The real reason many Americans are cutting ties with their parents and siblings

Estrangement is rarely caused by childhood abuse or a pushy therapist. Instead, it reveals a collision between two ideas of what family should be.

By: Rin Reczek, The Ohio State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 17, 2026

Words: 1,467

Last Updated: 1 day ago

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By Rin Reczek, The Ohio State University

Luna, 26, no longer speaks to her father. There was no single betrayal, no dramatic rupture. What ended the relationship was his insistence on obedience and dominance.

“In his head it’s like, ‘I’m the father, you’re the daughters, we do things my way,’” she told me. Luna explained to him that she was “not willing to have a relationship like that,” and her terms for contact were simple: …

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