Family & Relationships

I just left my boyfriend after 5 years because he was being physically abusive. I have a restraining order in place, but I am scared because I know we still live in the same city and I fear I might run into him or he may still try to hurt me. I find myself just wanting to stay in my apartment and hardly go anywhere. How can I move on and not be so scared?

My daughter is a 35-year-old, college graduate. She is very smart and intelligent. During her undergrad, she suffered from depression and it continues today. She has been treated by many psychiatrists doctors. First, she was diagnosed only with depression, then she was diagnosed with major depression, panic, and anxiety issues. Please advise me where to go from here? Is any treatment can help her? I am desperate to find some treatment for her.

I work as an ICU RN and for the past year or so I’ve been in the COVID ICU. It is like a war zone, where I watch people die every single day. The amount of stress has taken a toll on my health. Things were getting better for a while, but now as the COVID numbers increase again it means managing more cases and experiencing more death. My mom lives with me and has been living with me for about 5 years. We had a great relationship, but this last year her best friend submerged her into conspiracies theories. My mom doesn’t believe COVID is real, doesn’t wear a mask, and thinks vaccines are a way to control us. What can I do?

My birth mother gave me up for adoption when I was a newborn. I am now 24 years old and connected with my birth mother and her family two years ago. At first, it was great to meet the extended family and learn more about my birth story. However, I am getting more and more uncomfortable with our interactions. My birth mother seems to be very moody and wants more contact than I am prepared to give. She can lash out emotionally quite easily and I have learned that she has a lot of mental health issues. I don’t enjoy this relationship and don’t have that strong of a connection to her. How do I back away without hurting her feelings?

I just moved to a new state and temporarily moved in with my son and daughter-in-law until I find an apartment. This has been a very difficult living situation because I am learning that they fight a lot. A recent incident occurred that really shook me up. My son and daughter-in-law were fighting and my son pushed her quite hard and she pushed him back. I was really worried about what would have happened if I had not been there and jumped in the middle. I am worried that they are being physically abusive with each other and that their children are observing this. What do I do? It has stressed me out so much that I am moving out earlier than I had planned.

My ten-year-old daughter hangs out with a group of girls whose parents I actually don’t care for. I think we just have different values in our family. With this parent group, there is a lot of gossiping, worrying about what others think or getting into their business, or talking down about other families. I am hearing the girls have the same kind of conversations and it is starting to worry me. What do I do as a parent? These are her friends.

These handy little helpers can remind your child they are not alone. Worry Buddies can go with your child anywhere they go, always there to help them cope and take on your child's worries so they can move forward.

Back-to-school season is always a time of nerves, adjustment, and -- let’s be honest -- straight chaos. It is a time of getting back into routine and preparing for the year ahead. Now, we find ourselves also trying to navigate what a (somewhat) post-pandemic world looks like in our schools. Check out these five tips to help families tackle back-to-school season with their children.

My 23-year-old stepson suffers from depression and is considered obese according to doctors. He showers every 5 - 7 days and sometimes he won’t shower for 3 weeks. He is also not working. My husband refuses to lay down adult rules and I feel stuck without his back-up. This young man needs help, yet he refuses to see a psychiatrist or a counselor. Please advise.

My mother tends to correct my son. It is not that I disagree with her, in fact, I usually don’t, but I am standing right there. I feel like it is my role to do the correcting, not hers. How do I tell her to back off or do I just roll with it since I agree?