The Family and Process of Addiction Flashcards
The more polluted the environment, the more _____.
Prone to sickness/disease physically
Homes with addiction in the family are:
- More emotional instability (abusive or neglectful)
- Subject to higher feelings of shame and guilt
- Treating addiction in the family is a parallel process; both family and addict must be ready for chance
Addiction throws off the _____ of the family
Balance
New roles are formed to:
Relieve pain, restore balance, and keep family together, and take attention away from addict
List the six roles in the family
- Star of show
- Chief enabler
- Hero
- Forgotten child
- Scapegoat
- Clown
Describe the characteristics of the Star of the Show:
- The addict; usually a parent
- Struggles to fulfill their family responsibilities
Describe the characteristics of the Chief Enabler:
- Usually the partner/spouse; especially if children are young
- Knowingly and unknowingly do things that allow addict to progress in addiction
Describe the characteristics of the Hero:
- Usually an older child
- Very successful in school and work, perfectionists or over achievers
- Deep sense of loneliness and inadequacy
- Many of times in denial of family problem
- Takes on self-injury behaviors usually
Describe the characteristics of the Forgotten Child:
- Usually the younger children
- Spend time alone to escape the problem; imaginary friends, make believe play
- Emotionally withdrawn, appear very independent, but hurt and lonely
- Takes on self-injury behaviors usually
Describe the characteristics of the Scapegoat:
- Any member of the family
- Unwillingly assume blame for the family instead of addiction
- Tends to be 2nd or middle child
- Very rebellious to take attention away from addict
- Usually the identified patient in the family and the family often goes to therapy to “fix” this person
- Usually the healthiest because they get the attention of the enabler
- Angry, lonely, feels guilty
Describe the characteristics of the Clown:
AKA the Mascot
- Usually the youngest child
- Very fun, entertaining, tries to provide comic relief
- Requires positive attention
- Fearful of losing contact with reality; uses humor to keep grounded
- Highly anxious, very insecure, lonely
Who is the identified patient in family system?
The one in the system taking on most anxiety (usually rebellious)
- System rallies against them because they bring attention to the family
- Family names as the “sick” one; good though, because they’re the ones who normally “spill the beans” on what’s really going on
According to the Organic systems model, the criterion of whom to counsel is no longer who has the symptom, but who has the _____.
Greatest capacity to bring change to the system
List the 5 laws of the Family Process
- Identified Patient
- Differentiation of self
- Emotional Triangles
- Homeostasis
- Extended Family Field
Describe Differentiation of Self:
Similar to self-actualization; trying to identify the self, outside of the system
- Pseudo-self = fused self (blended with others, even if unwanted)
- Separating emotional and intellectual “spheres”
