Learning how to deal with the dysfunctional people in our lives — whether they are family members, coworkers, employees, or neighbors is majorly important if we want to maintain peace and sanity in our lives. Below I am briefly going to give you some very practical things you can do to help you deal with dysfunctional people.

 

1. Give up the expectation that they will respond in a healthy way. Usually, no matter what you do, you will feel blamed and they will be angry. If you talk to them they’ll get angry. If you don’t talk to them, they are offended. There’s NO pleasing a dysfunctional person.

2. Accept that you cannot change the other person. You cannot change their thoughts, viewpoints, or the way they behave.

3. Stop giving in to their destructive behavior to keep peace. Giving in might give you temporary peace but it doesn’t change them it just reinforces their actions.

4. Set boundaries for what you are and what you are not willing to do. The problem is — they will hound and blame you, accuse you of being insensitive, uncaring, and greedy, trying to get you to change your mind.

 

Often, it is easier to “give in”. But if you do, you are just continuing the dysfunctional pattern.