Family estrangement is on the rise - why are so many of us going 'no contact' and what is the fallout?

"Cultural shifts and changing standards have seen more and more families fall out - but is there a better way to deal with parental or sibling difficulties?"

"Ever since Tolstoy wrote in 1878 that "all happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way", not that much has changed."

"We may have more feminism and less (overt) patriarchy, greater access to therapy and improved emotional literacy, but we still drive each other mad."

Cultural shifts and changing standards have increased the frequency of family fallouts and rivalries. Questions persist about more effective ways to handle parental and sibling difficulties. A familiar maxim states "all happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," and patterns of familial unhappiness remain evident. Social developments include more feminism, reduced overt patriarchy, wider access to therapy, and improved emotional literacy. Despite these advances, interpersonal tensions and irritations continue to produce strong conflicts within families and disrupt relationships.

Read at Independent