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Family estrangement usually develops over time rather than from a single event or interaction.

The transition to adulthood can make father–child relationships particularly vulnerable to conflict.

Unresolved disagreements can quickly escalate into painful relational ruptures between the generations.

At this time, demographic data indicate that about 25 percent of the U.S. population is estranged from, or has cut ties with, a close relative at any one time, and 10 percent of the population is estranged from a parent or child in particular.

I do not know whether or not the number of these rifts is likely to rise or fall, and as far as I can tell, there is insufficient research when it comes to determining whether or not cutting off from a family member has psychological advantages or healing properties for one or more of the individuals who are involved.

What I do know is that family estrangement is tremendously painful for all parties and is sometimes accompanied by considerable emotional risks.

In my experience as a family psychologist, parent-adult child estrangement does not occur in a vacuum, nor is it usually the result of a single event or isolated interaction; it is better understood as........

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