Explain How Dysfunctional Families Encourage And Enforce A Conspiracy Of Silence

Dysfunctional families encourage and enforce a conspiracy of silence. Members of alcoholic families are bound by a rule silence i.e they cannot talk about what is happening in the family. This rule of silence extends to everyone, those within the family as well as to those outside of it. “Family members cannot talk about what is happening in the family, they cannot talk to anyone outside the family and they cannot talk to anyone inside the family”. (Kritsberg, 1998) This strict rule not only bans talking about the behaviour and actions of the family, it also bans talking about feelings. This ‘no talk’ rule is so strong that children who grow up in this family system have difficulty in expressing themselves even when they have grown up and left …show more content…
(Black 2001) Since alcoholic parents are so self-absorbed they forget important dates like birthdays and break promises to attend school or sport events, leaving their children with the sense that they cannot trust anyone. Since the parents inflict so much pain on their families they teach their children to suppress their emotions just to survive. These parents are likely to deny anything associated with their drinking or that it is an issue at all, and children will buy into this delusion themselves. Since the children are inculcated to deny the reality around them they remain silent about the painful feelings they do not understand. Fueled by fear and control the rule of silence starts out by rationalising and making excuses for the alcoholic behaviour, until the children are simply unable to share or express their feelings even if they had the opportunity to do so. Children living with an addicted parent are often in such desperation that they find the only way to cope is by repressing i.e ignoring, restraining or hiding their feelings or just not feeling anything at