Do You Really Want to Reconcile With Your Estranged Sibling?

"Sibling estrangement can be a wrenching, devastating experience, as a brother or sister must adjust to life without a crucial family member. Or, if the relationship was toxic, it can be liberating. Either way, the estranged have lost a precious connection to someone who shares their roots and earliest memories. Siblings have been called the "shared historians" of childhood. Reconciliation can stir up painful memories and powerful emotions."

"Consider these fundamental questions before you commit and engage in what might be a difficult process: 1. Why do you seek reconciliation? Why is this relationship important to you? Are family members pressuring you to restore the relationship? Are you seeking an explanation, closure, or emotional healing? If your desire is to appease a family member, to convince your sibling that you're really a good person, or to alleviate guilt, the reconciliation may fail."

Sibling estrangement can feel wrenching and devastating, or liberating when a relationship is toxic. The estranged lose a precious connection to someone who shares roots and earliest memories, serving as shared historians of childhood. Reconciliation can stir painful memories and powerful emotions, and the decision to re-enter may involve hope, anxiety, uncertainty, and disappointment. Individuals should examine why they seek reconciliation and avoid restoring ties merely to appease others or alleviate guilt. Fully processing the events and emotions that led to the cutoff helps prevent repeating old patterns. Clear hopes, personal responsibility, and patience are essential because reconnection often unfolds slowly.

Read at Psychology Today