ArcaMax

Dear Eric: My friend was recently diagnosed with ADHD. She is now continually late for events or doesn’t show up at all. On one occasion my friend was coming for dinner at my house. An hour before she was due, I got a text from another friend saying they were now having dinner at her place. My first friend didn’t contact me at all, not to ...Read more

Dear Eric: My youngest son is in his mid-40s. He had some heavy mental issues a few years ago and moved back home to our basement.

Prior to the breakdown his wife left him, he lost a job he loved and soon he started dating Leslie. She became pregnant and our beautiful granddaughter was born but passed at two months and two days from SIDS. Our ...Read more

Dear Eric: I guess I don't know how to let it go. My sister is five years older. There was a problem during a visit she made with her grandson more than 10 years ago. Her husband caused chaos and confusion, but she blamed me. She said she would never speak to me anymore and she hasn’t.

Our beloved sister passed this year. I called to inform ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have a few longtime friends. After four years of caretaking, my mom passed away from dementia. After that, I had to arrange for the selling of furnishings and the house. My 65-year-old brother who shared the house with her has cerebral palsy and required round-the-clock care. So, I had to arrange all that.

During this approximately...Read more

The Rachels met each other when they were 5 and 6 years old, and they met Lizzy Seitel — who would come to be known as one of the Rachels despite her name — in middle school.

They all lived in the D.C. area, and one weekend they took part in a retreat with Cheder, a progressive Jewish community in the area. In Seitel’s recollection, they ...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm a freelance contractor, and a few years ago, I joined my local chamber of commerce and other networking groups to connect with potential clients. I was excited at first, but now I’m not sure what to do.

The chamber of commerce is mostly older men, and I'm a woman in my 30s. In these settings, the men tend to talk down to me or ...Read more

Dear Eric: I’ve been with my husband for 25 years. Twenty of those years I spent being a mother and a grandmother and a full-time employee. I had a nervous breakdown after my second child passed away from illness and I wanted to move away, but not with my husband. He insisted on coming. But ultimately, I did not find another position and ended...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m a 38-year-old woman and recently reconnected with my ex-boyfriend from college, who’s now 40. We dated for two years when we were 22 and 24, and it was intense and meaningful before life pulled us in different directions.

We’ve been back together for about five months now, and he’s everything I remembered, except for one...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- Chris Summers was born in South Philly and raised by her grandmother and her mother. She knew she was supposed to get married, but she never felt exactly like the people around her.

The main sticking point was sex: she didn’t want to have it, yet she still longed for romantic companionship.

”I really crave connection and ...Read more

If you’ve ever wondered, when dating someone, “How do I express my needs and then decide if it’s a relationship I still want to be in?” I have a framework I’d like you to consider: The Tree of Needs.

You’ll have to use your imagination for this one and picture a tree. At the top, we have your need, whatever that may be. On the next...Read more

Dear Eric: I became friends with one of my oldest and closest friends when we were 9 years old.

In the last three years, it has been nearly impossible to see her. I routinely sent her text messages and voicemails asking if she wanted to get together. I finally resorted to sending her a message on Facebook.

I was very surprised with her ...Read more