Family Systems Flashcards
Family Rules
Family Rules (Black, 1982)
- Rules of communication in addict families often involve keeping secrets
- Don’t talk
- Don’t trust
- Don’t feel
- Systems seek balance / homeostasis
- Addiction causes imbalance in the family system
Family Rules
Family Patterns of Communication (Satir, 1983)
PBIDS
Placaters – discount themselves; agree, avoid conflict, feel worthless
Blamers – elevate themselves by discounting others
Intellectualizers – try to think through problems, discount their feelings
Distractors – distract from painful feelings, avoid conflicts
- Solution — Levelling - words, body, and feelings are consistent with message
Family Rules
Family System Roles (Wegscheider-Cruse, 1994)
Enabling: taking responsibility for someone else’s lack of responsibility.
- Lost child; allows family to expend less energy
- Chief enabler: assumes primary responsibility for the adddict; shelters, protects, denies
- Family hero; the responsible achiever. Model child. Famiy’s sense of worth depends on them
- Family scapegoat; Diverts focus from issues. Blamed for everyhing
- Family mascot; Uses humour to divert attention
Treatment: Look at entire family as system. Therapy both individual and group, maybe incorporate extended family.
Family Rules
Rigid Family Systems
Rules – Strict, inflexible interpretation of rules.
Values – Black or white; right or wrong.
Communication – Linear, hierarchical. Harsh dad, soft mom. Or controlling mother, avoidant dad.
Functions of drug – Suppress feelings, stay numb to the trauma in this family system.
Drugs of choice – Alcohol, heroin, marijuana; other sedative hypnotics and narcotic analgesics.
Family Rules
Ambiguous Family Systems
ALISON
Rules – Unenforced, can be changed frequently
Values – Forever changing, based on the situation
Communication – Confusing mixed messages.
Functions of drug – Shut out reality and/or distort reality, suppress feelings of discomfort, kill pain.
Drugs of choice – Alcohol and/or heroin, marijuana and hallucinogens.
Family Rules
Overextended Family Systems
Rules – Be productive, get busy, stay on the move
Values – Look good, achieve, feelings are for wimps
Communication – Feelings not expressed; decisions based on results & what pleases parent(s)
Functions of drug – Keep working/doing, desite feelings incongruent with work/intimate relationships.
Drugs of choice – Cocaine, methamphetamine and other stimulants, alcohol
Family Rules
Distorted Family Systems
(Mine)
Rules – Act normal. Don’t let them know we’re crazy.
Values – Maintain illusion of normalcy, despite physical, emotional & interpersonal problems
Communication – Mixed messages; parents/children unavailable, limited common perceptions.
Functions of drug – Distort reality, which is already distorted; try and make sense/no sense of it
Drugs of choice – Hallucinogens, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants
Family Rules
Entitled Family Systems
(Trumps)
Rules – Don’t apply, because we’re special.
Values – Money, status, and who you know.
Communication – We are better than others, so we see others as less entitled.
Functions of drug – Pleasure, party, show how good life is.
Drugs of choice – Fine wine, champagne, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, and basically anything we want.
Family Rules
Styles of Enabling Behaviors (Nelson)
- Avoiding & Shielding - covering up/preventing user from experiencing consequences of use.
- Attempting to Control - trying to control addict’s use of drug
- Taking over Responsibilities
- Rationalizing and Accepting
Family Rules
Family Treatment: Goals (9)
DESPISE VP (mike pence)
- Develop family commitment for recovery
- Encourage open communication
- Specify and elaborate on rules, consequences, behaviour/attitude changes
- Prepare relapse prevention guidelines and family response
- Identify enabling behaviours and counter them
- Solidify the parental coalition
- Educate on the family disease concept/model
- Validate members’ feelings regarding drug abusing member & consequences of abuse
- Plan & define family leisure activities
commit communicate coalition | identify plan prepare | specify, validate, education
