Family estrangement

Family estrangement (or, simply, estrangement) is the loss of a previously existing relationship between family members, through physical and/or emotional distancing, often to the extent that there is little or no communication between the individuals involved for a prolonged period. It may result either from direct interactions between those affected - including traumatic experiences of domestic violence, abuse, neglect, parental misbehavior such as repetitive explosive outbursts or intense marital conflict and disagreements, attachment disorders, differing values and beliefs, disappointment, major life events or change, or poor communication - or from the involvement or interference of a third party. The estrangement is often unwanted, or considered unsatisfactory, by at least one party involved. Family estrangement (or, simply, estrangement) is the loss of a previously existing relationship between family members, through physical and/or emotional distancing, often to the extent that there is little or no communication between the individuals involved for a prolonged period. It may result either from direct interactions between those affected - including traumatic experiences of domestic violence, abuse, neglect, parental misbehavior such as repetitive explosive outbursts or intense marital conflict and disagreements, attachment disorders, differing values and beliefs, disappointment, major life events or change, or poor communication - or from the involvement or interference of a third party. The estrangement is often unwanted, or considered unsatisfactory, by at least one party involved. In one typical scenario, an adult child ceases contact with his or her parents, and possibly other family members, as the child transitions into adulthood. In another scenario, an intolerant parent casts out an adult child because of life choices. In both cases, the family estrangement may create an intergenerational rift that can persist for years and replicate itself in subsequent generations. Family estrangements are broken relationships between parents, grandparents, siblings and children. Although a family estrangement can begin at any stage of life, it often begins during late adolescence or early adulthood. Characteristics of estrangement may include a lack of empathy in one or more of the parties involved. This can result in heightened levels of stress in all parties, although in the case of an abusive relationship the victim may feel a sense of relief once the source of stress has been removed. A significant proportion of estrangements involve a third party, such as a member of the extended family or the adult child's spouse. In some cases, the third party provides emotional support to the individual initiating the estrangement, providing the estranger with an alternate social support system and thus enabling the deepening of the estrangement. In other instances, the third party - either deliberately or not consciously - is actually the sole or primary cause of two family members becoming estranged. Parental alienation can be regarded as a particularly distinctive and widespread form of third-party estrangement whereby, typically, one parent involved in a family separation psychologically manipulates a child into rejecting the other parent and/or other family members.