DEAR ABBY: I have an issue that has me concerned, and I need some expertise. I have a problem with anger. I don’t know what triggers it. It happens out of the blue sometimes. I have never struck out in anger toward another person, but people have witnessed my outbursts and seemed taken aback by […]

DEAR ABBY: So often I read about troubled marriages in your column. May I share with you something that my husband and I started doing that has transformed what I thought was a good marriage into a blissful one? One day, after complaining that we had no quality time together — we rarely talked, much […]

DEAR ABBY: At a recent anniversary celebration for my parents, a well-meaning but thoughtless in-law sent them a gift from my deceased sister, with a card signed with her name. She died of cancer two years ago. Her loss has been difficult and heartbreaking for all of us, especially my parents. I am furious at […]

DEAR ABBY: My husband gave a friend of his — I’ll call him “Fred” — a place to stay and nursed him back to health after Fred was critically injured while driving an ATV. Fred was drunk at the time. That was six years ago, and Fred is still here. While he has helped my […]

DEAR ABBY: I have a father who’s always mean to me. He finds reasons to yell at me — for example, the trash isn’t taken out or the dishes aren’t washed. He isn’t involved in my educational life at all. When my teachers request a conference with my parents, he almost never shows up. When […]

DEAR ABBY: My adult son passed away nine months ago. I am mostly numb. My home has always been welcoming, and I have had friends and family here constantly — but now they won’t leave! They don’t seem to “get” the fact that I need some time to be alone. I love these people, but […]

DEAR ABBY: I live in a dorm at a large university where a former friend, “Glen,” also lives. We are no longer on speaking terms because of an incident that happened last year. One day during pre-finals week, I left my room briefly to get something from a friend’s room down the hall. I left […]

DEAR ABBY: I am a fairly conservative young woman, and also somewhat shy. I have been dating a young man who comes from a much more casual culture than I do. This has its benefits — he laughs often and deeply, and easily connects with people. But it also has its downside. ”Mac” has a […]

DEAR ABBY: I am writing in response to “Blue at Christmas” (Dec. 13). I think the card-making tradition she has with her niece is beautiful. In a time when so many people are rushed, and so many of us are focused on finding the “best deal” for Christmas, it is wonderful that “Blue” is teaching […]

DEAR ABBY: I was married at 17 and ran away at 37 when I finally admitted to myself that my husband did not love me. After that, I went through a deep depression that took years to recover from. I have been divorced for 13 years and am happy being unencumbered. I choose to live […]