ArcaMax

Dear Eric: I have two daughters, "Tracy," who has two adult children, and "Mary," who has three adult children. Tracy is financially comfortable and has been retired for several years. Mary is doing OK but still has to work. They are three years apart; Mary is younger.

Mary is a devoted daughter who has been there for me after a cancer surgery,...Read more

Dear Eric: We are friends with a disabled veteran who is despised and neglected by his family. Another friend drives him around so he can get out of the house and interact with other human beings.

I'm a professional artist and was exhibiting at an art/craft show this past weekend. The veteran and his friend came to enjoy the show, and to see ...Read more

Dear Eric: I am struggling with my mother.

Soon after I got engaged, my then-fiancé began stalking me at work, driving around my employer's parking lot doing “wheelies.” I wasn't allowed to even look at another man while in a car traveling somewhere.

I broke up with him. However, I would find him parked in an alley behind my house waiting...Read more

Dear Eric: I’ve been in a relationship with a man for several years, and in so many ways we truly connect. He’s kind, loyal and we get along beautifully. But lately, I’ve been feeling unsure about where things are headed. It feels like we’re stuck in a place that’s more friendship than partnership, and my heart wants something deeper. ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have blood drawn weekly. The last time the needle prick stung a good bit unlike all the others and the next day my arm was black and blue. Next time when I go in, and my number is drawn, if I see that nurse, would it be acceptable to decline and say I’ll wait for the next nurse?

– Bad Blood Draw

Dear Draw: That’s acceptable ...Read more

Dear Eric: I’m getting married this summer after a long engagement. We’ve planned a destination wedding. Everyone we’ve invited has said they’re very excited about it and we got almost all yeses on our RSVPs, which I’ve read is rare. I have a great feeling about the whole thing.

The problem is my twin brother, who has been dating his ...Read more

Dear Eric: I’ve recently started dating someone who is what you’d call “extremely online.” She’s really active on a bunch of different platforms – Reddit, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch. It’s kind of her whole life. She has a whole community of friends she only knows online and she’s pretty popular on some of the sites.

That’s ...Read more

Dear Eric: Three of us attended high school together and remained close friends for many decades, even though we sometimes lived quite far from each other.

A few years ago, “Beth” had some medical problems that were exacerbated by COVID, and she had to retire unexpectedly from a fulfilling job. She fell into a deep depression and withdrew ...Read more

Dear Eric: I am 72 and a father of five. Over time, my relationship with my wife has become very difficult. She is loudly critical, demanding and nagging, holding back all kinds of affection.

Meaningful conversations between my wife and me are thwarted by her unwillingness to engage in rational discussions. Whenever I attempt to convey my ...Read more

Dear Eric: About three years ago, I found out I have a neural immune skin issue where I break out with bumps which scab over and are very sore and painful. About a year ago, this condition broke out on my scalp, and it is not healing and going away. I have some areas of alopecia, and the sores and scabs are very painful.

As a result, the ...Read more

Dear Eric: My 23-year-old stepdaughter moved in with us four years ago. She leaves for days on end and doesn’t let her dad know where she is. We both worry. She has been gone for months at a time.

A couple months ago, I ventured into her bedroom because I had an electrician coming and I found a disgusting mess: garbage and dirty clothes ...Read more

Dear Eric: My 15-year-old daughter has a host of diagnoses that my husband and I are trying to navigate. We are receiving service and advice from a psychiatrist, a therapist, an occupational therapist and a speech therapist.

My problem is that I am constantly receiving rude comments and unwanted advice about my daughter. These fall into two ...Read more

Dear Eric: My sister can’t get past the fact that we’re sending our kids to a local public school instead of to the charter school that she sends her kids to. We normally have a good relationship, but this has really become a sticking point for her. It feels like I need to defend public schools every time I see or talk to her, which is nuts....Read more

Dear Eric: I guess I’m tired of reading all the problems people have with their marriages or children or coworkers.

Here’s my problem: none. How do I stay engaged, feel completely fulfilled and happy with my life?

– Happy Life

Dear Life: My answer is going to sound simple, maybe, but I’ve found it to be one of the most complex ...Read more

Dear Eric: My brother-in-law (41) is the last of four siblings to get married. He invited the family to his wedding. However, this is a destination wedding, and he said he would like his nephews and nieces to participate in the ceremony, but that the children had to be taken to their babysitters after the ceremony and not be present at the ...Read more

Dear Eric: Recently my parents shared how their estate will be divided when they pass. They have worked hard and lived a modest life, and it goes without saying that they are entitled to do as they please with their estate.

In sharing how they intend to divide their estate, my parents informed me that I would not receive a share since “I don�...Read more

Dear Eric: I love my wife of 29 years so deeply.

Recently, she took a tumble down the stairs when going down to use the bathroom. She broke her pelvis, is in excruciating pain, and has lost all mobility.

While I feel awful for what she is going through, this is an awful lot on me as well. She is very petite and slim, and I am still a tall, ...Read more

Dear Eric: For years I was in a toxic, abusive relationship. Fortunately, I ended it and my family and friends supported me along the way. Now I'm in a new relationship with a healthy person but the tables have turned. Through couples and individual therapy, I have realized that, due to an undiagnosed neurodivergence and childhood trauma, I ...Read more

Dear Eric: My brother just released a book and as I was reading his acknowledgments in the online sample, I was blown away that he disclosed a very personal incident that happened when we were children.

I have been going to therapy sessions for years discussing things that happened to me as a child. It was very shocking to read this and caused ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have two sisters. “Betty” and I had a serious falling out a few years ago. She won’t speak to me. She has cast herself as the victim in a situation where my other sister’s husband became abusive to me. My heart is broken. Betty and I were very close all our lives before that happened.

Betty has two sons. She is estranged ...Read more