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Family dynamics are messy.
By Barbara Greenberg — Written on Jun 07, 2022
I've been seeing individuals of all ages in my consultation room for over 25 years. I hear about all kinds of emotionally distressing situations that are due to a variety of triggers, but one of the greatest sources of pain is being cut off by family members.
Regardless of the reasons, people who are cut off feel shame, confusion, stress, and sometimes even depression and a feeling of being disempowered. This is particularly the case if no explanation is provided for the cutoff. Relatives may cut each other off for months, years, and sometimes even a lifetime with little to no explanation.
The following are some of the most frequent reasons why a relative is likely to cut another off or freeze them out of the family fold. This is not an exhaustive list. I am also not suggesting that cut-offs are healthy. Please keep that in mind as I enter this confusing set of family dynamics that go so dreadfully awry.
10 Tragic-But-True Reasons People Cut Family Members Out Of Their Lives
1. They are disappointed.
Some families have a history of cutting off members when they are disappointed, angry, or experiencing other less-than-pleasant emotions toward them. Perhaps you witnessed your mother do this to her mother-in-law while you were growing up.
You then learn that cutting off relatives is an option, and you may follow suit when feeling similarly disenchanted by someone in your family circle. We all learn from what we see modeled at home.
2. They want to exert power and control.
In all families, there are dominant and less-than-dominant members. The dominant may lead the family in cutting off a relative simply to exert their high level of power and control.
Where do you think kids learn about the playground dynamics of bullying? Bullies are often exerting the same modes of power and control on display in their homes.
3. They are exhausted by a toxic situation.
Sometimes family members simply get exhausted and depleted by a relative. They may feel that they have put up with certain behaviors for too long, and they may feel hopeless that things can change.
They may start by phasing out a relative and then handily placing this person on the "do not interact with" list. Everyone has their own pain tolerance level and can only handle so much.
4. They don't want to be reminded of the past.
There are all kinds of family members who know a lot about your history and younger self. Perhaps you don't want to be reminded of your past. How do you go about rewriting your history and changing your narrative?
One way is to shut out the family members who know all about your past. Eliminate them from your life, and you can rewrite your story without anyone letting the proverbial cat out of the bag. Avoid that relative, and your past is more likely to be left right where you feel it belongs — in the past.
5. They are loyal to a certain person.
Some of you are likely forced into a situation where you have to choose between a child from a former marriage or a new partner. Or maybe you are feeling coerced into choosing between a parent or a spouse.
These are dreadful situations, but you all know someone who has been in this position. Common? Yes. Easy? Certainly not.
6. They have perceived slights.
Sometimes a set of misunderstandings occur between relatives. If they don't get discussed, then it can build up and eventually break down relationships. It is tragic that such build-ups lead to breakdowns.
I have never been a fan of avoidance, but for many, the discussion is synonymous with confrontation and avoidance is the unfortunate choice.
7. There are financial issues.
Financial issues are often the source of relationship difficulties. Money may not always be able to buy love, but it sure can lead to lots of bad feelings. Consider the dynamics of a family dividing an inheritance, or what often happens when families go into business together.
8. There's disagreement over caring for sick parents.
Do you want to see a family disintegrate? Watch what happens when a set of siblings try to share the responsibilities involved in taking a sick parent to medical appointments and/or visiting an elderly parent who can no longer take full care of himself or herself.
There are certainly families that come together and handle these sorts of situations beautifully, but this is also high on the list of reasons why you may be cut off by the family.
9. There is abuse.
Unfortunately, many people have been emotionally and/or physically abused by relatives. This damage cannot necessarily be repaired. In many, but not all, of these cases, cutoffs will be the result of a lengthy set of painful interactions.
10. The family, in general, is unable to recover from conflict.
Some families simply lack what I like to refer to as elasticity. They lack the ability to recover from difficulties and, like a rubber band, snap when stretched too far.
It is my hope as a clinical psychologist to help families discuss differences and mend fences. There are times, however, when there is so much history and damage that there is little desire and energy to repair relationships.
It is my job to help individuals understand their role in family cutoffs, either as the person who is cut off or the one who has initiated the cutoff. Good luck to everyone as you try to understand your particular set of family dynamics.
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Barbara Greenberg, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of adolescents and their well-intentioned but exhausted parents. She is the author of Teenage as a Second Language: A Parent's Guide to Becoming Bilingual.
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This article was originally published at Psychology Today. Reprinted with permission from the author.