Dear Neil: I’ve been with my boyfriend for a year. We had a minor disagreement, and he then ignored me for 2 weeks. He is saying that he has an emotional block and does not have the same love for me that I have for him. I’m confused and scared. I love him and don’t […]
Dear Neil: I was in a relationship with a man for almost two years. We only had sex twice. He claimed the issue was with him and not with me, and said he didn’t want to talk about it. I assumed it was a physical issue. But he left me and found someone else who […]
Dear Neil: I am a married, working mother with 2 young children. My husband and I constantly argue, usually because he spends very little time with me. His work and study take about 80 hours a week, and he has had little involvement in raising our second child. Despite the fact that I earn more […]
Dear Neil: 2 years ago, one of my friends introduced me to his daughter, and she and I got close very fast. She moved to my town, and wants me to take on a father role to her 5 year old child. But she is disrespectful and jealous, and this relationship has cost me a […]
Dear Neil: You recently reprinted a letter from a woman who was wondering why she and her husband were no longer having sex. Of all the reasons you offered about why couples quit having sex, you ignored the issue of being physically limited. My husband was diagnosed with diabetes. Despite our best efforts and modern […]
Dear Neil: I am in dire need of your help. I am married to a wonderful man for 5 years who loves me, but I have always struggled with feeling love for him. Mentally I have compared him negatively with others a lot. I was scared and anxious when we were engaged, and constantly thought […]
Dear Neil: I cut my alcoholic sister off because of her drinking and abusive behavior. She had been arrested several times, and it’s painful to keep watching someone make the same mistakes over and over again. Recently, she texted me and said that she went to a treatment program for a month. Her boyfriend never […]
A couple of months ago, I invited readers of this column to write about lessons life has taught them. So today I’m going to let readers describe for themselves what they have learned from life and from their relationships. A woman from Denver says: My greatest regrets are things I have said to people in […]
Dear Neil: My boyfriend/life partner (whom I’ve lived with for 6 years) has had it with my “inappropriate tears.” I tend to cry easily, but my partner thinks that this needs to be fixed. If he doesn’t see a valid reason for my tears, he accuses me of being manipulative or childish. What is your […]
Perhaps it starts with you losing your sense of engagement with your work, your children or your vital relationships. Perhaps it is because you have too many distractions—increasingly electronic postings, emails, texts or phone calls. Perhaps it is because you have too many demands and responsibilities, and not enough time to do everything you need […]