Dysfunctional Families

If you get an invitation to a family reunion, you don't have to scream "Oh, Nooooooooooooooo." The decision is yours, whether to attend or not, but some pre-reunion mental preparation...

If you are in an abusive relationship the best thing to do is leave. Easier said than done right? Just as the abuse itself was a process of fear, guilt, shame, and intimidation over time, leaving...

When talking about relationships and families, dynamics are complex. Why? Because especially the closest we are the more we expect and therefore, the more disappointed we can be. For example, one...

There are families with dysfunctional behavioral patterns that are passed down from one generation to the next. The dysfunctional behavioral patterns are alcoholism, drugs, emotional abuse,...

October is recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Every person has the right to live free of fear. If you are unfortunate to be in a violent relationship, please know you are...

Domestic violence is a terrible, terrible thing to live through. Some survive, some don't. Women aren't the only ones who are abused; men are abused by women, too. If you, or someone you care...

We have all been there at some point in our lives. We get angry, throw a tantrum and show off a little in front of other people – the helpless public. Whether they like it or not, they have won...

Okay. So I'm sure a lot of you out there will think this article is pretty inappropriate. An invasion of privacy maybe?? But usually the ones that feel this way are the ones that have something...

How to slow down and learn what makes you tick, what you like, and what you do not like. The why and the why not answers.

While my current position is much tamer than ever before, I’d be a liar if I claimed the events of my childhood didn’t help shape the adult I’ve become. For this reason there are a number of...

Years ago a friend of mine worked on a hot line. It was called a crisis hot line, but it also got its share of chronic callers, often alcoholics who were lonely and just wanted to talk. Well,...

Dealing with difficult people is something that needs more than hints and tips. It takes guts, grace, and the ability to walk away. Here is a step by step process for developing these virtues....

Family. It's a word fraught with many meanings. For some, it's a comfort - a respite from a dangerous world. For others, it's the cause of therapy bills. As kids, we generally are hostages to...

Even if you have a difficult person in your life who isn't a textbook narcissist, you can learn from my experiences in dealing with them.

Be happy and have a happy family when they are grown,can be hard. Be a happy and love a family and help each other. Families that were close when younger, can become estranged when older. ...

At one time or another everyone has been hurt by the actions of someone else. It could be anything from the smallest of things like a friend gossiping about you to the deepest of betrayals when a...

We're all scattered across wide geographic swaths and the holiday season can be the worst as it can vividly remind us of those who are not in our immediate sphere anymore. Fear not! Rather than...

Do you ever feel someone is talking to you but making no real attempt at a human connection? It happens all the time -- in the checkout line in the store, at work, on the phone, even in our own...

I've currently found myself in the frustrating situation of having my boyfriend's 15-year-old daughter live with us. Most people manage to deal, but my situation is unique in the fact that my bf...

We love getting together with our family and sharing with them at holiday time. But in almost every family there's one or more people with whom you may have issues. This can include money loaned...

It is NEVER easy to leave a relationship. No matter how good or bad that relationship is /was. You've heard the stories. He hits her, yells and degrade her. Cheats on her and denies her of any...

Touch is therapeutic and is something that we all need at sometime in our life to feel whole. But did you know that some very simple touches can be misinterpreted and consider immoral. The main...

Do you constantly have to put up with negative thoughts, because you can't break out of the cycle of thinking like everyone else in your environment? I will show you a way to turn this around.

Finding yourself mired in stressful family issues? Always hearing the details of a sibling, parent, or other relative's problems? Do you love them, but wish you could be left out of the family...

Establishing healthy boundaries is one thing but enforcing them and keeping them is the next step and an entirely different thing.

Have something ever happened to you growing up and you told yourself that "I will never allow that to happen to my family." Well, that feeling that you had back then I want to help you...

Alcoholics are frustrating to live with, yet they often can't be avoided because they are all around us. They get drunk, ruin parties, become angry, or simply "fall asleep" (read: pass...

Kids shouldn't get all the fun. Here are some tips that will surely drive your kids nuts.

When someone hurts us, it's not an easy thing to let go. We seem to judge others based on their actions and once a certain level of trust has been broken, often times, it can never be repaired; at...

Last week, my friend was complaining to me about some questionable behavior by her father. I won't get into the details, except to say that she ended her tirade with a line I have heard in one...

You know what happens when you drink too much champagne, tequila or beer: headache, vomit, chills, exhaustion, moans, groans and more. It's a bonafide hangover. But what about when you spend too...

When I see someone wearing an "It's All About Me" tee shirt, I wonder why anyone would want to put that message out there. Has self absorption and a sense of entitlement become...

As parents, it is inevitable that the fart game will surely be played in your household at some point in time. For our family, it began two weeks ago. What is the fart game you ask? For...

While big holiday family gatherings can be a joyful, fun time to reconnect with family for many people, the thought of gathering with relatives brings up stress and anxiety. Follow these simple...

Do you ever get tired of going home or to work with the same negative people? Do you get verbally abused or cussed out every time? Do you get treated unfairly at work? Do you deal with negative...

It is easy to pray every night with your child. No matter what religion you are, prayers can not only be religious, but also an appreciation of life.

Were you betrayed, mistreated, neglected or abused by your mother who was supposed to love you and be there for you? Do you feel sad because you don't have a loving relationship with your mother,...

Many of us had passive fathers who were emotionally absent. Or a father that was completely absent or even abusive. This lack can be devastating; it leaves a child wondering "do I...

I am the youngest of four children, there is a seven year gap between myself and my youngest sibling. My views and opinions are very different from my brothers and my sister. They find fault with...

No matter how many times we read a newspaper, hear a story on the news, or even someone tells us a story of a child being abused, it hurts to the core. A child should be happy and full of fun....

Being the grandmother of eight and a great-grandmother of one, I can never express all the joy that comes with it. You get to do all the things that you didn't dare do with your children. Spoiling...

Depression can lead to more problems like unhappy marriage or family, health problems, unable to function and work,unhealthy behavior- worst scenario is suicide. It is vital to intervene with...

The problem with “punishment” in child-rearing is that it doesn’t do a good enough job of linking behavior to consequences, whether that behavior is good or bad. But worse than that, they remain...

Sometimes we forget and lose control of our mornings. We don't really know how it happened, but it just happens. Everyday life takes over and we are riding along and all of a sudden our work day...

It's true that we don't have control over everythin what happens in our life. We can't control the weather, the stock market, the economy etc..But we can control ourselves and our reactions to...

Many adult survivors of child abuse stay dependent upon their abusive parents into adulthood. In some cases, the dependency is financial. In others, the dependency is emotional. Often, both forms...

Not all families have the "luck?" of being counseled by Dr. Phil when they hit a rough patch. Hopefully this will give you some ideas of how to patch things up within your own family...

Do you know those people who mooch? Is it a family member, friend, co-worker? Here is an article to help you identify a mooch and stop being a caregiver to them (or a moochee).

There are people who would like to control you. It makes life more convenient for them. When you stop letting them have control over you, they will let you know that you are selfish,...

Is it morning already <*?@! KIDS! Get up! You're late for school, Again! Where is the asprin? I need coffee! What?!! Today is Sunday? Yeesss! I can write today. Somebody get up and let that dog...