ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been retired for three years and recently moved away from our kids. Between us, we have six children, but only one that takes advantage.

My husband's daughter is in her mid-30s and has always used him like an ATM machine. This used to be merely annoying, but now it is becoming destructive to our finances. We ...Read more

You and I live in interesting times, which, according to ancient Chinese wisdom, equates with being accursed. But womanly intuition prods me (ever so gently) to believe those wise men might well reconsider after learning the supersized changes in our species' parenting roles. Women are released from their household universe and finding ...Read more

Dear Annie: I really need help. I'm a 28-year-old woman living in New York City. For the past three years, I've been in a committed relationship with my boyfriend, "Charles." He's 31, works in tech and is super ambitious. We met in college, and while we've always gotten along well, I've started to notice some major differences between us as we...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been struggling with marital problems ever since he proposed. Before that, we got along well, but things took a turn for the worse after the engagement. His ex-wife is constantly causing drama, and whenever I try to stand up for myself, the situation gets twisted, and I'm the one blamed. My husband usually ...Read more

Dear Annie: Last week, I was caring for a patient named "Mr. Thompson," who had come in with severe back pain. After completing my initial assessment, his daughter, "Sally," arrived and immediately demanded that I give her father "the strongest pain meds you've got." I explained that we had protocols to follow and that the doctor would need to...Read more

The other day, I had a conversation that stuck with me, not because it was unique, but because it was disturbingly common. I was speaking with a gentleman about safe use sites, places where individuals struggling with addiction can use substances under medical supervision, reducing overdoses and offering pathways to treatment. He was adamantly ...Read more

Dear Readers: Many of you wrote in about the "Tossed Kittens" column and told me where I missed some points. I appreciate the feedback and want to share a few of these letters:

Dear Annie: I was horrified to read about the woman who abandoned three kittens in the wild, especially after they had been socialized. There were so many alternatives...Read more

Dear Annie: I value your advice and would like your opinion. I recently had hip replacement surgery. I now have mobility issues and cannot perform many tasks that I could in the past. I cannot walk now without a walker.

I had a friend who I thought was a close friend. We live about half a block from each other. In the past, when she had ...Read more

You don't have to be single to be shy, but it's more likely when your way of life pushes you to meet new people and make entrances ... solo. That's why it's so important to learn the language of SMALL TALK. (It merits capitals because it's not so easy to learn.) Truth is it's a totally new language for those of us who never inherited the gift of...Read more

I'm sitting in a hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I feel the rumbling of a low-grade cold that soaked through my house this week, sparing me until now through intense efforts of arching away from uncovered coughs, cheek kissing the husband, and washing my hands like I'm going into surgery after I deposit a pile of snotty tissues in the trash.

I'm...Read more

Sexual/sensual expression is important to mental and physical well-being. Let's agree on that. And being unmarried, you also know how important it is for your satisfaction to feel a partner's caring. The truth is sexual union has the potential to be spiritual communion when it joins soul mates. But it takes a bit of doing for the unmarried to ...Read more