Mason has done a lot of work to heal from the abuse of his childhood, which is why he allowed me to write about it. It’s been almost 40 years since that day, and he still has the physical scars. It’s easy to see the dysfunction in this story, but it’s not always this extreme or clear. We all are dysfunctional in one way or another. But are we being intentional about being the healthiest versions of ourselves, or do we give in to our dysfunction? Our families will only be as healthy as we are. Our dysfunction can cause wounds, arrested development, and trauma for kids. We can save them from that with these 3 ways to avoid becoming a dysfunctional family.
Table of Contents
1. Expose and deal with underlying issues.
Unaddressed hurt and ingrained dysfunction will lead to unhealthy ways of thinking and behavior. If your parents were dysfunctional, it’s important to unpack it, especially how it affected you. You may not repeat their behavior, but a lack of awareness and unhealed wounds can cause bad habits, overreactions, codependency, addiction, and a host of other destructive behavior. Continuing the legacy of a dysfunctional family is the last thing you want to do. Gain insight by learning from experts and seeking out counseling.
2. Be open and honest.
One of the worst things you can do is hide dysfunctional behavior or minimize its impact. It’s like putting a corpse under the rug in your living room. The stench will just get worse and worse. In his book Leadership Is an Art, Max DePree said the number one job of any leader is to define reality. We have to be honest about destructive thinking and behavior, or it will take hold of our families.
3. Accept responsibility.
The highest functioning people in this world are the ones willing to accept responsibility for their actions. They also explore and do their utmost to understand the pain they’ve caused so they can make amends and never repeat the same mistakes. Accepting responsibility grows our maturity, empathy, and wisdom.
