Families all over the world in various cultures, have secrets and shameful things they like to remain hidden, that they can’t divulge to the world. The angst I feel internally drives my passion to share stories of not only mental health, but also the struggle & dysfunction of families through my podcasts. Personally I have experienced family members being pitted against each other.

In our family, typically someone is the brunt of the joke— usually it’s me. If my response, or conversation isn’t inline with everyone else’s or if it’s different than the majority, I’m sneered at or it’s seen as an “ette-sister” response.

Other forms of teasing and harassment reflect on how I made ends meet, while raising my kids as a single mother. Often my “make-do” situations are seen as “ghetto.” I’m very proud of many of my creative discoveries, I would hardly call them anything else.

My experience outside my family has been drastically different, I’m seen as a Wonder Woman, yet when I raise my eyebrows at my family, or dare to get upset I am referred to as “soft” or told to, “just get over it, we’re only joking.” Is it a joke when it happens every time we get together? Do you like to be the brunt of someone else’s jokes? It’s rather old, and makes me not want to be around them anymore.

So why do people, families continue to belittle each other? Why do we pick on each other? Is it because were familiar and we know family loves us regardless of how we behave? Does this mean our family is dysfunctional? Do all families behave this way?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.