Psychology Today UK — May 2026
“What Estranged Parents Too Often Misunderstand”
Suzanne Degges-White looks at why estrangement can feel sudden and inexplicable to a parent even when an adult child may have experienced the relationship as deteriorating over a much longer period.
The article discusses defensiveness, differing memories of family life, repeated patterns of conflict and the difference between promising change and demonstrating it consistently over time.
Why we’ve included it:
This is a more challenging piece than some of the other material in the library, but that is precisely why it may be useful. It encourages parents to consider how the relationship may look from the other side without assuming that either person’s account is automatically the whole truth.
Read the article at Psychology Today UK
Inclusion in our library means we believe this item may be useful or thought-provoking. It does not mean Estranged Parents endorses every opinion or conclusion expressed.
Estranged Parents
Free, confidential peer support for UK parents estranged from their adult children.