Understanding Dysfunctional Families: Factors and Solutions

1. Dysfunctional Families Objective: TSWBAT identify factors of dysfunctional families and how to improve their relationships.

2. Review of Terms • Ideal Family – • Has the skills needed for loving & responsible relationships • Dysfunctional Family – • Lacks skills to be successful and functional in healthy ways • Does not meet the needs of the family members • Family Continuum – • All families fall somewhere between ideal and dysfunctional on the family continuum

3. Causes of Dysfunctional Families: • Chemical Dependence • Drugs and alcohol addiction • Dysfunctional family was first studied in families in which there was alcoholism • Other Addictions • Eating disorders, workaholics, gambling, etc. • Violence (Domestic violence) • Physical abuse • Emotional abuse (verbal abuse) • Sexual abuse

4. Causes con’t • Neglect/Abandonment • Failure to provide proper care and guidance • Removes oneself from whose care is one’s responsibility • Mental Disorders • Mental or emotional condition that makes it difficult for a person to live in a normal way • Family Changes • Separation, divorce, blended/step families, tragedies, stress, etc.

5. How to improve dysfunctional family relationships: • Individual Therapy • Group Therapy • Recovery Programs The Three C’s: Commitment Communication Compromise (Cooperation)

6. Codependent Relationships Codependency – making the relationship more important to you than you are to yourself • Trying to make the relationship work with someone else who’s not Behaviors of codependent people: • Low self esteem • Fixers • People pleasers • Fear abandonment