The 5 Types of Dysfunctional Family Dynamics & 4 Ways to Overcome Them

You notice your parent's or family’s cycles of unhealthy behavior. And maybe you realize you exhibit some of them.

The good news? You don’t have to carry these unhealthy cycles through your life, nor do you need to pass them on to your own children. 

In fact, let’s stop these dysfunctional family behaviors here and now. It stops with us.

In fact, let’s normalize dysfunctional families altogether. Every family has its flaws, no matter how perfect it all might look from the outside. Arguably, some have bigger flaws and darker corners than others (similar to differences between people). 

Yet, as adults, the picture-perfect ideal we thought our family once was might get slightly eroded by our own emotional maturity. You might notice you’re particularly sensitive to guilt-tripping due to your own parents guilt-tripping you when you were young.

The five types of dysfunctional family dynamics include:

1. Substance-Abuse

A shocking eight million children are looked after by parents who struggle with substance abuse.

. Conflict-Driven

Do you have family members you've never met?

Or do you know of certain family members that just don’t talk to each other?

3. Violent

Verbal, sexual, physical, or emotional abuse damages a person at their core.

4. Authoritarian

This is the typical “strict parents” family. With many names, like helicopter parents, any slip-up or mistake can feel world-ending to the children in this situation. Mistakes or mishaps are met with severe punishment with no discussion. It’s a dictatorship-run household. 

People who should listen to this show are psychotherapists, mental health workers