks like" "it's going to look how He wants it to look". So true! God's grace and much prayer has brought me to this realization recently.
Lots of wisdom in this interview. God bless Breanne and Matt, and all watching!
Sounds like an excuse to do what you want and say "hey, it's all God's will."
@@zsedcftglkjh Some can make it seem that way or use it as an excuse, but she's truly saying that God is really in control of our lives. Yes, we make choices, but it's only by His strength we can overcome any of it. But, some addictions and sins are much harder to quit than others. Some need more resources and counseling than others to truly find freedom from. And, all of us are imperfect and still sin, no matter how strong of a Christian someone is. No one is without sin, but God expects us to all grow in holiness and to always take inventory of our sins and struggles. But, little victories are definitely worth celebrating, defeats are to be mourned but not be ashamed about. It's a balance of seriousness of sin and God's infinite grace and mercy. It truly is a massive paradox.
although I listen to Matt's show regularly, I find myself only commenting when there are guests that I profoundly disagree with. In the spirit of this episode, I cannot thank Matt enough for this guest and episode. It absolutely spoke to my heart in so many ways and there is so much to take in. The only way to summarize my thoughts is to rely on Mother Teresa, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." And I know that's particularly true in my own life.
Absolutely beautiful testimony!! I laughed, I cried, I praised Jesus....thank you Breanne for bearing your soul and what a beautiful soul you are!!
Thanks you guys for this conversation. It gives me lots of hope. If you guys could all pray for me i would appreciate it.
My cousin is an alcoholic and watching her parents struggle with the helplessness is heart breaking.
Very enlightening and deep topics in this interview. Thanks!!
Breanne! It's a blessing to see where you are and I still have memories when you were on mission here. I still have the gift you gave me and it's been a blessing to many others since then.
God is so merciful. He works in mysterious ways. This was such a powerful testimony. Her honesty and humility is incredibly refreshing. Thank you!
I haven't even finished the first hour of this. I've wept through most of it. This testimony is a gift that's reaching so many areas inside. Wow!
I literally just created a channel so I could comment on this video. Oh my goodness, this woman is amazing. After finishing watching this interview, I’m literally going to watch it all over again. Matt has had some amazing big name guests on i.e. Jordan Peterson, but please have more guests like Breanne! I have no idea who this woman is, but now I won’t forget her name. Edit: I literally just yelled at my tv: “Ugh, stop talking to me Breanne!” She’s speaking to my soul❤
Totally agree! … this not-famous woman is amazing!!!! She might be famous now, though. She’s real!
It’s remarkable; addiction, period of sobriety, return to substance, find purpose and renewed sobriety, mission canceled and return to substance… the cycle of Judges really is each of our own lives, and the human need to serve and live with purpose is an incredible “fix” for most of our problems
There were so many things said in this interview that helped me understand the loved ones in my life who struggle with addictions. Excellent interview!
Chills up and down my spine when she shared about world youth day.
God led me to watch this interview. Thank you Matt for your TH-cam channel ministry. You help save lives. Thank you Breanne for transparently sharing your life story. Your interview saved me. You are both God’s missionaries. Thank you. 🙏❤️
Her husband sounds like a true gentleman 👊
It’s such a gift to hear someone willing to expose their vulnerability as well as the healing that results. I felt not invisible in my healing adventures from eating disorders and severe self harm. It’s a joy to hear another’s healing and know I’m not alone/outlier in the Church.
Sometimes, it feels like Jesus is hitting me right in the feels. It hurts so bad, yet there is a weird comfort in it. I'm balling my eyes out not because I'm sad or upset, but because He is so good that it physically hurts. That is this whole interview. Thank you and God bless you both so much
I'm Mark J. 7 years clean and sober. God loves you a living milestone Ms m
Desde que vi el título de la entrevista me sentí identificada, no supe porque, at that momento. Luego escuché una parte, algo empezaba a tener sentido para mi. Empecé a verla desde el principio, me preguntaba cuándo iba a terminar tanto tormento porque debía llegar un punto para que ella estuviera hablando así, con tranquilidad y empoderamiento. No dejo de pensar por todo lo que pasó y cuan grande es el amor de Dios. Please, pray for me.
Love! Love! Loved!!! This is one of the most beautiful interviews on this podcast!
Wow, the things this woman has been through. She is carrying a heavy cross. Incredible testimony, really touched my heart. Stay strong everybody and God bless all of you in your struggles.
Thank you Breanne for the gift of tears.
By far my favorite long form discussion this year. I cried several times. Thank you Breanne for sharing your story. You are such a beautiful woman! May God continue to bless you.
Thank you for your sharing your story Breanne. I don't struggle with addiction, but your story of of the struggling to know where God is calling you and all the highs and lows of life really resonated with me. Thank you for being real. Your story is going to touch a lot of lives. Praise Jesus! I pray for anyone in the trenches of life, anyone who feels stuck or in despair. Peace be with you. ❤
Absolutely my favorite Aquinas ever !! Thank You so much for your story!! Totally identify with this kind of Christian.God Bless You Breanne and Matt.
There is just something so touching about her story. Thank you so much for the testimony Breanne. 🙏🏾🙏🏾 What you've been through adds much depth to your spiritual journey. Its really encouraging to hear this because Im still undergoing my own spiritual journey and I pray to God that I also find my vocation in life!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Peace and blessings to all of us.
This was one of your most compelling videos to date. When I first came across it I looked at the time to see how long it would be, and I had no intention of watching and getting invested in this, but I couldn't pull myself away. God bless this women
This has taught me so much on how to walk with people. Love the advice on how to help the homeless. Thank you Breanne, for sharing and for Matt, for just letting Breanne speak. May God bless both your ministries.
Fantastic episode. Thank you to Breanne for her honest testimony and sharing the wisdom she has received through her experiences.
A child doesn’t have to be physically assaulted to be abused. There are many kinds of subtle yet equally powerful abuse - neglect, parentification, emotional incest, codependent modeling/expectations, to name some common ones. Many in recovery won’t ever go there with their pain because they feel they can’t bear the fact that their parents abused them. It nearly always begins at home. God bless you all on the journey to wholeness. Praise God and our Holy Mother.
I agree that abuse comes in many forms BUT I need to say that so many parents of addicts blame themselves- I would venture to say that the majority do this every day. But this hurts not only the parents/famiily but hurts the addicted person because that often causes the parents to behave in enabling ways or just muddies the water. There are so many people struggling with substance use out there who grew up with wonderfully loving and healthy parents. Nobody is perfect but sometimes addictions begin because of a vulnerablility plus stress plus access. It is much more complicated than just saying it "nearly always" begins at home. That is only one of many reasons. Peace.
I can relate to your marriage! My husband was confirmed a year ago, but he has always been good about reminding me to pray and giving me time to go to confession. Beautiful story.
This might have been my favourite interview. Love this channel.
66 years old have been addicted for over 50 years I always worked for minds in need of prayers
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I haven’t laughed, cried and laughed again so much in a podcast as I have in this one. What an amazing woman!
God bless her and her family! 🥰🙏💕💕💕💕
So needed to hear this. This brave woman is my hero! Sometimes I feel unworthy when I'm around people smarter and more holier than me and that God doesn't love me or is real because I'm not healed in an instance and still have setbacks in my struggles. Not everyone heals overnight and it's important to seek outside help other than private prayer and more people need to hear that.
The ways that God uses her while she is still sinful really stick out to me, even months later. This interview has really helped me reflect on the "worthiness" religion that I was raised in and how much more merciful and loving Christ is in reality. Glory to Jesus Christ. Thank you for sharing your story.
This was an amazing interview! Breanne is such a wonderful treatment of what it means to surrender to Christ. Particularly when what we’re called to and for isn’t what we imagined. Just beautiful
Pints With Aquinas, You're the best! I just had to subscribe!
I grew up Catholic but I got away from it. All of the traditions in my church had little meaning (or so I thought). It took me leaving the church to finally understand what the Lord’s Prayer meant. You are such an inspiration to so many of us out here. Congratulations on your sobriety, you wear it well. Peace be with you!❤️🤗😘😘🤟🏻
Love this interview and also love it when Matt gets all emotional at the same time as all the viewers! Thank you and God bless!
Wow, what a story! Thank you Breanne, for being so open and vulnerable with your experiences.
Matt, thank you so much for not interrupting her but letting her speak. You are amazing.
I have to say, this was one of the shows where I only tuned in because its Pints, and I didn't really see anything else compelling - but this show was amazing, and Breanne is amazing. This is why I love Matt - he always finds these people that you didn't know you needed to hear from...
Oh God help us being dragged through the sand by the waves, give us your Rock to hold and let us be unafraid to let go of what we cling to that we know cannot sustain us
Loved this interview. Thank you Breanne for coming on and chatting. And thanks for following up with Kyle as well :) That was great. Helpful stuff in both. 💛
I'm so grateful that I never got addicted to alcohol, porn or drugs, or any other things. And I will pray for those who have.
My favorite testimony so far. Breanne, God bless you!
Thank you for this wonderful testimony. Its beautiful that you stayed with Jesus through all of it. What a blessing 😊 😊
Such a wonderful interview. I cried laughed and felt joy with her testimony. Thank you Breanne and Matt 🙏
I just joined OA i can't believe what good timing this interview was. Thank you! Id love to hear more on Catholicism and the 12 steps ❤
I needed this video 🙏🏻 God bless you Breanne and Matt! Thank you!
Thank you for this interview , I needed to hear this today.
Maximum respect and gratitude for your honesty of worldly experience and sincerity...
Your story has resonated through my mine and into my relationship to my kin...
You did good sister...your intention is obvious and you're honesty is admirable ....
God be with you ❤️
I keep finding myself wanting to press the like button every ten minutes, but I did it at the start! How do I press like 100 more times? Aaahhh!
Man, this episode is underrated! So many strong stories.
She’s wonderful. I remember a similar feeling the first time I used pills “I’m finally ok- this is what life is supposed to feel like”. Luckily been off them 12 years but it’s such a similar experience.
YES! OUR LADY OF SORROWS!! I love it, what a powerful devotion!
Breanne, you are a beautiful soul. God Bless You ❤😢🙏✝️🕊️
Everything she is telling is relating to me also I'm fighting with my addiction and it helped me ❤
Love this interview! It’s one that is so needed today. Thank you, Breanne for sharing your story!
What a great talk - keeping it real in a way we don’t often get. It’s easy to forget that there is no guarantee we will get a tomorrow.
Great interview, she seems like a really lovely person and fun to be around.
What a beautiful interview, SO True and full of God's love.
So relatable 😅😢 even with the husband bit. Thank you for bearing witness and reaching out so we know we’re not alone.
One of my favorite videos yet.
Good time! I almost deleted Pints With Aquinas. I’m glad I didn’t delete this video! I can relate with Breanne in different things she shared. I’m a recovering adult child and I started two months ago going to ACOA meetings, which is Adult Children of Alcoholics, but before I was going to Al-Anon 5 years ago and had quit going, but I’m back and I’m glad I did. You just can’t do it alone and I’m so grateful to my Lord and to a beautiful friend Robbie who invited me to ACOA meetings. So Matt, Thank you for inviting Breanne. She’s a POWERHOUSE! Thank you Breanne and I’m praying to Jesus, mama Mary, and St. Joseph for you and family unity as well as for everyone. Love is the answer, Amen!!! ✊🏼Like Fr. Corapi use to say, “No pain no gain.” ✊🏼
Love is the answer. ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏼🕊 Thanks again Matt! 😊👋
Sorry! I meant to say I can relate to Breanne. I made an error by stating, “I can’t.” O well it is what it is. I just reposted my comment above. The video was so powerful that I didn’t notice I had made an error, 😂 lol
Abundant blessings! Thanks Breanne! 👊🏼🙌 ⚡️💥💫🌟✨🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️✝️🕊🕊🕊
She’s so brave! Wonderful testimony! Wow!
Wow, what an amazing interview. Glory to God.
Great episode. I had so many thoughts. One was she kept saying she was doing all these incredible things in ministry, literally saw Jesus, has incredible tangible experiences of conversion and helping others yet is still like “God, what do I do???” Im like GIRL youre doing it! Its right there in your face! It makes me wonder what I should be doing if she felt like she was doing nothing in the midst of all her works lol.
It was sad to hear about the suffering she went through, but it also shows how true it is that God can bring about good through anything. Her story brought me a lot of hope.
Super inspiring, interesting interview, grateful for it !
She's great at telling her story
This was amazing! Thank you Breanne!
Addiction is rough. It's a fight that has to be fought or else you and the ones you love will get hurt the most
Thanks for this interview.
23:58 can’t even begin to explain how much I relate
So much of this interview spoke to me but the comment "I have been breastfeeding and pregnant for three years and when it's time to eat, it's time to eat!"...Yes and same :)It's my two year old who says "Pray?" if I forget.
One of my good buddies got sober the day after my wedding. He is 7 months sober now and I am so proud of him, but it can be scary to think how quickly it can get derailed. One way I try to support him is if that try to help him from isolating and invite him over and just call him regularly and he tells me that helps a lot especially when the days are tough.
Beautiful lady, thank you for a true story 🙏 God bless you and your family and may your husband become catholic ❤