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2.2 HOW TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF ABUSE

Abuse is a chain, because in my experience, it is learned. It goes from the powerful to the less powerful, from parent to child, from brother to brother, from brother to sister, from husband to wife, from wife to husband, etc. We all get caught up in its destructive tornado and believe that this craziness is what life is all about -- that it is, in fact, life. It is not. It is a very destructive life style that can be unlearned, just as it was learned. Technically it is called the Intergenerational Cycle Of Abuse.

To Break The Cycle We Need To:

#1. Understand who we are independent of the other abusive person -- to not let them define who we are.

#2. Understand the abusive tricks that are being played on us with the purpose of controlling us.

#3. Learn how to untangle and defuse the abusive statements and the guilt trips the abusive other makes during arguments. Instead we need to focus on the main point of the discussion so that real communication is accomplished.

NOTE: In an odd twist, the young people who learn about abuse, may end up teaching the older people to stop being abusive and thus break the family cycle of abuse.

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