Dealing with Family Dysfunction

The shore near, the scent of home far, but I clung on. The rough bark of the log chafed against my bare chest, and my hands were weary from holding on. I inhaled, praying that my body can push toward the sand, and I felt my strength bitterly rise for a last stand. I heaved my futile body on the dry sea of sand and quietly allowed the light to dance one last time in the sunset of my existence.

Brian swam ashore and fell on the beach with soreness and pain. Brian knew that he was out of luck. Brian sat and slept against a tree until the next day. Brian was left on the beach, all alone by himself in the Canadian wilderness.

When the word “vacation” is mentioned, everyone instantly thinks of a great time. There are no classes, no work, no chores, and most importantly, no worries. However, this isn’t always the case, especially with my family. We decided to set out on an adventure to Virginia Beach this past April. The events that took place were benign but, the trip itself was a little bit of a struggle due to the chain of unpredictable events.

Dysfunctional families tend to develop unspoken rules that govern the way the family operates. Rule 1) Rigidity – Dysfunctional families develop ways of operating that become entrenched over time. There is an expectation to always act in a certain way. Roles are defined and members are expected to stick to them. Rule 2) Silence – Dysfunctional families encourage and enforce a conspiracy of silence in the family. Any issues or problems are not spoken about. Rule 3) Denial – Dysfunctional families tend to operate in a state of denial about the problem the family is facing. If they deny the problem hard enough and long enough they may begin to doubt their own perceptions and intuitions. Rule 4) Isolation – Dysfunctional families tend to hide the

The first people who were big influences in Randy's life were his parents. In The Last Lecture Randy dedicates an entire chapter to his parents thanking them for the way he was raised and the fact that he could follow his dreams. "I was born with the winning ticket, a major reason I was able to live out my childhood dream" (Pausch 21). Because of this quote, we can tell that Randy's parents were there for him throughout

Chad was hoping for bad weather so he wouldn't have to go. When Chad woke up on Saturday morning he saw that the weather was perfect for a little fishing. The dad and the two boys made the twenty-eight mile journey Catalina Island. After the boys and Mr. Kincaid have caught quite a few fish Mr. Kincaid decided to take a nap before the journey back to shore. The boys sweating from a long day decided to take the boogie boards out and go for a swim. The boys continued to swim for a little while and they were on opposite sides of the boat when Chad saw a shark. He yelled shark as loud as he could when all of a sudden the shark came up from under Chad and had thrown him in the air about fifteen feet. The commotion woke up Mr. Kincaid and Mick. Chad was taken under water and tried not to breath and remember what the tv show said to do if ever in a shark attack. Chad remembered what the video said and he began punching the shark in the nose it released him just in time for Chad to get a breath. The shark

One of the questions I asked Randy was if the pregnancy affected the relationship with his girlfriend. I found it interesting that this held true as what was mentioned in class, and in the book that having a baby affects the relationship of parents. My friend mentioned in his answer that the relationship was strained during the pregnancy. However, after the birth of his daughter, his relationship with his partner gradually improved as they took the roles of parents. In addition, another question that I asked my friend was that if he changed his habits, such as smoking and drinking. He mentioned that he immediately quit smoking

A cool breeze lifted off the waves and struck Ella’s face. She walked along the edge of the beach, where the water met the sand, desperately trying to dodge each wave that crashed ever so close to her feet. Ahead of her, seagulls were fighting over something. Ella rushed over to where the seagulls were perched, sending a flock of birds screaming and squawking into flight and then landing back on the ground only meters away.

Marriage is hard work and sometimes can become very challenging based on the situations and circumstances that the couple is facing. You make ask yourself “how will the couple endure these challenges such as infidelity, financial hardship, or romantic woes”? Couples counseling has increased over time despite the stigma that comes along with seeing a “therapist”. Studies show that couples tend to wait until it’s too late to seek couples counseling because breaking up is a challenge but staying together and fighting for a marriage is a bigger challenge. Seeking and utilizing couples counseling before divorce becomes an option allows the couple to effectively restore a broken relationship. This paper will discuss the couple’s marriage,

The man began to notice just how strong winds were. They were picking up the loose sand. He was finding it hard to see through it. It was then that the man realized what was happening. He was getting caught in the middle of a

Now, the patient receives health services including a home nurse and dialysis several times a week, as well as the middle sister receiving counseling on an ongoing basis. The patient and middle sister both live within 2 miles to their nearest clinic, and the oldest sister is able to provide her own transportation.

I have recently experienced the worst of family dynamics. Admitted to our floor was a elderly lady that was admitted with a urinary tract infection. This woman had many other comorbidities that consisted of diabetes, congestive heart failure, large stage four pressure ulcer that overlaid the sacrum and coccyx and was bedridden due to the effects of two major strokes. Her daughter was power of attorney and provided all of her mother’s care in the home environment. This is a healthy family trait but became an unhealthy one the moment the mother was admitted for care. Her daughter would not allow the nurses to perform the necessary interventions prescribed and require for her mother.

I want to meet individual with each member of the family so that I may learn what their presenting concerns are and what goals they would have for their family. Having these individual relationships allows each member to voice their opinions without the pressure of others in the room. This time also allows me to explain how I as a structural family therapist views counseling to meet the developmental ages of each member of the family. I will also encourage everyone to voice what they told me when we meet as a family in the next session. Having the individual time also allows me to see if recommending personal counseling would benefit the person, which in turn benefits the whole family.

As soon as she let off the ledge her body flooded with regret, but there was no going back now. As she hit the bottom crashing into the water and rocks the cold stung every inch of her like a thousand knifes. The pain over stimulated her brain causing her to lie there in the water for a while. “Am I dead?” she thought. She sat up struggling from the pain in her legs and back, looking around trying to find a way out of the water she shuffled through the wet rocks to the edge; it was

​Booking a family Vacation can be a stressful or a fun experience. While you’re trying to find a destination that the whole family can agree on and afford, but then you can also have fun planning the details and itinerary. For me, planning my family vacation to Disney was exciting, stressful and fun all at the same time. So much has changed in the three years since the last time I had planned a Disney vacation. I’m glad the process of finding a room, dinning, and getting fast passes was an experience I'm glad is over, so I can now look forward to my family vacation.