Dear Abby

COUPLE IS OPEN ABOUT DATING WHILE WIFE IS BEHIND BARS

Mon Aug 4, 7:58 PM ET

DEAR ABBY: For the past six months I have been dating a man I'll call "Tom." Our kids adore each other, our parents think we're a great couple, and our friends love seeing us together. There's just one problem: He's married.

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• WELL-MEANING FRIENDS OFFER TOO MUCH TEMPTATION FOR OVEREATER Sun Aug 3, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: I'm a 30-year-old woman who has battled compulsive eating and binge eating since my teens. (Yes, I still have a weight problem.) I see a counselor and am trying to find solutions that work for me.

• GIRL'S IMPULSE TO CUT HERSELF RETURNS WITH HER DEPRESSION Sat Aug 2, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: I have been depressed for years, and at times I cut myself. My mother sent me to counseling, but it didn't help much.

• FRIEND BEING HARASSED FEARS EXPOSING HER MAJOR CLIENT Fri Aug 1, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: A close friend I'll call "Millie" recently confided that she is being sexually harassed at work. The person is a major client of hers, and she could lose her job if this is brought to light.

• CONTACT WITH AILING GRANDDAD ENRICHES BOTH YOUNG AND OLD Thu Jul 31, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: The letter from "Paw-Paw and Maw-Maw in Alabama" (May 13), whose son has cut off contact with their 5-year-old grandson to "protect" the boy from Grandpa's eventual death, left me feeling intense sorrow for all concerned.

• MYSTERY OF AUTISM BEGINS WITH DECIDING WHAT IT IS Wed Jul 30, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: I just finished reading your June 9 column and am shocked at what I read. Your response regarding autism was way off base. You said, "Autism is a mental health disorder ... some people consider ... to be shameful."

• WIFE WHO LEFT AND NEVER CAME BACK NOW TALKS OF COMING HOME Tue Jul 29, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: Nine months ago, my wife, "Marie," left to go shopping and never came back. She took off leaving me and our three sons, ages 12, 14 and 16, without a word. We had been married 25 years.

• OVERSEAS HOUSEGUEST FEARS DROPPING CONVERSATIONAL BALL Sun Jul 27, 12:58 AM ET

  DEAR ABBY: I am a 43-year-old male with major dental issues to take care of. Because I have no insurance, and dental work is costly, I plan to have my treatment overseas. A close friend has arranged for me to stay with his parents for two weeks while I'm there.

• DECORUM IN DOCTOR'S OFFICE SEEMS TO BE IN SHORT SUPPLY Sat Jul 26, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: I work in a medical office and would like your help in asking patients when entering the clinic to please respect the privacy of the people ahead of them and not peer over their shoulders when they sign in. It is not only rude, but also a violation of HIPAA privacy laws.

• SISTER CAN'T KNIT TOGETHER FAMILY TORN BY ITS HISTORY Fri Jul 25, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: My half-brother, "Jace," and I had a complicated childhood. My father had an explosive temper and a disdain for children in general. He was abusive, and our mentally ill mother was absent during his rages.

• MAN'S DISTANCE FROM MOTHER IS CAUSE FOR WIFE'S CONCERN Thu Jul 24, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: My wife thinks I have a problem because I do not have a close relationship with my mother. We go for weeks without talking or seeing each other, and it doesn't bother me. Since I was about 13, my parents were hardly ever around. My mom was a workaholic, and my dad was an alcoholic, so I became totally self-sufficient.

• FRIEND ADVISES PUNSTER TO GO SLOW WITH NEW COLLEAGUES Wed Jul 23, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: My significant other helped me find a wonderful job with intelligent people. I'm an inveterate punster -- "If I put a leafy green vegetable on the barbecue, will it be chard?"

• SUMMER HEAT TURNS LOCKED CAR INTO FURNACE FOR HELPLESS PET Tue Jul 22, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: The letter from "No Dogs in the Car" you printed last year (Aug. 6) appeared one day too late for me.

• GUARDIAN'S CANCER DIAGNOSIS PUTS BOY'S FUTURE IN QUESTION Mon Jul 21, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: My cousin's 9-year-old son, "Andy," has been living with me for the past few years. Now my husband has been diagnosed with cancer, and I must return Andy to his mother.

• DYING WOMAN'S HOSTILITY IS TEARING HER SISTER APART Sun Jul 20, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: Please help me -- I am in pieces. My sister is dying of cancer. She has shut me out of her life and has become very hostile toward me. This is breaking my heart, and I don't know how to deal with it. I have done nothing to offend her, and I don't understand why she is acting this way.

• FAMILY INCREDULOUS AT BIRTH OF UNEXPECTED BUNDLE OF JOY Sat Jul 19, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: Our son "Sean" is 20 and has been going with a girl 2 1/2 years older than he is. I'll call her "Taryn." When we first met Taryn we liked her very much. She was chubby, and Sean told us she was on a diet. We found out later Taryn was 5 1/2 months pregnant.

• FATHER LAMENTS CONVERSATION GAP WITH HIS ONLY DAUGHTER Fri Jul 18, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: I am the father of a middle-aged, unmarried, well-educated daughter I'll call "Yvette." My problem is, whether we're together or talking on the phone, Yvette seems to find it difficult to converse with me.

• FRIENDS PITCH IN TO HELP KEEP WEDDING COSTS UNDER CONTROL Thu Jul 17, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: I had to laugh when I saw the letter from "Not Sure If I Do" (May 8), who hesitated to attend a potluck wedding at which guests would be expected to pitch in and do dishes.

• MOM'S RELUCTANCE TO DISCUSS SEX PUTS DAUGHTERS AT RISK Wed Jul 16, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: My 17-year-old niece, "Nicki," was recently diagnosed with an STD. When her mother, my sister-in-law "Cynthia," found out she was horrified. She had ignored several family members -- including me -- who had tried to warn her that Nicki was sexually active and not taking proper precautions.

• NEWSPAPER TUG-OF-WAR COULD BECOME RACE TO THE BATHROOM Tue Jul 15, 7:58 PM ET

  DEAR ABBY: I love your column. Unfortunately, it appears on the same page as the comics and Sudoku puzzle in our newspaper. Every morning my boyfriend drinks a cup of coffee and then disappears into the bathroom for a good 15 minutes -- even longer on weekends -- with your section of the paper. Half the time I never get it back, and if I do it's never in fresh, crisp condition.