I was fortunate to be born into a supportive family but I realize that not everyone is so lucky.

And some people reach a point where they just have to cut ties with folks they’re related to, no matter how painful it might be.

Take a look at these stories from AskReddit users about why they cut off contact with family members.

No longer living in fear.

“My mother used to beat the s**t out of me on a daily basis. Lashed out for no reason than me being a child.

Woke me up in the middle of the night to give me cold showers because I did something she judged to be out of line (it was really bs reasons most of the time). Put my face in garbage full of maggots because I forgot to tie the garbage bag before putting in the bin (mind you, I was still a child )

She always did this when no one was home, and I was so afraid to say anything that my sister and dad didn’t know it was happening until I told them a few years ago.

I’m 29 now, with BPD, PTSD and anxiety because of all of this. I’m still struggling with all the emotions I lived during my childhood.

To this day, she still doesn’t understand why I don’t want anything to do with her. She still calls my sister to get her to convince me to get in contact with her. My sister hasn’t nag me with this since she found out what happened.

Now I’m living with my GF, who is the most wonderful and loving person ever. I’m glad I don’t live in fear anymore.”

Holy s**t.

“I was 10 years old. I was given to a 34 year old man to be his third wife.

My parents were so happy because it was a great “honour” to them that I was chosen out of all of the girls there to be with the man that was second in charge. I was smuggled out a month before my 13th birthday.

Was deprogrammed, tried to end my own life when I was 16 bc of what I went through. I’m still alive. I’ll be 49 this year. I don’t know if my parents are even alive.”

Wow.

“I found out my dad wasn’t really my dad, and then my mother proceeded to lie about what actually happened.

I experienced a childhood full of physical & verbal a**se, but he never laid a hand on my sisters. Now I know why.

I corroborated the truth via other family members before cutting off all contact with mom & “dad”… still close with sisters though.”

Toxic.

“My cousin had addiction problems and just burned every bridge in our family.

Used to be we’d buy him food and stuff he needs instead of just giving him money because it’d go straight to more drugs but he eventually became so toxic we couldn’t even do that.”

Not okay.

“My father was an ab**ive al**holic who left us when I was a teen after several s**cide attempts. He was clearly not okay mentally.

We reconnected in my early 20s and when I finally started to build my trust for him again he disappeared.

He tried to reconnect with me a year later when he needed something. I haven’t spoken to him since then.”

Pretend they don’t exist.

“Aunt in the rich part of the family made my mother clean their bathrooms one day when she told them we couldn’t afford food (unlucky situation, both parents unemployed within days), instead of just helping her out.

They didn’t even pay her, they gave her food they had prepared that day and some potatoes and oil.

From that day on, my mother was so hurt and felt so humiliated I decided to pretend they don’t even exist.”

Can’t forgive them.

“I cut out my mother’s side of the family. Her sister and brother made it their personal goal to financially ruin my parents. Then the other sister piled on.

All three of them had been borrowing money from my grandparents for years and when the other sister sold my grandparents house out from under them “because they cant live on their own anymore” my grandparents were appalled when they were told by my aunt that she was putting them in a home.

So they lived with my parents instead and the other siblings accused my parents of taking their inheritance. They harassed, stalked, and vandalized my parents property until both grandparents were dead.

I will never forgive them and hope their own children treat them as poorly as they treated my parents and grandparents.”

Family tree.

“Mother – was never really present. Even after my father d**d.

Brother – Father d**d when I was not an adult. House was left to four of his sons. One brother conned is into signing the house over to him for loan purposes to fix the house up. Stole the house.

Another brother – stole from me and my family with high regularity. Forgave him a bunch of times. Kept doing it so I gave up.

Extended family – non existent.

With all that being said I have a fantastic relationship with the last brother.”

Got rid of them.

“They threatened my life and then reported me to my country’s officials for being a “runaway” (I was 26), a heathen, a w**re, and (I wish this was a joke) a witch.

All are crimes in my country. So yes. I have nothing to do with them anymore.”

Not all families treat each other with respect and love.

Always remember, you can make new family members from your friends.

Never stay in an abusive relationship, even if they’re family.