We’ve all been ghosted before whether it was by dates, friends, maybe even that one group chat that suddenly went silent after you posted a meme. However, what seems a bit far-fetched is being ghosted by your own sibling, for ten years, with zero explanation.
This is the unfortunate reality of today's Original Poster (OP) who woke up one day to realize their sibling had decided they no longer exist. Already completely baffled about what could have gone wrong, they are left even more baffled after their parents responses.
More info: Reddit
When your own sibling erases you from their life, it leaves a hollow mix of confusion, hurt, and disbelief that no amount of time seems to fix
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author noted that their sister has been acting like they don't exist even though the last time they were together, they were celebrating her birthday
Image credits: C0c0mademoiselle
Image credits: cookie_studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Shortly after the birthday, the sister suggested hanging out but never followed through, beginning a decade-long silence
Image credits: C0c0mademoiselle
Image credits: Huiwhere / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Over the years, the sister stayed in touch with other siblings but completely ignored them, even blocking them on Instagram
Image credits: C0c0mademoiselle
The parents insist the sister still "cares" and "loves" them but actions like hiding her address make the estrangement confusing and painful for them
The OP explained that their sister has completely ignored them for a decade. However, what was baffling was that the last time they spoke, everything seemed fine. They had celebrated the sister's birthday together, and she’d suggested hanging out afterward even though it never happened. Instead, she quietly disappeared from their life without warning, contact, or reason.
Now, the OP recently discovered they’d been blocked on Instagram after their mom tried to share a post and it didn’t show up. What makes it more frustrating for them was that their parents keep insisting that the estranged sister "loves", "cares deeply" and "asks about them all the time" despite clear signs of avoidance even going as far as hiding her new address from them.
That contradiction has now left the OP feeling gaslighted, and after ten years of silence, they wonder if it’s worth reaching out to confront the situation, or if that would just reopen old wounds.
According to LMFT Kelsi McMartin, sibling estrangement occurs when brothers or sisters go at least six months without any meaningful communication. While ordinary sibling relationships can include disagreements or competition for parental attention, estrangement is a sustained and intentional lack of interaction.
Image credits: volodymyr-t / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Health Central provides more insight into sibling estrangement and explain that it can stem from a mix of deep-rooted emotional and environmental factors. Childhood experiences like rivalry, resentment, or parental favoritism often plant the early seeds of division. As siblings grow, differences in personality or attachment styles can further strain communication.
They also note that major life events such as trauma, mistreatment, loss, or mental illness may intensify these fractures, while toxic family dynamics involving manipulation, criticism, and power imbalances keep them alive.
Building on this, Sibling Estrangement highlights that parental gaslighting can play a major role in driving siblings apart. They explain that when parents distort or deny reality, they create confusion and mistrust within the family, and that over time, gaslit siblings may start to doubt their own experiences and memories, leading to resentment, fractured communication, and ultimately estrangement.
Netizens sympathized deeply with the OP's pain, agreeing that the situation feels "cruel and diabolical", and urging them to accept that some relationships can’t be fixed. Others, however, questioned the family dynamics behind the silence, suggesting that the parents might even playing a part in the estrangement.
What would you do if you were in the OP's shoes? Would you reach out for closure or to let go in peace? We would love to know your thoughts!
Netizens expressed sympathy for the author, but suggested that their parents might be playing a part in the estrangement
