Healthy Family Dysfunctional Family

What makes a family dysfunctional? We all have encounter in one way or another in our lives a family that has a dysfunctional dynamic. A dysfunctional family is one that the relationships between parents and children t are strained and unnatural (Boyd). With relationship being strained in a family it can cause all kind of detrimental effects. Let’s compare the differences between healthy family characteristics to dysfunctional family characteristics. In a healthy family, they allow and accept emotional expression of individual’s character and interest, rules in the family and boundaries are followed and honored, there a consistent sign of respect and building a level of flexibility to meet individuals needs within the family, all feel safe

The common signs of a dysfunctional family is the following: there’s a lack of empathy as well as respect between members, the borrowing or destroying of personal property without permission, invading personal privacy, extreme conflict or hostility in the family environment whether its between parent-child or sibling-sibling assaults, role reversal or confusion where the child become the parent and needs to watch or care for their parent, restricted relationships or friendships to outsiders of the family, the perfectionism as well as the unrealistic expectation , emotional, verbal abuse or ridicules behavior as well as blaming of each family member, not allowing individuals to have their own opinion as well as not accepting sadness or happiness, using their children as weapon to get back at each other and conditional emotional love and

They are many causes of family to become dysfunctional. One main reason is there’s substance abuse within the family dynamic. Whether it be one or both parents are intentionally or involuntarily have a substance abuse or addiction. Usually family life can be unpredictable as well as unsuccessful with addicted parent. Usually the parent with any substance addiction that’s their main priority, this then causes the parent to neglect both physical as well as the emotional needs of their children. Another reason that there is abuse with the family. Whether it is one or both parents have history of abusive words or actions towards a child. The abusive behavior can be physical (beating, slapping, punching or sexual) or psychological (verbal and emotional abuse). Strict or authoritarian parent can be another factor in a family being dysfunctional. It can either be both or one parent that has the history of being controlling. By a controlling parent they fail and or refuse to give their children space to flourish and become their own person, where they can voice their option, make their own choices as well as decisions. The final cause for a dysfunctional family dynamtic is the deficient or absent parent, which measn the in adequacy of a parentalit present in the family. It can be either one or both parents are either purposely or unknowingly failing to act appropriately or neglecting their children’s physical or the emotional needs.