Respond to discussion:
Chapter 9 – Using Case #1 Sandy & Pam (chapter installments throughout the text) discuss the following: what stage of the addicted family do you think they are in? What are the different family roles, what feedback loops are present? What elements of this family may hinder recovery? Post your answers and respond to 2 other classmates’ postings. (5 pts)
Respond to two students:
Student1
In Case Study #1 Sandy and Pam
According to Kaufman(1992), the family roles is that they are a functional and neurotic enmeshed family. They do not communicate their feelings and tend to use drugs or alcohol to cope. They tend to blame other external factors for their behavior rather than look at themselves of why their situation has went array. Pam was protecting her mom by making sure that her sibling were okay by not getting in the way. Mom was not there for her emotionally or physically, so she used other methods to get attention she wanted such as drinking and having sex at a young age.
The feedback loops are that they both have dealt with a loss in that they cope with drinking and smoking. Both of them growed up by taking care of their siblings at a young age. They tend to not keep a job and blame the job or others for leaving rather than get help.
There a couple of things hindering the family from recovery: Sandy has not been able to fully able to come to terms with her mom’s death by getting closer. There is still grief that she has to work through. Pam has not talked to her mom about how she felt about the men that her mom was sleeping with while she was drinking, The other issue that needs to be talked about is how Pam was “parentified” to take care of her siblings while did whatever she wanted until she became clean. Both of them need to identify what being “alone” was like for them and how that affected them at a young age. Pam also needs to see figure out where her anxiety attacks started and could be the possible triggers of her anxiety.
Student 2
Because of the mention of Sandy becoming involved in individual therapy to address relationship issues, it can be assumed that the family might be considered as a neurotically enmeshed structured family, which involves being fused together by unhealthy emotions and may root from one family member having a substance abuse issue or mental health disorder. The possibility of Sandy experiencing PTSD is mentioned, leading to the conclusion that there are complications within the relationship that are heavy.
Out of the two stages separated and described by Kaufman and Kaufman, I would consider this family to be in the second stage since chemicals are the priority and focus for receiving treatment within the family. Additionally, conflict is apparent, especially since Sandy has stopped drinking and needs a structured facilitated plan of action to help ensure she maintains her sobriety while Pam is still handling stress by drinking and also as an attempt to cope with an anxiety disorder.
They are probably in the late developmental phase described in the seminal model, considering that there will be a counseling focus on transgenerational patterns of coping. Sandy is likely putting up protective barriers to maintain her sobriety as Pam remains in denial and has self-deluding reactions. Both Sandy and Pam will need to renegotiate their roles for a functioning relationship moving forward. This can be difficult, so moving away from substance use will be crucial to minimize the possibility of a crisis state occurring or increased rigidity. There is a feedback loop for creating a new structure that is present in this case, where the family is unbalanced and the clinician is attempting to reestablish stability in their relationship and environment by using a solution-focused model that incorporates having Pam reach a goal of abstinence, contract not to see Sandy for a period of time, find alternative behaviors for coping with anxiety, and the development of a plan for both individual and group therapy using a systems perspective.
Attempting to overcompensate could lead to control issues, overinvolvement, or sacrificing too much. To attempt maintaining balance once it is achieved, Sandy could make excuses for Pam, justify her actions, and therefore begin enabling Pam, which will impair recovery.
