Therapists link rising family estrangement to mental health awareness and social media
Therapists say more millennials and Gen Z adults are cutting contact with their parents, a choice they link partly to greater attention to mental health and boundaries, as well as social media’s simplified advice. They stress that estrangement can help people respond to harmful family patterns, but is a significant decision that may bring both relief and grief.
Family estrangement coach Kreed Revere says her two adult daughters stopped responding to her and blocked her on social media in January 2016; she describes the experience as devastating. Revere has also been estranged from her own mother, and says most parents she coaches do not reconcile with their children. Elise Maisonneuve, 43, cut contact with her mother three years ago after discovering she had lied about being sober; the article also recounts another woman’s account but ends before giving further details.
In short
- Therapists report more young adults going no contact with parents.
- Social media can flatten a complex family decision.
- Estrangement may bring relief, grief and lasting separation.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of estrangement argue that adults need not remain in relationships that repeatedly cause harm, and that greater mental health awareness can help them recognise damaging patterns and set boundaries. Where attempts to address those patterns have failed, ending contact may offer safety and relief.
The case against
Those urging caution argue that estrangement is a profound step that can bring lasting grief and close off the possibility of repair, even when distance feels necessary in the moment. They may also worry that simplified social media advice can encourage a permanent break without enough attention to context, other ways of setting boundaries, or the chance of change.
Explained simply
Family estrangement is when relatives stop or sharply reduce contact, sometimes for a long period. Adults may make that choice after a relationship has become harmful or difficult, though families can experience the decision differently.
Therapists connect growing attention to mental health and personal boundaries with more people considering distance from relatives. Social media also spreads advice about family relationships, but short posts may leave out the complexity of individual situations.
For people who cut contact, distance can bring relief, but may also involve grief and uncertainty. Reconciliation is not always possible, and accounts such as those of estrangement coach Kreed Revere and Elise Maisonneuve show how varied these family experiences can be.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Parents fear losing their kids to the ‘no contact’ craze sweeping America: ‘I was told to cut all ties’”.