TOPIC

Dysfunctional Childhood



“Dysfunctional childhood” is a term used to describe growing up in the care of adults who were confused, abusive, and/or ineffective. Because it’s all we know, it can seem “normal,” or just the way that some families act. People brought up under such circumstances often attempt to utilize suboptimal patterns and coping strategies in engaging in the world and discover that their ways of behaving are not aligned with the rest of society. We can carry patterns of aggression, disrespect, lack of empathy, ineffective boundaries, and low self-esteem—or just misaligned expectations of relationships. While it can be challenging to see patterns learned in childhood as the source of our current problems and dissatisfactions, it can also be tremendously liberating: we discover that we are free to change.

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Breaking the Silence about Childhood Trauma — Dani Bostick

Most discussions of PTSD focus on veterans to the extent that many people who suffer from PTSD are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, especially among our children.

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The Emotionally Absent Mother, Updated and Expanded Second Edition: How to Recognize and Heal the Invisible Effects of Childhood Emotional Neglect

The groundbreaking guide to self-healing and getting the love you missed.

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Dysfunctional Family Relationships

Many people hope that once they leave home, they will leave their family and childhood problems behind. However, many find that they experience similar problems, as well as similar feelings and relationship patterns, long after they have left the family environment.

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FindCenterAll parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair.

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07:16

How Childhood Trauma Can Make You a Sick Adult | Big Think | Big Think

The Adverse Childhood Study found that survivors of childhood trauma are up to 5,000 percent more likely to attempt suicide, have eating disorders, or become IV drug users. Dr. Vincent Felitti, the study's founder, details this remarkable and powerful connection.

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Healing the Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families

Dr. Whitfield provides a clear and effective introduction to the basic principles of recovery. This book is a modern classic, as fresh and useful today as it was more than a decade ago when first published.

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What to Do If You Grew Up in a Dysfunctional Family

No family is perfect! It’s far from it. All families experience some level of dysfunction. Most, however, manage pretty well despite it.

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FindCenterExperience has taught us that we have only one enduring weapon in our struggle against mental illness: the emotional discovery and emotional acceptance of the truth in the individual and unique history of our childhood.

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03:25

How Your Childhood Affects Your Adult Relationships | Oprah’s Lifeclass | Oprah Winfrey Network

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Repeat After Me: A Workbook for Adult Children Overcoming Dysfunctional Family Systems

This updated edition of Dr.

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WHAT MIGHT HELP

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The information offered here is not a substitute for professional advice. Please proceed with care and caution.

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Child’s Trauma