Abandonment

Being cut off by your own adult child

A grown child who stopped contact. With an explanation you understood, with one you did not, or with no explanation at all. Including being blocked, being kept from grandchildren, or being left to find out about their life from other people. Whether you believe the estrangement is fair, unfair, or something you are still working out.

This is one of the loneliest losses there is, partly because so many people assume a parent in this position must have earned it and stop listening there. Whatever the history is, you are still allowed somewhere to grieve. That is what this space is for, and nobody here will demand the full story as the price of entry.

What can follow an experience like this

No two people carry the same experience the same way. These are some of the effects that people with this experience often describe. Having some of them, all of them, or none of them says nothing about how real what happened to you was.

Insomnia or feeling unsafe enough to sleep Difficulty falling asleep. Not knowing who to trust Trust that was broken, repeatedly, by people who were supposed to be safe. Emotional numbness Not depression exactly. Not knowing who you are, or experiencing multiple parts or identities A self that shifts depending on who you are with. Anxiety and constant worry The background hum of dread that is always there. Withdrawing and isolating from people A retreat inward that can feel like protection, and often is. Fear of being abandoned Not just not wanting people to leave. Rage or anger that is hard to control Anger that comes fast, feels bigger than the situation, or has caused harm to relationships or situations.

Nothing on this page is a diagnosis, and nothing here decides what is wrong with you, because nothing is wrong with you. Something happened to you. This page exists so that when you are ready, you can find people who understand it from the inside.

You do not have to carry this alone.

Bridge of Hope Recovery is a free, anonymous, peer-led fellowship for trauma survivors. Meetings run throughout the week by phone, by video, and in person. No cost, no waitlist, no one asking for your real name.

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