Positive Generational Patterns In Family

Within my family tree there are two characteristics that catch my eye; perseverance and determination.“With perseverance and determination anything is possible”( Kelly Landolfi ). Even though my family is small, most of them have the trait of perseverance including my mom, Kelly; my dad, Louis; 5 my grandpa Dennis and last but definitely not least Kylie, me. Determination means to... “continue in a course of action, even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success.” All the Landolfi family have the same qualities of perseverance and determination.

The film, Precious, is a powerfully charged story that delves into the family dynamics of a 16-year-old girl and her struggles to survive an onslaught of treacherous experiences. Throughout the film, the viewer is enveloped in a dramatic web of extreme situations, experienced by the main character, and those to whom she is close. The themes of domestic violence, rape, incest, drug addiction, gambling, poverty, social justice, social services, housing and education are laced together throughout the story. Particularly poignant attention is paid to various systems that help shape the experiences of the characters. The social services industry, and its associated workers, educators and administrators, set the foundation for the social themes that are highlighted by this film.

Gruber, K.J., & Taylor M.F. (2006). A family perspective for substance abuse: Implications from the literature. Journal of Social

Growing up in the household under substances influence can cause severe damage to the child. Parental substance abuse has a significant impact on family function, and it may also contribute to child maltreatment. It heightens the risks to both of the physical and emotional safety of the children, and it generates children’s problematic outcomes. Children who grow up in such families may also experience mental health issues, social isolation, financial difficulties, and exposure to stressful life events and so on.

As a recovering addict I know firsthand how my addiction affected my family. Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a disease; it affects everyone in the family, not just the substance abuser.

Substance abuse is an issue that continues to grow in America at an alarming rate. Families are an important factor for the onset of substance abuse as well as the sustainment of the addiction (Gruber & Taylor, 2006). The National Institute of Drug Abuse defines substance abuse as “A chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences” (“Understanding Drug Use and Addiction,” 2016). In order to prevent relapse, success is found in the formation of familial and social relationships (Baharudin et al., 2014). Substance abuse is a major stressor in the family system and it not only impacts the family’s relationships with those outside of the family but

The family composition comprises of a basic family structure including the father, mother, brother, and sister within the household. An example would be my mother, Ernaline Pabatao who was 13 years old in high school, and her siblings were in elementary including Bernadito who was 11 years old, Caroline who was 9 years old, and Ernest who was 7 years old. Her parents, Bernadita was 23 years old and Ernesto was 33 years old at the time. They had eloped when Bernadita was 18 years old and was not able to finish her college studies because Ernesto prevented her to achieve her academic ambitions.

Drug use by parents and/or older siblings, coupled with tolerant parental viewpoints concerning drug usage by young people, can put youth at a greater risk of drug and alcohol use (Yu, 2003). Close parental supervision along with strongly promoted household rules influence and help deter the use of alcohol/drugs among youth (Yu, 2003). 7 million of American adolescents younger than 18 years old have parents that are alcoholics (Yu, 2003). Children of alcohol abusers have a greater chance of having behavioral and medical problems. This includes criminal behavior, learning disabilities, ADHD, emotional/ mental conditions, and problematic drinking or alcoholism once they’re adults (Yu,

"I need to realize the harm that it causes (my family) and rebuild those relationships." I will participate in process group daily to explore how my substance abuse have negatively affected my family. I will participate in didactic groups daily to learn about how substance abuse effects the family and how to rebuild my relationship with my family.

The crippling effects of alcoholism and drug dependency are not confined to the addict alone. The family suffers,

Addiction is a disease that not only affects the person with the addiction but the family as well. The children that grow up in this environment take on different roles in their family to try and cope with their environment. According to American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, there is an estimate of 26.8 million children that are exposed to alcoholism in the family (2015). As these children grow up they develop many common characteristics into adulthood. These characteristics have a lasting impact on their lives.

The role of intergenerational patterns is often used when referring to negative behaviors that are profoundly repeated throughout different generation (Birkenmaier, Berg-Weger & Dewees, 2014). Papero (2009) on the other hand, specifically linked the term intergenerational to relationship patterns that are being transmitted from one generation to another. To bring to light the immersion of intergenerational patterns, a brief understanding of Bowen’s Family Systems Theory is imperative. Bowen’s theory comprises of eight concepts and a major variable known as anxiety (Papero, 2014). All seven concepts address the family system while the eighth focus mainly on the social function of the society (Papero, 2014). In fact, one of the eighth concepts in Bowen theory is multigenerational transmission process playing an important role with intergenerational patterns. While conducting a systematic analysis of three generations within Lani family system, specific behaviors that were demonstrated were dysfunctional boundaries, marital outcomes, anxiety and transmission of parenting style.

How Does Substance Abuse Affect the Family Unit? A Closer Look at What the Implications are and Treatment Options.

When someone says, “You get that laugh or that smile from your father or your mother.” You don’t always believe them, but in some studies today it is said that if your parents or anyone in your family has a history of a drug addiction those traits in their genes have a decent chance of being passed down to the children causing problems for them later in life. According to the Drugs and Addiction article in the 2009 Addiction Journal, “Family, twin and adoption studies suggest that the heritability of substance use disorders is moderate to

Every family has a unique system with a set of rules, mostly unspoken, that govern their behavior and interactions. In dysfunctional families, the symptom of their dysfunction is typically sourced within their family system. The symptom also has a function – it protects family members from uncomfortable conflict. Dysfunctional families and couples often maintain negative patterns of interacting, and are unable to transition into new behavioral patterns without therapeutic intervention. In order to help families develop out of their systematic ways of behaving, it is important to understand the specific family system that is presented. With a keen understanding of the family’s culture, beliefs, etc., the therapist can develop therapeutic rituals, which are prescribed actions aimed at altering behavioral patterns that are responsible for maintaining the symptom. The ritual is not a verbal explanation or criticism of the family system, rather it is a specific set of actions designed to help families create new patterns of interaction and meaning in their relationships. (p, 5).