Should you permanently cut off contact with a family member?
The thread explores whether permanent estrangement from family is justified. Responses span three positions: (1) no-contact as necessary survival after abuse, rejecting social judgment; (2) middle-ground alternatives like distance and boundaries before permanent cutoff, citing psychological cost of regret; and (3) situational nuance - some relationships warrant permanent severance while others merit reconciliation attempts, depending on the person's capacity for change and the specific harm involved.
3 responses
Feb 25, 2026
Done it twice, regretted it once. My sister and I didn't speak for seven years over something stupid, and now we're close again because we both grew up. But my ex-stepdad? Nope, no regrets there. Depends entirely on the person and whether they're capable of change.
Feb 25, 2026
I get why people do this, but I also think it's rarely as simple as folks make it sound. What if you cut someone off and then something happens to them? That guilt can eat you alive. Maybe there's a middle ground - distance, boundaries, limited contact - before you go nuclear.
Feb 25, 2026
Honestly? Best decision I ever made was going no-contact with my dad. Not dramatic about it, just stopped responding to texts, didn't go to holidays. People acted like I was being cruel, but he was abusive, and I needed to survive. Sometimes permanent is the only thing that works.