When dealing with people who are experiencing anxiety, stress & depression, analyses often unearth a history of dysfunction occurring, usually within a close circle like a family group. This we’ll dub “The Generation Effect”, as we look at examples of how this impacts on the mental health and well-being of those whom it affects.
Abuse cases and causes are well-documented – we have reported on this previously in the following Blog:
Abusers are sometimes loosely ‘defended’ by the fact they may well have been exposed to direct abuse themselves, possibly during childhood, but there is little mention of what we’ll dub “Indirect Abuse” and it’s impact on those who experience it. Indirect Abuse occurs when its victims are exposed to dysfunctional relationships – usually within their own immediate family group – and it is the coping mechanisms evoked that become the basis for future behavioural idiosyncrasies that in turn precipitate dysfunctionality in their own relationships. Essentially, the “Cycle of Abuse” doesn’t end with their exit from exposure to the dysfunctional scenario – it is transferred to their future relationships, with the associated emergent problems.
Terri and Steve are typical examples of the above scenario.
Coming from two quite different backgrounds, they met whilst working for the same company and camaraderie turned into something more as time evolved.
Terri came from a middle-class background; both of her parents were in ‘professional’ employment and so her route through the formative education years into university was assured due to both mother and grandmother being in education roles. With only a younger brother to ‘compete’ with, Terri’s progression through childhood into teenage and young adulthood should have been relatively unimpeded – but that, as we’ll see, wasn’t the case.
Steve came from a working-class background; his father was assigned to the services, so was away for large periods of time. His mother had three children to raise, largely alone, but this did not prevent Steve from also pursuing the education route to university. From what seems to be a fairly average path through his early years, the story unfolds accordingly.
