Dear Carolyn, I am married for the second time. My first husband, who I divorced, was physically and verbally abusive. I got out. The problem is I am right back in a miserable, abusive relationship—although quite different. This second husband (and might I add my last husband) is quite controlling…
Dear Carolyn, I am a 35-year-old woman with two small children (a daughter and a son), a puppy, and a cat. I am now separated. My “ex-husband” kicks and tortures the puppy, and I do not know why. The puppy cries and then the children, who witness the violence, cry. …
This week’s Ask Carolyn is all about lies and deceit. Our first reader is writing in about her cheating husband, and wants to know if a lie detector test will help her get justice and closure. Our second reader thought her daughter was at a Grasshoppers game with her father,…
Dear Carolyn, I am pretty sure my husband is having an affair. We are not separated. I saw a text message where she texted him that she loved him. I checked his phone while he was in the shower. Should I confront him? What should I do? – Bewildered by…
Dear Carolyn, I am sixty-nine. I have been in a fifty-year marriage. I sure would like to be out of the marriage, but I fear I am too old. I would like my retirement to be stress-free and with someone else. Do people my age really divorce? – Old, but…
Valentine’s day is aimed at couples, and those who are single often feel left out or disenchanted. But while the focus of Valentine’s may be romance, there’s no reason you can’t celebrate love of all types. Platonic love is perhaps one of the most underrated kinds of love. Our friends…
Dear Carolyn, I am an aunt with two adult nephews and one adult niece. I have no children of my own. I have been very faithful, I feel, to lavishing these ingrates with gifts and attention on holidays, at weddings, birthdays, baby showers and generally. There is never a thank-you…
On October 5, 2017, The New York Times released an article exposing decades of sexual abuse perpetrated by Harvey Weinstein, a well-known film producer and powerful player in Hollywood. After the article’s publication, a stream of new accusations surfaced, and journalists dug deeper, discovering a network of employees and private…
Last week, we discussed embracing change as a part of recovering from a breakup or divorce. Today I’d like to suggest a change which helped me tremendously – learning how to love yourself. Yes, it sounds vague and empty. People always tell you that “you need to love yourself,” but…
In college, I had a roommate whose world shattered every time she went through a breakup. She always blamed herself, couldn’t cope with being single again, and ended up convinced she was at fault. Most of those breakups were with the same on-again-off-again boyfriend. It wasn’t just the one roommate…