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Our families<br />
bring us joy, and<br />
better health and<br />
wellbeing, but they<br />
can also be the<br />
source of distress<br />
“A lack of communication can<br />
also get in the way of strong<br />
family relationships. Often we<br />
presume we understand or know<br />
what the other person is thinking<br />
– learning to listen carefully is<br />
something many people struggle<br />
with. We need to be able to<br />
discuss sensitive topics. Conflict<br />
is normal but, without good<br />
listening and understanding, we<br />
can become stuck.”<br />
When conflict escalates, it can<br />
sometimes result in the total<br />
breakdown of communication.<br />
According family estrangement<br />
charity Stand Alone, 8% of people<br />
surveyed had cut contact with<br />
a family member, leading the<br />
organisation to predict that this<br />
translates to at least five million<br />
people in the UK, with one in five<br />
families affected.<br />
Going ‘no contact’ is, for some,<br />
the healthiest decision. But that<br />
isn’t to say it’s easy, and Stand<br />
Alone provides help for those who<br />
are struggling with this. More<br />
broadly, you can also search for<br />
support groups in your local area<br />
and online – for everything from<br />
caring for elderly parents, to<br />
blended families, those touched<br />
by addiction, and more.<br />
86 | September <strong>2021</strong> | <strong>happiful</strong>.com
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