A Model For Understanding Family Systems and Dynamics

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A Model For Understanding Family Systems and
Dynamics

• Systems theory
• Dissipative Systems theory

NURN 308 Professional Seminar for RNs
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Family as Systems Theory (Bertalanffy, 1956)
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? Thermodynamically open system ? Operating in
disequilibrium ? Exchanges energy, matter,
and/or increasing disorder (entropy) ?
Spontaneous appearance of symmetry breaking, and
formation of complex, sometimes chaotic,
structures where interactive particles exhibit
relationships.
Family as Dissipative System
Ilya Perogine, 1977, Nobel prize winner
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Vortex representative dissipative structure
/system
Dissipative structure (Ilya Prigogine, Nobel
prize,1977)
From physics, chemistry, chaos theory
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Family Roles

• Perfect child/hero roletakes care of Sense of
  worth and success from helping others
  successful, but imposter syndrome
• Lost child rolegood child independent quiet
  loner control/comfort through food
• Scapegoat roledistraction
• Designated problem child provides crises.
• Mascot rolefun.
• Rarely taken seriously may be baby of the family

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Dysfunctional Family Rules

• No talk rule dont talk, dont feel, dont trust
• Enmeshmentunclear boundaries
• Rationalizing
• Backlog of emotion
• Intellectualizing

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Historical Therapy Perspectives

• lt50s, 60s, 70s Sx belonged to only to
  individual thus individual therapy.
• Later 70s, 80s Sx are tactical, i.e. they serve
  a purpose intentional
• Later 80s and gtpresent paradigm shift Sx reside
  within system adaptive processes that dont work
  (i.e. a component part that doesnt function) a
  blockage

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Visual metaphor for a family system that is not
fully functional
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Recovery

• I didnt cause it
• I cant control it
• I can cope

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Functional Families

• Homeostatic balance, flexibility
• Adapts to change
• Emotional problems function of each member, not
  just one
• Emotional contact maintained

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Functional Families

• Fusion (boundary issues) avoided
• Differences encouraged for personal growth
• Age appropriate responsibility
• Care taking w/rational thought, affect

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What are advantages to using family models?
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Todays Special Recipes Dinner at the Homesick
Restaurant

• Crab Salad Take one mother with an attitude of
  displaced anger over husband disserting family.
  Throw in a destroyed family whose emotional
  well-being has been devastated.

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Todays Specials

• 7 Layer Dysfunctional Salad Lay a bed of
  displaced anger and isolation, mix in low
  self-esteem and co-dependence, spread destructive
  attitudes and a sprinkle of verbal/physical
  abusiveness. Just enough for a whole family!

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Todays Specials

• 3 Mile Island Wings A physically and emotionally
  abusive mother, served with Bleu cheese on the
  side. For the occasional dose of compassion.

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Todays Specials

• Upside Down Cake Because nothing ever seems to
  go right
• Elizabeth Taylor Spritzer One poorly blended
  daughter, a dash of marriages with a splash of
  children

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Other theories

• Neugarten best known for adult development re
  events and timing on time-off time concept
• Erikson
• Bowen
• others