The importance of family love for emotional well-being cannot be underestimated. The quality of family love experienced by a person affects them all the way from infancy through adolescence into adulthood. Love, as it occurs in the context of family, is unlike any other. Your family members are the people who you surround yourself with the most, who gives your life meaning, and who you would do anything for. They’re the people that you can’t live without. Who you turn to when something good or bad happens.
Of course, this is painting a perfect-sounding picture when no family is perfect. You may have a strained or negative relationship with your blood family, or not have any living family that you know of, but that does not mean you can never experience positive family love. You may have past experiences where you received a lot of healthy family love but don’t right now. If not, remember that you can always choose who your family is (at least when you’re old enough to understand and make that choice).
Navigating Troubles With Family Love To Improve Emotional Well-Being
People who grow up exposed to appropriate amounts of positive family love are lucky. These individuals may suffer from fewer problems with emotional well-being as they age. If you grew up in a situation where family love was missing or skewed, or you are currently experiencing issues with a family that is affecting your emotional well-being, don’t worry. Either way, there are a few things that you can do to improve this situation:
Counseling
Sometimes it’s unfortunate that people have no control over what family they are born into. If you have been dealt a bad hand, there is not much you can do to change it. For many years, you may be stuck suffering the consequences if your family is not very loving, or (even worse) abusive. These types of situations can leave long-lasting scars, including things like trust issues, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and difficulty getting close to people when you are older.
Counseling can help you understand and start to heal though issues that you may be dealing with because of family problems or trauma. These things can be in the past or ongoing. One positive thing is that these days it’s easier than ever to find counseling services that are built to suit your needs. Traditional, in-person counseling is still an option if you prefer to see a professional face-to-face, but if you are waitlisted or seeking an alternative counseling method, there are some great services out there.
Family love is extremely important when it comes to a person’s emotional well-being. Growing up in a loving and supportive family can help you develop into an emotionally-healthy teen and adult, whereas a lack of family love or growing up in an unhealthy family environment can negatively impact your emotional well-being in the long term. Just know that whatever happens in your family life, you can always change your situation for the better.
If you grew up with a lack of family love or are having family problems, there are several things that you can do to improve and protect your emotional well-being. A few of these things include seeing a counselor either online or in person, choosing your own family, and putting yourself first instead of letting other people get you down. It’s true that our family shapes us, but if you were dealt a bad hand, it doesn’t mean that you can’t take things into your own hands and create the change you deserve.
