We Don't Talk Anymore: Family Estrangement

Family estrangement is a separation within a family, often involving one or more members of the family choosing to withdraw from one another. In this episode, we explore this topic, while hearing from our guests own heartbreaking traumatic experience.
 As you will hear, estrangement is one of the most painful and complex challenges that a family can face. When one family member says, “I’m done,” to another, they might feel distraught, relieved, or a combination of the two. And for the person who is cut off, the relationship can feel all but hopeless. In a large survey of undergraduates, 39% reported estrangement happening between immediate family members, and 61% in their extended family. Fault Lines (a book on family estrangement) sociologist Karl Pillemer and his research team surveyed over 1,300 Americans, 27% of whom reported being currently estranged from someone in their family. The causes of estrangement can include abuse, neglect, betrayal, bullying, unaddressed mental illness, not being supportive, destructive behavior, substance abuse. Oftentimes, parents do not square with a child’s sexual orientation, choice of spouse, gender identity, religion, and or political views. Whatever the cause, family estrangement is not as much of an anomaly as some may think, and it is time to stop holding this secret inside and open up the communication on this topic.