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There is little evidence to suggest that family estrangement is an out of control "epidemic" or catastrophe.

Researchers have found that while estrangement does affect many people, it is often temporary.

Redefining what family means and who constitutes family can be an empowering and healthy process.

What is family estrangement? Gaining a lot of attention lately, family estrangement is the creation of distance from one or more family members. What causes estrangement? Studies point to individual- and family-level variables such as substance use, excessive drinking, mental health issues, various forms of abuse and trauma, boundary violations, and separation and divorce. These are common and legitimate reasons for family members to pause and reconsider if and how they wish to remain connected. Further, family estrangement and post-traumatic stress—particularly complex PTSD (CPTSD)—often intersect, acting as both a cause and a protective response to prolonged trauma in the home. These and other reasons are certainly valid grounds to initiate estrangement.

Is estrangement an out-of-control epidemic? In his new book, Families We Lose, sociologist Rin Reczek (2026) thoroughly rejects the hyperbole of an estrangement “epidemic”........

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