I Am Dysfunctional You Are Dysfunctional

"If a Nobel Prize were awarded for clarity and sanity in a world gone mad, Wendy Kaminer would be on her way to Stockholm." -- Newsday Anyone who's ever wondered why talking about addiction has become so fashionable, shuddered on hearing an "adult child" compare his upbringing with the Holocaust, or felt that admitting one's powerlessness is a frightening prospect for a participatory democracy will be delighted by this bracingly outspoken and intelligent work of social criticism. Whether she is infiltrating twelve-step meetings and codependency workshops or evaluating the claims of gurus from Shirley MacLaine to M. Scott Peck, Wendy Kaminer deftly diagnoses a national movement (and multi-million-dollar industry) with a strong tendency toward authoritarianism, a cult of victimhood, and a nasty streak of covert religiosity. Controversial, original, and brilliantly reasoned, I'm Dysfunctional, You're Dysfunctional changes the way we think about self-help -- and helps us to think for ourselves. "Explores...the ominous effect of all this institutionalized whining on our culture and politics...an incisive and provocative argument." -- Washington Post "Extremely witty...Ms. Kaminer has a real gift for honing her anger to an epigrammatic edge....We can make good use of [her] skepticism." -- The New York Times Book Review

Inspirational stories of survivors leaving their abusive households—and drawing on the wis-dom gained from adversity to transform their lives. So many people have experienced bleak childhoods in which degradation, pain, and neglect were common. But as survivors of toxic families, their triumphs are not only powerful but inspirational. This book follows twenty-four stories about finding happiness after surviving a dysfunctional family. With enlightening honesty, humor, and apt quotes, you’ll experience the transformative effects that hope and resilience can have. Thriving means more than just letting go of the past and its hardships; it means becoming your own silver lining. Karen Casey and our narrators explore how your worst experiences can help you create meaningful skills for building a new, fulfilling life. With each narrator sharing the moment they decided to thrive instead of giving up, this self-compassion book will show you that no matter how dysfunctional life can be, you can emerge stronger than ever from it. Promises and positive affirmations to live The importance of nourishing your emotional strength Beginning your healing journey by putting your heart first Forgiving your family’s pain to avoid repeating it, and more “Explores the benefits that result from surviving in a dysfunctional family, including resiliency, perseverance, a sense of humor, forgiveness, kindness, and the ability to discern real love. Simple but authentic points are enumerated at the conclusion of each chapter. With unrelenting optimism and a solid faith in God, Casey helps readers learn to let go of judgment and embrace acceptance. New readers as well as followers of the author’s earlier works will be uplift-ed.” —Publishers Weekly “You just can’t go wrong with Karen Casey.” —Earnie Larsen, author of From Anger to Forgiveness

It is estimated that as many as 34 million people grew up in alcoholic homes. But what about the rest of us? What about families that had no alcoholism, but did have perfectionism, workaholism, compulsive overeating, intimacy problems, depression, problems in expressing feelings, plus all the other personality traits that can produce a family system much like an alcoholic one? Countless millions of us struggle with these kinds of dysfunctions every day, and until very recently we struggled alone. Pulling together both theory and clinical practice, John and Linda Friel provide a readable explanation of what happened to us and how we can rectify it.

Sandra D. Wilson explains the patterns of thinking and feeling common to children of dysfunctional families and helps readers start on their own journey toward freedom and wholeness.

Teaches adult children of dysfunctional families how to use self-hypnosis to resolve the effects of abuse and build a healing relationship with the child within, and provides exercises and self-hypnotic scripts

This is the official ACA Fellowship Text that is Adult Children of Alcoholics World Service Organization (ACA WSO) Conference Approved Literature. Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families (ACA) is an independent 12 Step and 12 Tradition anonymous program.

Are you unhappy in your relationship? Do you and your partner constantly fight? Has the person who's supposed to be your source of comfort, support, and joy become someone you both love and despise? What you're going through is well beyond the normal relationship challenges most people experience, because you're stuck in a dysfunctional relationship. You may also feel you're the only one this is happening to, that everyone else fares better with their partners, that there's something wrong with you, and worst of all that you deserve to be treated badly--because your partner has convinced, cajoled, bullied, and sometimes battered you into believing you're the cause. Fortunately, you're not alone, and help is here from someone who has lived what you're living. Thomas G. Fiffer, Executive Editor for The Good Men Project whose articles have over 5 million page views, has written extensively about dysfunctional relationships and gathered his wisdom in "Why It Can't Work: Detaching from dysfunctional relationships to make room for true love." The author survived two marriages defined--and ultimately destroyed--by dysfunctional dynamics and has learned how to break the patterns that prevented him from being happy and forming healthy emotional and romantic attachments. "Why It Can't Work" shows you how to recognize the problem, identify the source, and take decisive action--either to right your relationship or abandon it. Through an ordered sequence of enlightening articles collectively shared over 300,000 times on Facebook, the author gently but assertively reveals the painful truths about dysfunctional relationships, reminding us that romantic partnerships are supposed to be a healthy source of love and support, and letting us know it's OK to walk away when they aren't. If you or someone you know is involved in a dysfunctional relationship, reading "Why It Can't Work" will light the way back to happiness and peace.

Most people grew up in dysfunctional households - often damaged by well-intentioned parents. Some children experienced a little dysfunction, and some quite a lot. Many other writers seek to enlighten readers about childhood emotional wounds, and provide understanding and acceptance of them. The Joy of Dysfunctional Families seeks the same but with an added invitation to accept whatever characteristic dysfunction you currently "enjoy" and not to take yourself so seriously. Yes, you may have experienced pain and discomfort growing up when you did not receive what a child needs for proper development. Despite your history, do you have to give away your joy? What keeps you from seeing the absurdities in your life? Can you change your history by being stern? Why can't you laugh? Even with your suffering, the Joy of Dysfunctional Families seeks to put the "fun" back into dysfunction!In this book, the Joy of Dysfunctional Families - we are able to poke fun at our vulnerability and character flaws. In this self-help joke book, we learn through absurdity. Here we get to laugh at what is so unlaughable. Humor also lets us explore very uncomfortable thoughts and memories.

"It's difficult to know where to start, so I think I'll begin at the beginning and see how I get on..." This is definitely not another one of those usual rock autobiographies. It's the story of one man's bewilderment with life and his desent into alcoholism and near-redemption. with a music backdrop. Eric Goulden does have an excellent music background but that's actually a bonus and not essential to the book. After pursuing an art career and working at several menial jobs, Wreckless Eric first found fame in the mid-1970s when he signed to the emergent Stiff Records with such label-mates as Ian Dury (who played drums in Eric's band), Elvis Costello, and Nick Lowe and the Damned. His eccentric single. "Whole Wide World"/"Semaphore Signals." is one of the minor classics of the punk era. After he left Stiff in 1981 he continued to work as a musician, songwriter--his songs have been recorded by The Monkees, Marianne Faithful, and Cliff Richard--and recording artist. This is a witty. entertaining, and insightful foray into the crazy world of British music in the 70s and 80s.