Should I speak up or should I keep silent? This question often plagues brothers and sisters in challenging sibling relationships. There are no hard-and-fast rules about what to do in each situation. Silence, the act of non-communication, is sometimes the best response, particularly when a sibling is presented with superficial or meaningless questions that are not worthy of an answer. Silence also buys peace and de-escalates a potentially volatile family situation. Speaking up, however, gives a sibling the opportunity to be authentic and find one’s own voice, and it may be necessary when a brother or sister becomes unreasonable, demeaning, or antagonizing. This episode offers guidance on the best approach to make room for the personalities of both siblings in these difficult exchanges,

Ali-John's Public Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/5minutetherapy

Join my Private Facebook Group. and get a free gift when you answer 3 questions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/688926101896419/

For informative articles on sibling estrangement, please visit http://www.siblingestrangement.com/blog

I also host a Sibling Estrangement Support Group on Zoom: https://siblingestrangement.com/groups/

For more info on my workshops on rumination and navigating the stages of grief with sibling estrangement, please visit: https://siblingestrangement.com/groups/

Ali-John is starting up the Wellness Rewards Club in January 2026! This will be a chance to be part of a club, through a YouTube membership, where you get some premium strategies for managing sibling estrangement.

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiblingEstrangement

To buy Fern's book on Sibling Estrangement: https://www.lakeforestbookstore.com/book/9780525561699

Link to the workbook Sibling Estrangement Journal on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLLTT6SJ#SalesRank

To connect with Author Fern Schumer Chapman, please visit her website at: https://www.fernschumerchapman.com

Or visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FernSchumerChapmanAuthorPage

You can read Fern's Sibling Estrangement articles on Psychology Today here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/contributors/fern-schumer-chapman

Like what you hear? Feel free to donate to help us continue to make quality content: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=X9VW7VYD864TG

Psychological time distorts how we experience estrangement, exacerbating a sense of incompleteness -- a lack of resolution in a relationship that feels like things are left unsaid or unaddressed. Without communication with an estranged brother or sister, there is no opportunity to understand, take responsibility, or apologize for one's role in the rift. Consequently, incompleteness and psychological time drive rumination, personalization, and catastrophizing, contributing to feeling overwhelmed and to heavily carrying the loss. In this episode, we address how to cope with these negative reactions.

Ali-John's Public Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/5minutetherapy

Join my Private Facebook Group. and get a free gift when you answer 3 questions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/688926101896419/

For informative articles on sibling estrangement, please visit http://www.siblingestrangement.com/blog

I also host a Sibling Estrangement Support Group on Zoom: https://siblingestrangement.com/groups/

For more info on my workshops on rumination and navigating the stages of grief with sibling estrangement, please visit: https://siblingestrangement.com/groups/

Ali-John is starting up the Wellness Rewards Club in January 2026! This will be a chance to be part of a club, through a YouTube membership, where you get some premium strategies for managing sibling estrangement.

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiblingEstrangement

To buy Fern's book on Sibling Estrangement: https://www.lakeforestbookstore.com/book/9780525561699

Link to the workbook Sibling Estrangement Journal on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLLTT6SJ#SalesRank

To connect with Author Fern Schumer Chapman, please visit her website at: https://www.fernschumerchapman.com

Or visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FernSchumerChapmanAuthorPage

You can read Fern's Sibling Estrangement articles on Psychology Today here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/contributors/fern-schumer-chapman

Like what you hear? Feel free to donate to help us continue to make quality content: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=X9VW7VYD864TG

In this episode, we explore triggers – an unresolved feeling from an earlier life experience that influences a reaction in the present. Many are unaware that they have triggers, so the first step is to pay attention to your body to begin to recognize them. Some people may notice that they develop stomachaches, headaches, or shallow breathing when they become stressed or anxious. The triggers typically are tied to specific feelings, such as a lack of control, a lack of security, or a sense of over responsibility. Triggers often connect to negative core beliefs – “I don’t matter,” “I’m not good enough,” or “I’m unlovable.” Once you identify your triggers, you can name, categorize, anticipate, and train yourself to handle them. At the very end of the episode, Fern shares a poem, The Joker, that clarifies the confusion of being triggered.

Ali-John's Public Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/5minutetherapy

Join my Private Facebook Group. and get a free gift when you answer 3 questions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/688926101896419/

For informative articles on sibling estrangement, please visit http://www.siblingestrangement.com/blog

I also host a Sibling Estrangement Support Group on Zoom: https://siblingestrangement.com/groups/

For more info on my workshops on rumination and navigating the stages of grief with sibling estrangement, please visit: https://siblingestrangement.com/groups/

Ali-John is starting up the Wellness Rewards Club in January 2026! This will be a chance to be part of a club, through a YouTube membership, where you get some premium strategies for managing sibling estrangement.

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiblingEstrangement

To buy Fern's book on Sibling Estrangement: https://www.lakeforestbookstore.com/book/9780525561699

Link to the workbook Sibling Estrangement Journal on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLLTT6SJ#SalesRank

To connect with Author Fern Schumer Chapman, please visit her website at: https://www.fernschumerchapman.com

Or visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FernSchumerChapmanAuthorPage

You can read Fern's Sibling Estrangement articles on Psychology Today here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/contributors/fern-schumer-chapman

Like what you hear? Feel free to donate to help us continue to make quality content: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=X9VW7VYD864TG