Family Communication part #10: Negative Patterns, Distorted Viewpoints and Learned Behavior.

Most families operate on familiar, habituated communication patterns.  Sometimes these patterns produce wonderful and sustaining results, while other learned behavior and habituated styles of communication precipitate anger and dissatisfaction and difficulties in the family and the family relationships at large.

Sometimes these dissatisfying, negative patterns of family communication show little sharing, affirmation or validation of family members.  The problems that can occur because of this are broad and general.  It is not an uncommon occurrence for families that operate in ineffective ways, where communication is concerned, to have a variety of family members that express feeling isolation and loneliness, a denial of problems, feelings, and thoughts because it isn’t emotional safe to share those elements of ourselves.

Additionally there can be people that develop emotions that are often warped or distorted; example the person that thinks “If I’m not perfect, or beautiful, I’m a failure”. These distorted, emotional viewpoints, instilled by habituated styles of communication interfere with individual members getting their psychological, emotional, social needs met in a consistent and predictable manner.

In order to make improvements in family communication one must take a dedicated approach that is consistent and increasingly improved through time.  This dedicated practice at the individual level as well as a family collectively, will lead to improved quality of life for all family members.

To learn how to make improvements in family communication patterns and end the cycle of negative behavior.