Complicated Family Ties
Can’t escape them even, or especially, in adulthood.
I've TriedI’VE TRIED
i’m tired
I’VE TRIED
I’VE TRIED
The ISSUES that create DIFFICULT DYNAMICS
Sibling Needs
A high needs sibling in a family of any size can create stress within the family dynamic. Even into adulthood, there can continue to be fallout. There can be feelings of guilt and shame, a deprioritizing of your own needs or inability to identify/meet them. There could be grief and also resentment.
All of this is normal and intense! It’s a good reason to seek therapy to feel more grounded and boundaried in whatever ways you need to.
Immature Parents
Immaturity in parents can show up a lot of ways. There can be substance abuse, narcissism, PTSD, role reversal (the child becoming the parent in a sense), enmeshment, lack of accountability, and so many more things. Learning how to set new boundaries, disentangle the enmeshment, and individuate yourself are often initial therapy goals.
Aging parents can also bring these issues back to light. Maybe as an adult you have carved out your own identity, but are now faced with their care and have had to integrate back into each other’s lives again. Every situation is unique and carries its own weight.
Adoption / Foster
The nuances and complications that can arise from these, often, early childhood experiences can last what feels like a lifetime. It’s normal individuals who have gone through this to experience anxiety, depression, identity issues, or have low self esteem.
Divorce/Blended
Even if it’s amicable, the family still experiences the stress and shockwaves in the adjustments to the family life.
This fracturing can affect children/teens in their school performance/social life. Sometimes the adults are not behaving well and triangulate children or overshare. Having support for your family during this type of transition can be effective in managing the stress.
