STEP 1

The Problem

Characteristics we seem to have in common due to having been brought up in a dysfunctional home

1. We struggle with the distorted perception of God as demanding, critical and a conditional God, rather than joyfully accepting His forgiveness, mercy and unconditional love.
2. We become isolated and afraid of authority figures.
3. We become approval seekers and have lost our identify in the process.
4. We are frightened by angry people and any personal criticism.
5. We either become addictive personalities, marry them-or-both or find another compulsive personality such as workaholic to fulfill our need for abandonment.
6. We live life from the viewpoint of victims and are attracted by that weakness in our love, friendship and career relationships.
7. We have an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, and it is easier for for us to be concerned with others rather than with ourselves. This enables us not to look too closely at ourselves.
8. We get guilt feelings when we stand up for ourselves. Instead,we give into others.
9. We become addicted to excitement: we may unknowingly cause the "emotional rollercoaster" in our relationships in order to continue the "comfortable" pattern.
10. We have stuffed back our feelings from our traumatic childhood's and have lost the ability to feel or express our feelings. Being "out of touch" with our feelings is one of our basic denials because it hurts too much to face them.
11. We judge ourselves harshly, we feel others judge us and have low self-esteem, sometimes compensated for by trying to appear superior.
12. We are dependent personalities who are terrified of abandonment. We will do anything to hold unto a relationship in order not to experience the pain of abandonment. We are conditioned to these types of relationships.
13. Compulsive behaviors affect the whole family system. We take on the same characteristics and dysfunction and carry it into our adult lives.
14. We are reactors rather than actors.

THIS IS NOT AN INDICTMENT - THERE IS HOPE! JESUS CHRIST BRINGS HEALING AND WILL RESTORE US TO HEALTHINESS AND THE ABUNDANT LIFE THAT HE CAME TO BRING!