FINALLY!
Media is beginning to address this evil cult. Anon fears so much damage has been done that some of it will be impossible to heal.
Cutting a Parent Out of Your Life Isn’t Always the Right Solution
Memoirs, interviews and essays now widely celebrate “going no contact” with a parent. The New York Times published this, just a day ago: ”I Broke Up With My Abusive Mother. I Don't Regret That Decision." Another essay opens, “We’re Done: For me, with the parents I had, ‘no contact’ was the only option.”
Given these headlines, it may feel like it’s only abusive, immature or traumatizing parents getting the pink slip these days.
But it’s not.
Our research and clinical experiences reveal that such estrangements often happen because of specific situational factors, such as financial conflicts or problems with family businesses, wills and inheritances, rather than a long history of family dysfunction or abusive parenting. Adult children who are struggling with mental illness will sometimes cut off their well-meaning parents because they are unable to properly engage in the relationship. More fundamentally, when parents and children profoundly disagree over certain values, say, politics, religion or lifestyle choices, this can lead to estrangement.
In addition, we often see how a controlling or troubled partner can instrumentally turn an adult child away from what was once a close relationship with a parent. Or, while more common with younger children, we see one parent turn an adult child against the other during divorce.
Although any one of these dynamics may result in increased conflict between parent and child, the view that the parent is always the abuser and limiting factor to change is wrong. Based on our experience and research, the key to reconciliation—regardless of the conflict’s origins—is fostering open communication between parents and adult children, helping them navigate tensions with greater empathy and understanding.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cutting-a-parent-out-of-your-life-isnt-always-the-right-solution/