Lesson 30: Family and Addiction: Slide 17





From Parental Beliefs Come Family Rules
- Spoken family rules:
- May be arbitrary but tend to be clear: ‘spend every Christmas at home’ or don’t talk back to your parents’
- Can be challenged because they are out in the open
- Unspoken family rules:
- Are unseen, hidden rules: ‘don’t be more successful than your father’ or ‘don’t lead your own life’ or ‘don’t stop needing me’
- We must learn what the unspoken rules are before we can challenge them
Notes:
Galvin, K.M. & Brommel, B.J., 1999, “Family communications: Cohesion and change” (5th Ed.), Addison-Wesley, New York.
Boudreau, Richard J. Addiction and the Family , From: Alcohol and Drug Problems: A Practical Guide for Counselors. Howard, Harrison, Carver, and Lightfoot (Eds.) Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation, 1993. Pg. 333-340