Families in general have tremendous power both to heal and to inflict pain. If the family is willing to cast a new eye upon a chronically wounded member, if the family is willing to help heal him, it can be more effective than all the medications, therapies, and incantations ever devised. However, if the family is unwilling to look differently upon its George, if the family instead sneers and snorts, “Just another one of your lame excuses! Why don’t you just shape up?” then the family can undermine whatever good treatment he may receive. Few of us ever outgrow the power of our families both to
...more
