Family estrangement

[Anonymous]

The only increase is the increase of seeing it on social media. People have always had estrangements. It was so much easier back when you weren't connected 24/7.

[Anonymous]

Access to MRI brain scans that show the long-term impact that those less-than-perfect but well-meaning parents have on people. Whenever I start to question was it (abuse/neglect) really that bad—I look at the scan, and that’s enough to quiet the doubt. Brain imaging and data do not lie.

[Anonymous]

Estrangements are actually decreasing in my family due to treating mental illness and fewer people having children/having less of them. 3/4 of my grandparents were estranged from a parent, 1 out of 9 of my cousins is (and everyone else in the family is also estranged from his mom).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Access to MRI brain scans that show the long-term impact that those less-than-perfect but well-meaning parents have on people. Whenever I start to question was it (abuse/neglect) really that bad—I look at the scan, and that’s enough to quiet the doubt. Brain imaging and data do not lie.

Your parents claim to be "less than perfect but well meaning" but they actually abused and neglected you to the point where you needed a brain scan and that scan revealed this abuse/neglect?

[Anonymous]

Trumpism divides families

[Anonymous]

I’m estranged from my sister. I knew she was always selfish, but it didn’t bother me until it did. So I told her so and now we don’t talk.

I’d prefer to be estranged from her kids as well, but haven’t pulled the trigger on that. She raised selfish kids and they aren’t really nice to mine - but maybe since they are young adults they will grow into their own. We will see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was recently reading something about how family estrangement has been rising. I notice it in my personal life too with a lot of people I know not seeing their families for the holidays. What do you think is driving this increase?

Social media has made it trendy, unfortunately. I know a lot of people have genuine trauma in their lives, but there has been explosion of influencers treating estrangement as some sort of celebratory thing. I get that people who are genuinely liberated probably have good reason to breathe easy, but the depiction of it as some sort of "cool thing to do" is also giving impressionable people this idea that families are disposable and that difficult familial relationships aren't worth the effort to save.

I saw a lot of this on Oprah's special, this sort of "I dare you to challenge me" chip on the shoulder who proclaimed themselves happily estranged. Social media, especially the Tik Tok, is not giving a nuanced picture of what estrangement looks like and downplays the pain that hast to lurk, even in the hearts of people who proclaim themselves happy. For some, I'm sure the relief is genuine. But I think for many, there's a state of denial and we're seeing a lot of carefully constructed fronts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Estrangement is a strong term. How about, dropping the rope. No invitations on either side. Is that estrangement or just inertia?

I think "estrangement" in this context refers to deliberate behavior, usually heralded by an assertive proclamation/announcement of intention. Often, it's viewed as a form of punishment by the person making the announcement, who often suffers from an undiagnosed and untreated personality disorder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Estrangement is a strong term. How about, dropping the rope. No invitations on either side. Is that estrangement or just inertia?

That’s simply declining an invitation

No invitation means no declining.

[Anonymous]

Once the parents pass away, there are only sibling and cousin relationships to maintain outside your nuclear family. If you don't make an attempt to stay in touch, is it estrangement or just busyness/apathy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once the parents pass away, there are only sibling and cousin relationships to maintain outside your nuclear family. If you don't make an attempt to stay in touch, is it estrangement or just busyness/apathy?

Estrangement usually involves an announcement or a proclamation.

[Anonymous]

I have no patience for snowflakes who can't deal with eccentric relatives who mean no harm. If you want people to tolerate you, you better tolerate others as well, because nobody is perfect.

Having said that, toxic relatives are for the birds. Toxic relatives seem to think you're obligated to tolerate their malice because blood is thicker than water. That's not how it works in today's world. You mess with me and you harm me, and it's part of a long standing rivalry thing you have with me, and in today's world, you're dead to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Access to MRI brain scans that show the long-term impact that those less-than-perfect but well-meaning parents have on people. Whenever I start to question was it (abuse/neglect) really that bad—I look at the scan, and that’s enough to quiet the doubt. Brain imaging and data do not lie.

Your parents claim to be "less than perfect but well meaning" but they actually abused and neglected you to the point where you needed a brain scan and that scan revealed this abuse/neglect?

Yes. Consider yourself among a subset of very fortunate humans if you cannot relate.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4760853/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12589315/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-13363-y

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Access to MRI brain scans that show the long-term impact that those less-than-perfect but well-meaning parents have on people. Whenever I start to question was it (abuse/neglect) really that bad—I look at the scan, and that’s enough to quiet the doubt. Brain imaging and data do not lie.

Your parents claim to be "less than perfect but well meaning" but they actually abused and neglected you to the point where you needed a brain scan and that scan revealed this abuse/neglect?

Yes. Consider yourself among a subset of very fortunate humans if you cannot relate.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4760853/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12589315/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-13363-y

I'm not asking about scientific studies in general. I am curious about your specific situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Access to MRI brain scans that show the long-term impact that those less-than-perfect but well-meaning parents have on people. Whenever I start to question was it (abuse/neglect) really that bad—I look at the scan, and that’s enough to quiet the doubt. Brain imaging and data do not lie.

Your parents claim to be "less than perfect but well meaning" but they actually abused and neglected you to the point where you needed a brain scan and that scan revealed this abuse/neglect?

Yes. Consider yourself among a subset of very fortunate humans if you cannot relate.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4760853/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12589315/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-13363-y

Sorry, but most people don’t have brain damage due to poor relationships with their family.