Having and maintaining a healthy family is a task that must be achieved between each of the members; But there are times when it becomes dysfunctional due to lack of economic, social or cultural needs.
These families have the hard work of eliminating the instability they find themselves in due to the problems and damage they cause, especially in children. This makes it necessary to find solutions.
In the following article, you will be able to know the characteristics and consequences that can occur within a dysfunctional family. You will also know how to help find possible solutions.
What is a dysfunctional family?
The dysfunctional family is one where the functions that correspond to each member are not fulfilled correctly, which generates conflict and bad behavior constantly between each one.
Astudyconducted on the dysfunctional family, gives as a definition that where parents prevent healthy growth among the members and the ability to relate to each other. What makes emotional and psychological stability fundamental.
Features of a dysfunctional family
In dysfunctional families there are frequent problems among the members due to misconduct and abuse that cause certain characteristics, being necessary to find solutions. Which can be described below:
There is no empathy or understanding
Empathy and understanding in families is little or absent when they are dysfunctional. What causes indifference among the members since they fail to feel or want to hear the emotions of the other. Causing frustration.
Communication is poor
Poor communication in families leads members not to express their desires and emotions to others. Likewise, not commenting on situations in the correct way causes misunderstandings and can further intensify the problems.
There is physical, emotional and psychological violence
Physical, emotional and psychological violence is generally found in dysfunctional families, caused mainly by parents or whoever exercises authority. The aggressor may or may not be aware of the damage and aggression that he commits.
There are addictions to alcohol and psychoactive substances
The abuse and addiction of alcohol or psychoactive substances significantly influences the behavior of the individual. This causes it to affect social and interpersonal situations due to breach of obligations and duties by dependency.
ToStudy from the National University of Colombia on alcoholism and psychoactive substances reflects that the addicted person affects the environment where they live and their personal development, harming their family and social environment.
Lack of respect among its members
Respect in a dysfunctional family is very little. Shouting, teasing or insults between parents and children make healthy coexistence with each other impossible, generating a lack of values and intolerance, which makes it more difficult to solve.
Some members may have low self esteem
Low self-esteem can be a symptom suffered by one or several family members, due to the constant conflicts and chaos in the home. Reducing the value they have and questioning their functions.
Controlling behaviors occur
Controlling behaviors are present in the dysfunctional family. This is due to the fear that there is for some member and his authoritarian position over the others, which prevents the development of personalities.
Separated parents in constant conflict
The conflicts of separated parents harm the growth of children when they are young. These can become visit restrictions, separation of siblings or emotional imbalances, caused by differences or breach of duties.
Lack of equity in treatment
In a dysfunctional family there is little equity in the treatment between one or more members, it may be due to age, abilities or economic position. What causes indignation and jealousy in others.
there are no limits
The limits or rules do not exist in the dysfunctional family, meaning that the children have inappropriate actions or behaviors, just like the parents, abusing the respect and privacy between them or outside the home.
problems are evaded
Evaded problems are common in a dysfunctional family, since when situations and needs arise that must be met, they are postponed due to the failure to perform functions or the inability to achieve it.
All this weakens the emotional stability of all family members.
constant fights and arguments
Fights and arguments become constant among family members when there is no agreement on one or more issues. So, the different points of view affecting the relationships of couples or children are not understood.
Consequences of a dysfunctional family
In a dysfunctional family, several consequences can be suffered, inflicting more damage among the members, this makes the situation desperate and in search of help. Which is necessary to know to know how to act.
rebellion in children
Children become rebellious against their parents due to the changes that they go through over the years, but that in the same way can be caused by not seeing a stable family due to problems, disunity and estrangement during their growth.
In an Interview with Joseph K. Freud, director of the Barcelona Psychoanalytic School , he mentions that children become rebellious due to the neglect of their parents and their functions, leaving them lost and lonely, projecting their bad attitude against the world.
Low selfsteem
The members of a dysfunctional family may have low self-esteem due to the conflicts they have experienced over the years, becoming indecisive and afraid of making mistakes due to their low self-confidence and self-esteem.
Isolation
The isolation of any of the members in the family can be caused mainly by the conflictive environment that exists, totally distancing themselves in an involuntary way from the others. As a consequence, he experiences loneliness and depression for it.
A study on social isolation mentions that one of the related factors is the absence of satisfactory personal relationships that can serve as support, one of them being the family.
addictions
Addictions is something that many families deal with with some member, generating dysfunctional patterns between them. Although the causes can be varied, factors that intervene such as depression, anxiety and environmental stress are taken into account.
As an escape measure, this causes the use of substances or alcoholism in an addictive way in them, since it frees them from their emotional suffering without realizing that these addictions harm them even more.
emotional instability
The emotional instability of a person in a dysfunctional family causes ups and downs of emotions and sensations that do not allow good personal development. Entering into constant states of euphoria, sadness, apathy and frustration.
Depression and anxiety
Depression and anxiety disorders are very common among members of dysfunctional families. These cause difficulties sleeping, eating and apathy to perform daily tasks, which can affect health or work problems.
Innapropiate behaviours
Abuse or the absence of limits in the family lead to inappropriate behaviors among them, generating rejections and an increase in conflict in the home. What makes the situation more difficult since it lowers self-esteem and the ability to solve.
early pregnancies
A common cause of early pregnancies are problems in the family or the absence of parents. This leads to generating depression due to the inability to meet the needs of the baby or the rejection of others.
Suicides
The suicide of a family member may be the worst consequence to occur. This is due to the emotional suffering of a person due to some circumstance that they cannot face, entering a state of chronic depression.
How to help a dysfunctional family?
Knowing how to help a dysfunctional family is the fastest and most urgent thing to look for, since emotional chaos is present among the members. Therefore, the following options should be considered.
Accept and face problems
Facing the problems that exist within the family is a great way to get ahead and be able to solve them, in this way you can organize and deal with the needs that are lacking and find solutions.
Order the roles of each member
If there are functions that are not served within the family, then it is necessary to order the roles of each member. This contributes to teamwork and can foster a better relationship between everyone.
Improve communication
Improving communication in the family helps to solve problems and transmit the needs that exist. It is necessary to connect with the other members by listening to their opinions with understanding and empathy in order to agree and achieve objectives.
Create healthy coexistence strategies
It is good to create strategies to live in a healthy way as a family. These can be how to keep order, tolerate different tastes, respect other people’s time and set limits to minimize misunderstandings and conflicts again.
Go to psychological therapy if necessary
It is advisable to go to psychological therapy when the problems become very big and are not controlled by the family, in this way better communication can be reached to regulate behaviors among all with the help of a professional.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.