Private lives
Guardian readers solve your problems
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My wife has had an affair and I am struggling to get past the hurtShe told me she had a six-month affair and she is trying to make things work, but I don’t see what I did wrong and can’t seem to get over the pain
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My nine-year-old step-daughter has become a monster and her mother seems scared of herThe girl is verbally and physically abusive to both of us – and acuses me of being a paedophile. I now dread going home and wonder about moving out
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I’ve lost faith in men. They seem incapable of genuine affection or loyaltyAfter two marriages, a further failed relationship and a sexual assault by a man I thought of as a friend, I can’t snap out of this negative thinking
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I'm a gay man who spends hours looking at hook-up ads on my phoneIt is wonderful and awful in equal measure. How should I handle this time-wasting distraction?
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I've been with my partner for a year, but I've never met his sonI’ve never met any of his friends either. And I also recently discovered some texts on his phone from another woman
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I’ve come to accept we won’t have kids – how do I talk to my partner?I was depressed about it for a few years, but I think I’m happy with my life now. Maybe we’re better off childless? How do I start this conversation?
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Am I stupid to continue an affair with a married man?He says he loves me but he also loves his wife. I feel used
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I was reunited with my long-lost son – then he vanished againI gave my son up for adoption and I was overjoyed when he got back in touch with me years later – but he has suddenly gone quiet again and seems to want to avoid me. I am devastated
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My son is depressed but won’t seek helpI can’t help him because he is 21 and has to self-refer, but he insists he is fine even though he has lost interest in most things
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I’m in love with one of my best friends – should I tell her?She has a long-term boyfriend and I wonder whether she feels somewhat trapped – but when we’re together we’re completely at ease with each other
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My partner is turning into a rightwing cheerleader for Ukip, Brexit and TrumpI don’t want to bring my three-year-old daughter up in a home where her father and I argue all the time about politics, but his new beliefs really upset me
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My housemates are in a relationship but they argue all the timeThey shout at each other and hurl insults and I have to go and hide in my room. I would move out but it’s hard to find somewhere else to live
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My husband’s ex-wife is still treated as part of the family while I feel excludedShe is best friends with some of them, stays in the family home for extended visits and joins them at Christmas. My husband thinks this is normal
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My partner lives with his female best friend, but it’s almost like they’re marriedHe tells me there’s nothing going on, but they are so codependent that they share everything with each other and her territorialism makes me feel uncomfortable
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I worry that my boyfriend and I are too controlling of each otherI get so anxious when he goes out with his friends, and he feels the same way when I go out. How can we solve this?
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Should I dump my boyfriend for his online cheating?He has been trying to address his issues but I’m not sure I can forgive him even though we have young children
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I fear I’m settling for my boyfriend because I am 27 and this is my first serious relationshipWe’ve talked about marriage and children, but I’m not sure I want that with him even though he is handsome, loyal and affectionate
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My husband uses sex chatrooms and the sounds can be heard all over the house, though he denies itShould I leave him for the sake of my grownup children who come to stay, or wait until they overhear?
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My partner has had an affair but blames me rather than accepting any responsibilityWe have two young children and I’m willing to change to rebuild the relationship, but he just keeps saying I’m an awful person and he was unhappy
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I’ve been having an affair for 10 years – what will I do when it ends?I am very happy not to be in a ‘normal’ relationship, but I worry I won’t find another man who can make me feel satisfied
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IVF isn’t working – should I leave my girlfriend to pursue a ‘perfect fantasy’ family?We are keen to marry but having my own biological children is very important to me. Maybe I should save us both time and move on
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My partner has a history of affairs and I have just found out he’s meeting his exHe claims he didn’t tell me because he knew I would be upset. I don’t want to be jealous, but I am so cross he didn’t tell me
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Should I contact my abusive stepfather? He wasn’t all badMy stepfather is devastated that he no longer sees me and my brother, but I have so far ignored his attempts keep in touch. Is there any point writing him a no-holds-barred letter?
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I split up with my cheating boyfriend nearly a year ago, but I still cry every dayHe betrayed me throughout our relationship, but now the anger is gone I’m left with despair. I wish there was a magic pill I could take to move on
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An old love I haven’t seen for years is dying. I would like to see him but we both have partnersI spent three months with him when I was travelling almost 20 years ago. The news that he hasn’t long to live has put me in a spin
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My shyness and insecurity around women is still affecting me at 40I can talk to women now, but I have never had a proper relationship. I have tried online and speed dating and never got beyond the first date
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I am becoming depressed and agoraphobicAlthough my daughters visit fortnightly, I feel unwanted and unable to talk to them about my depression
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‘I abhor my wife’s work ethic and wanting to keep up with the Joneses’We still love each other but she won’t accept the good life we already have and resents me for being a slacker
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My husband wants us to move miles away from our friends when we retireI’m worried that it may be hard to meet new people in your 60s. My husband is a joiner, but I am shy and more introverted
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My husband has suddenly become cold and distantHe says he doesn’t think the marriage is fixable, but he won’t tell me what the problem is
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I’m an 18-year-old virgin. How do I get a boyfriend?I’ve never even kissed anyone and I’m at a women’s college. I’ve tried online dating and nothing has worked. What should I do?
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My wife is physically abusive, resents marrying me and is six months pregnantI haven’t told anyone about the abuse and don’t know what to do. Should I leave her?
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I have been depressed since my ex ended our relationship and I want to know why he left. Am I wrong to insist on this?I had a two-year affair with a married man, who broke up with me when his wife found out and his marriage ended. I feel I can’t move on without an explanation, but he won’t respond
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My ex hurt me when she dumped me. Now she is dying and wants to see meFive years ago, I was left devastated when my ex dropped me. I still feel hurt and angry, but I wonder if I should meet her briefly before she dies
I’ve never got over the hurt caused by my mother-in-law