How Can They Not Know Why You Left? | Family Estrangement, Boundaries & Guilt

Found at 17 | Abandonment Wounds & Relationship Patterns · Sep 30, 2026 · 11m

In this episode of Found at 17, we talk about the particular pain of distancing yourself from someone who seems completely oblivious to why you've done it—and how that can make you question your own judgment, your memories, and even your sanity.

This can be especially complicated with family estrangement. When you've spent your life hearing that family is family, creating distance can bring an enormous amount of guilt. You may wonder if you're being selfish, unforgiving, dramatic, or simply a bad daughter, son, sister, brother, or parent.

But here's the thing:

Their understanding is not a…