Stop Harming Your Children By Repeating These 5 Dysfunctional Family Types That Recycle Generation After Generation
Growing up in a dysfunctional family has a tremendous impact on a child’s sense of self, security, and sanity. Children exposed to unhealthy parenting will have issues as adults if they do not address those problems. Most people don’t want to talk about painful childhoods. But as long as we remain silent, more children will be hurt.
My aim is to educate people about this very serious problem that affects society on many levels. Only then can we improve in how we treat and consider other people, family or not. Most people know what a dysfunctional family is. But they don’t know the different dysfunctional families.
There are 5 Dysfunctional Family Types:
1. The Substance Abuse Family
There are millions of children living with a parent with a substance abuse disorder. Parents who abuse drugs or alcohol wreak havoc on their child’s life. They neglect their child’s basic needs. They miss appointments and don’t provide regular, healthy meals. They don’t attend to their child’s educational needs.
They don’t provide a safe, stable living environment. Living with an addicted parent can lead to anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Children who grow up in this type of home may become adults who are insecure and distrustful. This can lead to difficulty in personal relationship as adults.
2. The Conflict-Driven Family
Did your parents constantly fight, argue, and engage in messy feuds? If they did, they thrived on conflict, which caused anger and pain in their child’s life. Parents who constantly engage in conflict provide a poor example to their child. They don’t teach their child how to manage conflict. They create a very stressful home environment.
Conflict-driven parents don’t teach active listening or communication skills. They are impatient and create conflict over the smallest issues. They can be verbally abusive with their child, relatives, and others. Children who grow up in conflict-driven families may become adults who are toxic and damaged. They may develop stress disorders and be poor communicators who have difficult relationships.
3. The Violent Family
Millions of children grow up in homes where physical violence is a norm. Parents who introduce their child to violence set them up to be victimized again and again. Violence includes physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Parents who are violent don’t seek outside resources or help. They keep secrets that are detrimental to their child.
These parents subject their child to domestic abuse, which witnessing has the same effect as physically experiencing. They instill fear and silence in their child and alter their child’s natural personality. Children who grow up in violence-driven homes may grow up and repeat violence in their families and relationships. They may develop anti-social behavior that gets them in legal trouble.
4. The Authoritarian Family
Being the authority in a child’s life differs from being the authoritarian in their life. Parents who are authoritarians are controlling and destroy their child’s sense of self. They make demands but don’t give direction or positive feedback. They use verbal abuse and spankings when their child makes a mistake or defies them. These parents are inflexible and rule the home with no mercy.
Their mantra is “it’s my way or the highway.” They make all the decisions in the home and seek no input from others. Their children are afraid of them and may be nervous or anxious because of them. Children who grow up in authoritarian homes have poor self-esteem and may be vulnerable to substance abuse. They may grow up to be overly aggressive or shy in social circles.
5. The Emotionally Detached Family
Growing up in a home where affection is missing has lifelong effects on a child’s life. Parents who show no feelings or love towards their child damage their emotional development. They don’t give hugs or physical comfort. They don’t tell their child how much they love him/her. Emotionally detached parents discourage their child from crying or outwardly expressing emotions.
They expect their child to have the emotional maturity of an adult and think they are wonderful parents because they provide. Living with an emotionally detached parent can lead to feelings of abandonment and low self-esteem. Children who grow up in this type of home may become adults who have identity or personality disorders. Because they have trouble opening up, their relationships fail repeatedly.
In conclusion, families are not destined to be dysfunctional. We all can choose what kind of family we want. If you are in a dysfunctional family, get out. There is nothing good that can come from being stuck in the cycle of abuse.
Having a dysfunctional family can affect mental health, emotional well-being, and other aspects of life. It is important to be aware of the warning signs of a dysfunctional family so you can seek help.
It is possible to have a functional family if this is your goal. A functional family consists of healthy communication within the relationships, open dialogue for conflict resolution, and love amongst everyone involved. You do not have to repeat the mistake of your parents. Stop dysfunctional family patterns today.
To learn more about breaking dysfunctional generational patterns, pick up a copy of my book Choosing to Stop the Madness: Overcoming Toxic Family Patterns. In the book, I describe how I ended cycles of abuse and unhealthy parenting in my life. I can show you how to do the same in yours.
If you feel you need the help of a therapist to end dysfunctional family patterns, reach out to Online-Therapy.com for support.
Please share this article with those who can benefit from it. Together, we can help heal each other. If you need to reach me, contact me here. Thank you for spending your time with me. I’m sending you peace, love, and light!
Source: https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/which-of-the-5-types-of-dysfunctional-families-do-you-have/
