One component of our Jump Start to Recovery programs involves the examination of family entanglements that can obstruct the recovery process. How can this happen? How can it be possible for a family legacy to hold such power over our ability to heal from chronic illness?
The meditations this week and next provide an overview of how the dynamics of family systems have a profound impact on prospects for recovery. Below I explain the forces at play when we examine legacies in our families that are passed on generation after generation.
The Power and Impact of Family Legacies
The sacred bond of love in families is disrupted when a family member – usually a child – takes on the pain, guilt, emotions or energy from someone else in the family system – often a parent. In particular, a child will do anything out of love for a parent – anything – including taking on a disease like Parkinson’s, phobias, addictions or even taking on their trauma. Family constellations reveal burdens you may be carrying unconsciously that are not rightfully yours.
The foundation of family constellation work is to identify entanglements in families that cause pain and disease. When entanglements are identified, they can be cleared and released. The work restores balance and order to a family system that may have been out of balance for generations.
An entanglement is possible if any of the following events occurred in your family or origin (parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, grandparents) or in your present family (including partners and children from former relationships).
Did anyone in your family system ever:
- Have a chronic or life threatening disease?
- Suffer a long lasting illness?
- Have a disability?
- Attempt or commit suicide?
- Have an abortion, miscarriage or stillborn child?
- Have an illegitimate child?
- Die during childbirth?
- Become disabled as a result of childbirth?
- Give up a child for adoption?
- Die at a young age?
- Commit a crime?
- Move to another country?
- Lose a fortune?
- Become estranged from the family?
- Been a victim of any form of abuse as a child?
Entanglements are frequently present when you never even knew that the event happened. It may involve ancestors you never met who lived decades (or even centuries) ago. If one or more entanglements have gripped your own life force, your symptoms are unlikely to resolve until the entanglements are cleared and released.
Robert