Why Being The Family Hero Hurts
Monday’s post The Family Hero – It’s Not All Good generated many comments and even a couple of email questions. Although Thursday is usually a positive day here, I thought I’d change things up a bit...
View ArticleThe Problem Child – It’s Not All Bad
In every family with an emotionally absent parent, the children learn and adopt one of four roles to deal with the stress and tension in the family. These roles are the hero, rebel or scapegoat,...
View ArticleRebels and Scapegoats: How do They Heal?
The second role in this discussion is the rebel, discussed in some detail here. But there is another point of view about the role of this troubled child and that is that they play the scapegoat for...
View ArticleThe Lost Child: Finding The Way Back from Emptiness
A family where the parents are emotionally absent (whatever the reasons) leaves the children to fend for themselves emotionally. In learning to cope in a difficult situation with a child’s maturity...
View ArticleBig Families and Small Ones: What About the Roles?
Over the last four weeks we have examined the four roles children assume when they are raised in a home with an emotionally absent parent. Psychology seems to have a predilection for models of four;...
View ArticleIncompletes, Dishonesty and Merciless Judgment: 3 More Characteristics
The next three characteristics of children raised in emotionally barren homes are: (please see the previous post for the source of this list)Have difficulty following a project through from beginning...
View ArticleThe Most Common Characteristics of Adult Children
The next three characteristics are common in all the roles. In fact, I think they’re common in all people – well everyone I know, especially the last two. Overreact to changes over which they have no...
View Article8 Steps to an Emotionally Rich Family
We’ve talked alot about families and how early childhood experiences can shape adulthood. And I’ve had a number of requests to share some thoughts about healthy families. It’s an interesting dilemma...
View Article4 Stages of Healing from Childhood Abuse
Over the years, I have worked with many victims of abuse, women or men who were abused in childhood (I do not work with children). Sometimes the abuse consisted of neglect; often it was physical, and...
View ArticlePTSD as an Outcome of Childhood Abuse
Originally, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was recognized and diagnosed in returning war veterans. Now, it is recognized as an outcome from a traumatic situation. In fact, new research postulates that...
View Article
