Family Systems and Adverse Childhood Experiences
Introduction
- Family Systems Model: Focuses on family dynamics, especially in families with adverse childhood experiences.
- Key Rules in Dysfunctional Families:
Functional vs. Dysfunctional Family Systems
- Functional Family Systems:
- Emphasize development and enhancement of self and others.
- Offer nurturing, supportive environments that teach basic communication skills.
- Problematic Family Systems:
- Lead to costs for self and others.
- Love may still exist but with underlying troubling issues.
- Lack of skills to address issues perpetuates problems.
Generational Patterns
- Patterns, such as addiction or violence, can be passed down through generations.
- These patterns can be both biological and environmental.
Communication Skills
- Importance of learning to connect to oneself.
- Exercise: "What's going on inside of me? How do I label it and express it?"
- In problematic family structures, issues and feelings are often not discussed.
- Lack of communication skills makes addressing issues difficult.
Examples Illustrating Strong No-Talk Rule
- Example 1: A friend's traumatic experience driving as a child, family never discussed it.
- Result: Trauma led to never driving again.
- Example 2: Claudia Black’s experience with a family incident, boyfriend noticed but she enforced no-talk.
- Result: Relationship ended due to enforced silence.
The "No Feel" Rule
- Emotions (anger, sadness, grief) are blocked due to discomfort.
- Without guidance, children learn to suppress emotions.
The "No Trust" Rule
- Unpredictable parental behavior generates chaos.
- Example of a parent disrupting a child's activity unexpectedly, causing mistrust.
Summary
- Dysfunctional family systems often exhibit rigid rules and chaotic dynamics.
- Addressing these patterns requires skills often not taught or nurtured in such environments.
Note: The lecture will continue in the third video clip.