Family Feuds: Is estrangement the new normal?

Family estrangement is no longer a taboo secret but a growing reality for millions, and this episode of *Ladies, We Need To Talk* pulls back the curtain on its emotional toll and complex causes. Through raw testimonies from Jessica, a mother severed from her eldest son, and Cody, a daughter who cut ties with her delusional, manipulative father, the podcast reveals how estrangement often stems from years of accumulated pain—abuse, deception, emotional neglect—not one dramatic incident. Dr Kayla Steele, a clinical psychologist, explains that estrangement is an 'ambiguous loss,' where the person is physically present but emotionally absent, creating prolonged grief and confusion. The episode challenges the myth of the 'perfect family,' showing how societal stigma makes those cut off feel like failures, while those who initiate estrangement wrestle with guilt and fear of judgment. Yet, both Jessica and Cody find peace not in reconciliation, but in self-acceptance: Jessica learns to love her son from afar, and Cody embraces her choice to protect her child from her father’s chaos. The message is clear: sometimes the healthiest act of love is letting go.