How do you deal with rejection from your family?

I’m a queer woman and my parents found out. It was painful and terrifying and to be honest I never dealt with it I just accepted it. But lately it’s been hard getting into a relationship. I just want to know how to truly heal from family rejection.
Asked by Mimi
Answered
11/11/2022

Family rejection is very hard to go through, especially after your family discovering qualities that define parts of who you are. Healing from family rejection takes time, allowing yourself to truly accept yourself as you, being who you want to be without guilt, and reminding yourself you would be doing more damage by being the person they may want you to be. As a person, you have to reflect and remind yourself that you are being who YOU want to be. You have control and every right to be who you want to be and who you want to be with.

Sadly, we cannot control the reactions or approvals from others - even our family. Family does not always have to be blood. Reach out to any individuals in your family that do accept who you are. Set boundaries with those who do not so you aren't continuing to hurt because of something you cannot control. It's never easy possibly losing someone or family because their rejection of who we are. Would you rather live for others (not yourself) for their approval - or be who you are and be around the support team that accepts you truly?

Healing is reminding yourself that being who you are is nothing to be ashamed/ guilty about. Sometimes healing is accepting the difficult truth that family may never come around - but that is not a reflection towards you. It is a reflection towards them that they are making their bias mindset hinder a familial relationship.

Reach out to others that can relate to you, find a community that can help/assist you with empowering who you are to reduce the feeling of being rejected. Embrace your qualities that you love about yourself, try and work on your self esteem to remove the rejection feeling. The most important thing to remind yourself is at the end of the day, you have your brain and yourself. Live the days being yourself and doing things to remind your brain you did nothing wrong. Sometimes family comes around years later after education or removing bias. But don't hold onto relationships that hurt you more holding on than letting go.