"Family estrangement is often discussed as a necessary act of self-protection by adult children who choose to cut ties with their families. What is less often examined is how estrangement is experienced by the adult child's parents. Not only do they lose contact with an adult child, but they are left navigating a grief that lacks social recognition, language, or clear resolution."
"Many describe the experience as a loss that is unlike any other they've suffered. Their child is still alive, yet absent. There is no clear ending point to the estrangement, no shared story, and generally no map for how to proceed."
"Psychologist Pauline Boss describes this type of experience as an ambiguous loss. This type of loss presents unexpected challenges because it remains unclear and unresolved, freezing the normal grieving process and complicating meaning-making."
Parents of estranged adult children experience a profound and ambiguous loss that lacks social recognition and resolution. This grief is often characterized by confusion and disorientation, as parents struggle to understand the estrangement. The absence of communication and explanation from their children can lead to feelings of shame and isolation. Psychologist Pauline Boss describes this as ambiguous loss, complicating the grieving process and leaving parents without a clear path forward. Many parents feel baffled and helpless in mending the rift with their children.
Read at Psychology Today
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