Are there times when we should cut ties with a toxic family member?

Disagreement is an inevitable event in every relationship, and one of life’s most valuable lessons is how to heal those hurt feelings. However, since I started this column, I have received many emails asking about estrangement from parents or siblings. When is it right to cut ties with someone close to us? And what are the consequences for our well-being?

I talk from personal experience when I say that this is one of the hardest decisions we ever have to make. There can be no hard and fast rules, but sociological and scientific research can help to put our own…