The psychologist author of No Family Is Perfect and the charity Stand Alone discuss family schisms and how to attempt reconciliation.
Never speaking to or hearing from your family may sound unbearable to many – but for millions of people it’s a sad fact of life.
The charity Stand Alone (standalone.org.uk), which supports people estranged from their families, estimates that up to one in five UK families experience estrangement, and more than five million people have decided to cut contact with at least one family member.
Clearly, family schisms are not rare, and relationships between family members break down for a huge range of reasons, says the chief executive of Stand Alone, Becca Bland. “Family estrangement is much more common than we might think,” she stresses.
“Whatever the prevalence, it may feel isolating to not have contact with a family member, as we don’t have an open dialogue about the issue. Our experience has shown people often feel as if they’re the only person who has a dysfunctional family situation or no contact with a family member.”
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