What Are The Consequences Of Poor Communication In Families?

Family members are the people who (whether they are biologically related to you or not) are supposed to love and care for you. They are in your life through thick and thin and only want the best for you. Yet, even though your family members have good intentions, sometimes their words or actions can be hurtful and even triggering for you in some instances.

Because you love and care about these people, and they love and care about you, it is important to have healthy, honest conversations with one another. In this way, you actively demonstrate respect towards one another while also practicing self-respect.

When family members cannot communicate in a healthy way, there can be many consequences for everyone involved. To begin preventing such consequences, it is essential to first identify what they are and how they develop.

FAMILY MEMBERS WON'T BE ABLE TO HELP?

As stated previously, family members typically want to help you (and others in the family) in any way they can. To do this, however, they need to understand your challenges and your unique needs. If you find that having healthy conversations with your family members is a significant struggle, they may not be able to understand who you really are and what you need from them. Even though they want to help you, they cannot do so when they do not understand you and your unique experiences.

FAMILY MEMBERS MAY DISTANCE THEMSELVES?

If you feel like you and your family cannot communicate well, you may distance yourself from them because you may feel as though your family members simply cannot accept you for who you are. Sometimes, family members may struggle to accept the real you. But most of the time, they simply just do not understand your experiences and your needs due to a lack of healthy conversations. ?

For example, if, while telling your family members about your needs, they continuously interrupt you, you may shut down and distance yourself from them. Likewise, because the family member still does not understand you or how to help you, they may distance themselves from you. Or, you may have a family member who tells you what you can and cannot feel. This unwillingness to try to understand what you are saying on their part can also cause you to distance yourself from them.

EXPLOSIVE ARGUMENTS CAN OCCUR

Dysfunctional communication between family members can frequently cause explosive arguments to occur. During explosive arguments, one or both of you may yell, become physically activated, and/or use aggressive language towards one another. Arguments like these are not conducive to communication or strengthening family bonds and only cause further strain and damage to all involved.?

After having an explosive argument, it can be even more difficult to communicate and reach a healthy understanding of one another. These arguments can be so damaging that you may not want to even try to reach an understanding with your family member anymore. You may also begin avoiding this family member for fear of setting off another argument. Unfortunately, serious conversations can easily turn into explosive arguments, which can damage relationships.?

YOU AND OTHERS MIGHT BE TRIGGERED

While in recovery, managing your triggers is absolutely essential. You may find that some of your triggers can be found within your family. Some of these triggers may be caused by the inability to have healthy conversations with one another. If you need to ask a family member for assistance with your recovery yet are entirely worried about their reaction due to potential misunderstandings, you may not reach out for help. You may also experience significant anxiety around this dilemma.?

Even if your family members do not have explosive reactions to your requests for help, the thought of someone you love not understanding such a vulnerable part of your life can be extremely damaging and triggering. Experiencing triggers like these within the family is incredibly dangerous for your health and well-being.

YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CAN LEARN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Once you understand the dangers of poor communication, you can begin taking steps to create healthier communicative practices within your family. With the help of trained professionals, you and your family can begin working together to create healthier dynamics for everyone involved. Through family therapy groups and individual therapy groups, everyone can learn more about themselves and one another. Doing so can allow for a better understanding of one another and help everyone to express more empathy.?

Once there is more understanding between one another, you and your family can use tools learned in therapy to begin communicating in a healthier way. Being able to do this can be transformative for everyone involved.?

Poor communication between family members can be a source of extreme concern, especially when it comes to your recovery. Some consequences of poor communication include your family members being unable to help you, maintaining distance from one another, and arguing. Ineffective communication styles can also be a trigger for you and others. Instead of settling for poor communication in your family, all of you can learn to communicate more effectively. To do this, you and your family can participate in individual and group therapy sessions to learn more about yourselves and one another. Doing so can prove to be very beneficial for your family as a whole. At Next Level Recovery Associates, we understand how important healthy communication is between family members. We want to help you learn and grow together. To begin healing as a family unit, contact us today at [email protected] .