Responding to Divorce Poison

Hello Friends, Bad mouthing your ex is regarded as harmful by every court in the US. It places a burden of guilt and shame on children that have had no choice in their circumstance. Divorce is not an uncommon thing in our country and it is a doozie of a life transition. Many times parents feel justified speaking disparagingly about their ex or their ex's family because of pain they have suffered. When bad mouthing is infrequent and love is bountiful there are rarely serious issues, but if bad mouthing becomes a habit or coping skill, it's effect is called brain washing. This is what we call "Divorce Poison". When someone becomes the target of Divorce Poison, they may not be aware of why their child, grandchild, nephew or niece is acting contemptuous, but the behavior change will be clear. A beloved grandchild begins to ask not to be alone around their grandpa anymore, or a step mother goes from being regarded as a close friend to being treated like a stranger. It is uncommon, but sometimes children who have been abused this way eventually try to give up on their connection to their own mom or dad. Hopefully, no one reading this has children (or were once children themselves) experiencing the kind of agony that is the result of Divorce Poison, but there are people who do. Our work today is talk about how it works, and how to put a stop to it when it is happening. Thank you all for being here, [email protected]