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But what you must not do is let this man lay claim to your narrative, because then he owns something that should belong to you, which is your sense of self.

You will not be on your own forever, but this period can ultimately be one of great growth and change for you. I hope you will use it to dig deep, dive into therapy, and ask yourself the big questions: Who am I? What do I want?

It's hard to concentrate when you are feeling this way. Make conscious choices to find "happy places." Spend time with friends, and in nature. Books, movies, art and music will touch that part of you that is dormant -- your sense of wonder and joy.

Make a list of affirmations -- positive things about yourself that you know to be true. That list will grow as you start to recover. And, if you are determined not to let this defeat you, you will eventually feel -- and be -- better.

Dear Amy: I am dating a 44-year-old man who has an 18-year-old daughter. Much to my dismay, she routinely sleeps with him in his bed, even though she has her own room. (My boyfriend and I do not live together.)

I have asked him to stop this, but he maintains that there is nothing wrong and it is "natural."

Moreover, she is the constant topic of our conversations, even when it doesn't relate to her.

For example, if we talk about our favorite food(s), he immediately starts talking about her favorite food. It's like this with everything: movies, sports, restaurants, anything. Do you think this is OK?

I really don't like the idea of her sleeping in his bed. Sometimes she is asleep in his bed when he gets home from work, and when that happens, he'll just get into bed with her. It feels icky. Am I wrong?

-- Perplexed

Dear Perplexed: It feels icky because it IS icky. Even without the blatant sexual overtones of this co-sleeping arrangement, it is quite obvious that -- for this guy, his daughter is the primary woman in his life.

I hope his daughter is OK. In my view, this abnormally close relationship is setting her up for problems in her own life.

Dear Amy: "Won't Host Again" wondered how to get lingering guests to leave at the end of a party.

It reminded me of an article from (the unfortunately soon-to-be-defunct) MAD magazine, which includes several solutions to this dilemma, including a device you hook up to your stereo that plays "The Star-Spangled Banner!"

-- Joel

Dear Joel: Playing the national anthem might -- at the very least -- get the guests to stand. I'll miss MAD.

(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)