The electric blanket syndrome. A metaphor for family dysfunction.

One pattern of dysfunctional family interaction is described as a syndrome. Four case histories are presented in which different family members take polar positions on various continua. In one instance the continuum is oral communication, with garrulousness on one side and silence on the other. Another continuum is family responsibility, where one member of the family takes total responsibility and another takes almost none. The symbolic continuum is an electric blanket with hot at one extreme and cold at the other. In all cases, family therapy was performed by a pediatrician. Guidelines are discussed for treatment and for appropriate consultation with mental-health professionals.