Just bought an interesting book, Mq would love it. Set in England. Life at the Bottom: the Worldview that Makes the Underclass. Written by a British doctor who treated has thousands of attempted suicides, thousands of incarcerated criminals. Why Brittania no longer rules. Permanent (and growing) group of people who take no responsibility for their actions, or their families, or themselves, or anything else. Read the first two chapters this morning. Plan to read more this evening.
amazon.com
We have them here, too, of course. Just yesterday counseled a young man who moved in with his mother to take care of her after she had triple bypass surgery but planning on moving out again because she is telling his girlfriend that he is just like his father, who she says is no good, and that girlfriend should leave him. I was encouraged when he moved in with her as I thought that was a fine example of family taking care of each other in hard times, as they should, but nobody should have to put up with contumely and abuse. Mother prefers the other son, an unemployed jail bird who sponges off her. Very sad.
Have two other clients, a brother and a sister. Brother was living with sister, helping pay the mortgage, but had to move out when unemployed jail bird son got out of prison and moved in with unemployed wife and child to sponge off mom. Mom really can't handle the mortgage without brother helping.
Family should stick together but all need to pull their weight and treat each other with respect. I think they do things differently in other cultures, one reason I admire Asian families. |
