DEAR ABBY: My Aunt “Betty,” with whom I have always been close, is 68 and retired. She is abusing prescription drugs and spends several days a week passed out or confused — sometimes hallucinating. I rarely call her anymore because all she does is mumble and make odd comments. Sometimes she passes out on the […]

DEAR ABBY: I am a 42-year-old woman who has wanted to write to you for years. I’ll soon celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary. I am very unhappily married. I married “Bill” for all the wrong reasons. I never truly loved him the way a woman should love a man. I have remained in the marriage […]

DEAR ABBY: Your column has been a fixture in my life. Thank you for the smiles and the tears. My dilemma: I received yet another invitation to someone’s home for a “product party.” In the past year, I have been considered a prospective buyer of cookware, candles, makeup, toys and vitamins. While I have at […]

DEAR ABBY: I had been single a long time when I married a wonderful man, “Edgar,” who had custody of his two children. After we had dated awhile, he told me about his vasectomy. He said he and his wife had agreed not to have any more children. As our relationship progressed, Edgar told me […]

DEAR ABBY: My husband, “Aaron,” had an affair with the woman next door. We were close friends. I found out three months ago, and needless to say I’m not happy about it. My husband and I spent a lot of time with her (he obviously more than I). Aaron swears the affair is over, and […]

DEAR READERS: If you like the way things are going, VOTE. If you don’t like the way things are going, VOTE. If you have never voted before, VOTE. (Don’t be embarrassed by your ignorance — when you get there, they’ll show you how.) If you’re not registered to vote and don’t know where to register, […]

DEAR ABBY: I need to let off some steam, because the more I think about an incident that happened last summer, the madder I get. My sister and I take turns (a few days at a time) caring for our 91-year-old mother, who has Alzheimer’s and can’t be left alone. My family lives 60 miles […]

DEAR ABBY: A year ago I remarried and gained three great stepkids. I’m worried about the oldest, who is a senior (18). She doesn’t care about school anymore. She’s smart enough. When she tries, she gets A’s. But when she doesn’t want to do the work, she gets F’s. There is no in-between. She’s capable, […]

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend of one year has told me he needs to focus on getting his life together — getting a better job, concentrating on his career and finding himself. At this point in his life, he knows he can’t provide for me and give me what I want, which is to settle down […]

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 35 years. We have one daughter. My husband has this “thing” about grabbing other women’s behinds. He hugs them and then goes in for a grab. It bothers me so much. It hurts my feelings and I have told him so, but he still does it. Men have […]