Uncovering and Healing the Roots of Dysfunctional Family Dynamics

The Recovered Life Show welcomes Meredith Wickliffe, a recovered life coach specializing in codependency and dysfunctional family dynamics. Meredith shares her story of growing up in a dysfunctional family where addiction, alcoholism, and mental health problems were present and how it affected her emotionally and mentally. She talks about the symptoms that people from dysfunctional families experience, including perfectionism, poor communication, and a lack of trust. Meredith also emphasizes that while addiction and alcoholism are symptoms of deeper-rooted issues, codependency is the most deeply rooted issue. Damon Frank, the show's host, adds that people who grew up in dysfunctional families may feel comfortable in chaos and be used to operating in unstable environments, but eventually, it takes a toll on their physical, mental, and emotional health. The conversation highlights that people may not uncover the unhappiness in their lives until much later and start to question why they have certain patterns and behaviors. It's not uncommon for people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and even 70s to start to wake up and realize that their life decisions may have roots in their dysfunctional family dynamics.