Estrangement
I'm working on a piece for my newsletter, Culture Study, on children's estrangement from their family. This is something I personally have experience with, and I'll talk a bit about that, but I want the majority of the piece to just be people who are actually estranged from their family talking about their own experiences. (For context, this piece was sparked by a piece in The Atlantic written by a therapist who works primarily with parents whose children have cut off contact, and who was also previously estranged from his daughter....and I wanted to provide some space for the counter-narrative).

If you want to read that piece: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/01/why-parents-and-kids-get-estranged/617612/

If you want to read an example of the sort of piece I'm envisioning, with individual testimonies: https://annehelen.substack.com/p/what-it-means-to-pandemic-solo

I edit answers for clarity and link them together to make them flow, but never in a way that changes context — if I ever have questions about meaning or intent, I'll get in touch. (This is why I ask for your email address, which I alone have access to.) And if you have any questions about this project, just generally, you can always email me at annehelenpetersen@gmail.com. But mostly I'm just grateful if you're willing to share your story with the rest of us who often feel so very alone in this experience, even though we are, in truth, *everywhere.*  

Sign in to Google to save your progress. Learn more
Email *
What's name would you like to be identified by, and how old are you?
Who in your family are you estranged from, and for how long?
In whatever detail feels right to you — very brief, or very detailed, or somewhere in between — can you describe the context of your estrangement?
Let's start with the negative: what do most people *misunderstand* about estrangement in general? What are the worst responses you receive when people hear that you're estranged from family in some way? What do media and press depictions of estrangement get wrong, in your experience? What is the bullshit you're constantly fielding when your estrangement comes up (at work, with friends, in random conversations, at the doctor's office, trust me, I've experienced them all)
What, if anything, do you mourn the loss of in your estrangement?
Just as importantly, if not more: What have you gained through estrangement? Has it changed your relationship with friends, or siblings, or with your own children, or a partner? You can take this as broad as you'd like or as specific as you'd like.
How could people in your life be more supportive to you as a person who is estranged — whether around the holidays, or when it comes to your own kids' events, or just general gestures of understanding (please take this in whatever direction you'd like)
What would you like to say to people who are considering estrangement or feel lonely in their estrangement now?
If there's anything else you'd like to add — in any capacity — I'd love to hear it.
Submit
Clear form
Never submit passwords through Google Forms.
This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google. Report Abuse - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy
Google Forms