Writer Emi Nietfeld says she felt relief when she cut her mom out of her life. Clinical psychologist Joshua Coleman explains why family estrangement is on the rise.

This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette and Miranda Kennedy, engineered by Rob Byers and Andrea Kristinsdottir, fact checked by Laura Bullard, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast

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A 1970's 3-generation family turkey dinner. Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images.

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