Hi Eleanor and Hannah!

I haven’t had a situation where I felt like I had to completely end a relationship with a family member, but I’ve had different times when I realized it was best to create distance and change my relationship–at least in the short-term. It’s definitely wasn’t easy, and I went through many periods when I grieved over what I never had or had to change. But I knew that I could never take care of myself if I didn’t step away from unhealthy relationships and situations.

I also found that creating space without towing a hard line helped a great deal. In other words, I never had a conversation along the lines of, “Don’t call me ever again!” I simply changed how and how often I engaged with those people. By doing that, I kept the door open for things to improve–and over time, they did.

Sending love to you both,

Lori