Family Dynamics Essay

Planning a family celebration would prove rather difficult for me since the majority of the members of my family in my genogram have passed away. However, for the sake of this assignment I am going to pretend that is not the case. Family dynamics can have many sources of tension relating to many causes. According to my genogram and homogamy analysis, we are pretty similar, we are all Caucasian, and lower to upper middle class, however one big difference is our religious beliefs. The majority of our family tensions are not due to the analysis of our homogamy, but to social issues. Knowing my family dynamics, I can foresee three potential sources of tension that may occur at my family celebration, the difference in religious beliefs between family members, the shattered relationship between my mother and father, and my grandmothers mental disorder.

The first source of

“The term psychopath describes people who lack conscience and empathy; they do not feel remorse, shame, guilt, or anxiety over wrongdoing, and they can con others with ease” (Wade, & Tavris, 2012, p. 400). That definition of the behavior of a psychopath is my grandmother to a T. My grandmother appears to be a kind charismatic women, however she will lie, steal and threaten anyone in order for her to get ahead, no matter who they are without a second thought. One was I have protected myself and my family from her is to of have no contact, which is actually recommended when dealing with a psychopath ("How to Deal with a Psychopath", 2013). Again the only viable strategy that could minimize the tensions would be to not include her in the family celebration. The one major barrier that would prevent this strategy from working would be if she showed up to the family celebration. Unfortunately, we have experience with this strategy and the barrier to this