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• Predatory Rage – Not Poor Anger Management, But an Attribute of the Traumagenic Family: http://EzineArticles.com/4300259 #

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Some of the strategies that become apparent in predatory anger are listed below:

1. Losing control to get their own way
2. Trains others to avoid them when angry or else
3. Utilize threats of harm to self or others Read the rest of this entry »

When looking at the traumagenic family dynamics related to the generation of traumagenic family dynamics, one would notice a continuum of family dynamics.  Perhaps the simplest or less in magnitude would be those behaviors that a caregiver or parent may demonstrate with a small child for example: Read the rest of this entry »

• I have been invited to talk with a group of Superior Court judges and Attorney General staff about developmental trauma on June 9th. #

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Recently a woman sought therapy because she was feeling overwhelmed in the relationship with her husband.  As she sat tearfully recounting her experience of a seven year marriage, an emerging pattern of predatory rage began to take shape.  She talked about the charming sophisticated man, capable of tremendous generosity and a razor sharp intellect who has increasingly acted more hostilely with hurtful and demeaning comments and behaviors.  It lead her to ask “Why is my husband so angry all the time?”

Social psychologist such as Harm Veling, suggest that predatory or instrumental anger is used in ways to gain power, control and to manage interactions in the behalf of the one expressing the anger. Clinically, most counselors that have dealt with couples or family therapy have had many an opportunity to view the mechanic of predatory anger first hand.

The question of what is the origin of such aggressive and hostile control strategies can be found most frequently in the developmental history of the individual who acts in the predatory fashion.  The developmental history most often illustrates a family dynamic that could be considered Traumagenic in nature.  Anger is pervasive in traumagenic family dynamics and it is assumed by many raised in these highly disruptive environments to be a reasonable and meaningful way to bring predictability to chaos and order to human relationships.

Before examining the attributes of the traumagenic family that contribute to predatory anger or rage, it is vital to disclose that not all anger and rage is the same or equal in terms of danger and lethality.  Some anger is the result of repeated or long term frustrations, habitual interference with need acquisition, dis-inhibition from the use of substances, and serious mental illness.

There is not absolute answer to what generates anger with any predictability, because many attributes of that contribute to the expression of anger are going to be in a constant state of adaption and fluctuation. Many of these traumagenic families possess patterns of behavior that interfere with the normal social, emotional, psychological and physical development of the individual family members, which means there are functioning patterns that disturb  appropriate and adequate use of power, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, and connecting in genuine relationships of shared and equal affection.

Many times the adults that have matured in this traumagenic family dynamic will experience an incomplete sense of self; low self-esteem (or pseudo self-esteem), relational stress and anxiety.

There can be an illusion of connectedness, a psychological defensiveness toward genuine attempts at emotional attachment, an avoidance of real emotional closeness and affection with a simultaneous drive to possess the same, as well as a high need to exercise control and power to create internal states that are free or possess reduced tension.

This dynamic creates relationships that lack a self-sustaining quality, which would be essential to developing enduringly satisfying relationships and a healthy unfolding of the normal maturing process.

Are you living in a hostile, predatory environment? Are there elements of this story that can relate to, either directly or as a direct result of your relationship with a loved one?

The price-tag of these incestuous experiences is very high with in the family and the lives of the individual victim. Many symptoms and behaviors are associated with the experience of incest. The following is a short list of the most prevalent and pervasive problems faced by the victims. Read the rest of this entry »

• very good information, thought I would share http://lnkd.in/4K55tP #
• Delivered a workshop on childhood trauma over the weekend, it was great fun and those in attendance asked great questions. #

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Emotional deprivation is another common element in the manifestation of incest within a family. Emotional deprivation is common when the attention of the caregiver is focused away from the immediate welfare of the children or family. An example of this might well be the addict, that put’s their need for a drink or a substance above the welfare or emotional needs of their family members. Another posture of this dynamic is the caregiver or parent that engages in sexual behavior with a child to meet their needs for sexual gratification and attachment. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Jeffrey Young has laid out a system to explain the distortions created in a family this intergenerational transmission is active. Incest is just one possible problem that can emerge as a result of these destructive family patterns. The following text offers a possible explanation to how this dynamic contributes to the emergence of incest and how it becomes a family dynamic that is frequently handed down in a family. Read the rest of this entry »

*Traumagenic: Cause of trauma by means of effecting or conveying something.

What a horrifically challenging experience for a family to deal with! Someone who is loved in a family has violated someone else within the family and now the consequences of incest are descending which adds weight to an already over-stressed family system. Read the rest of this entry »