Dealing With Family Estrangement Is Particularly Painful During Holidays

It’s the holiday season, and even in a year where gatherings are small, or perhaps remote, it’s a time when many feel a yearning for family. It’s also a time when family rifts, sometimes chasms, are felt the most acutely.

Despite the anguish they cause, those family ruptures are incredibly common. In fact, a survey by sociologist Karl Pillemer revealed that about 25% of people live with some kind of family estrangement, and those damaged relationships take a toll — mentally and physically.

His new book, “Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them,” addresses this, as well as how to mend these relationships. He joins host Robin Young to discuss the issue.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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