I have a very skewed view of family due to my circumstances, but I will give you my 2 cents anyways.

I was adopted as a baby. I spent 3 months in an orphanage before my adopted parents took me home. When I was 4, my adopted mother died of cancer. I don't remember anything before the very moment my father told me my mom was dead.

My dad remarried about a year later. My step family was emotionally abusive to me and I was all alone. My step mother even turned my father against me. I was in high school as well before I moved out, so this compounded the issue.

My father died about 8 years ago of a massive stroke.

It was just me and my step family (and my older sister who was adopted by my parents too, although she is not my blood sister) left to figure out life without him. For years, I played along thinking that was what my dad would want, but now I have completely shut them off. I don't even act like they exist. My wife forces me to email my step mom every now and again, but I do that as little as possible.

I have my wife's family now who are supportive and loving and aware of my illness. Nothing I could do, short of abusing my wife, would make them love me any less.

They say you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. I disagree. I believe you can choose your family AND your friends and I would be willing to cut off a family member faster than a friend because they are supposed to love you unconditionally.