DEAR ABBY: I’m a gay 44-year-old man with self-esteem problems. I have never seen myself as worthy of affection, and I don’t consider myself attractive. I have never been in a relationship, and no one outside of my family has ever said “I love you” to me. I have recently tried to come out of […]

DEAR ABBY: “Lost My Appetite in South Carolina” (June 1) walked out of a wedding reception after waiting for a delayed dinner and suffering through the DJ’s “loud, deafening rock ‘n’ roll music.” You chided the writer and suggested he should have asked the hosts to lower the volume somewhat. It’s my experience this doesn’t […]

DEAR ABBY: My 89-year-old mother has always been difficult. She not only never loved me, she treated me as if she didn’t like me, either. She told me she didn’t send me a birthday card on my birthday last month because “What was it supposed to say — what a ‘wonderful’ person you are?” My […]

DEAR ABBY: I was involved with “Ralph” for two years. We live in a senior apartment complex, and women have been coming on to him for years. He is now seeing “Joan,” who happens to be my neighbor. This hurts me deeply. This is a small complex and it’s difficult to face them. I am […]

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I were having dinner with another couple when a conversation ensued that divided the men’s views from the women’s. It concerned a recently widowed man (I’ll call him “John”) who is dating a woman from our wives’ circle of friends, “Peggy.” (Peggy is a widow.) The wives were appalled that […]

DEAR ABBY: I will graduate soon with a degree in nursing. This is a dream that is finally coming true. The problem is my mother-in-law expects me to take care of her and my father-in-law. They both have health issues, but nothing that requires 24-hour nursing care, and their medical issues can be resolved by […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m 25 and live in my mother’s basement apartment with my boyfriend. We would like to be married soon, now that we’re out of school and have stable careers. But I insist that we move out of Mom’s house before making any permanent plans. The problem is my mom, who is divorced, is […]

DEAR ABBY: My mother has a long history of lying in what appears to be her attempt to manipulate others. She is now 75, and my siblings and I know not to accept anything she says as the truth, and to always check with each other in order to find out the whole story. The […]

DEAR ABBY: I am a 20-year-old female who has recently come to terms with the fact that I am bisexual. My problem lies in the fact that I am strongly attracted to one of my best friends. I have liked her for several years, and she is a large part of the reason I discovered […]

DEAR ABBY: When I was a young teen, my mother gave me a copy of your booklet “What Every Teen Should Know.” She left it on my bed for me to read at my own pace, and let me know that I could come to her if I had any questions, when I was ready […]