Man feels cheated by wife’s affair with phone
Dear Abby: My wife and I have been married 17 years. For the most part, our marriage has been great, and I love her very much. Lately, though, I have felt that our sexual and emotional intimacy has been lacking. I spoke to her about it recently and tried to explain how I feel. She has responded, and things are improving.
Still, she spends most of her time on her cellphone checking email, Facebook, Pinterest and watching Netflix. At bedtime, she stays on her phone or laptop until after I have gone to bed. When she comes to bed, she ignores me and goes straight to sleep, even if I have been lying there awake in the dark waiting for her.
Has she fallen in love with her cellphone? Even if we don’t have sex all the time, I would just like to be able to talk to her or hold her for a minute before we go to sleep. Any suggestions other than throwing her phone out the window?
— Abandoned husband in Utah
Six months ago, I realized I had a drinking problem and decided to go through a chemical dependence program as an outpatient. I’m sober now and attend meetings a few times a week. My problem is someone I was barely acquainted with was also in the same program. I didn’t regard it as a problem at first, but now I’m concerned.
At a meeting a few months ago, I mentioned to the group that I also attend a meeting in another town closer to my home. Next thing I know, this man is attending the same meeting. He always makes a point of telling me about what’s going on with the people we went through treatment with.
I am active in service work and plan to attend a regional meeting at a resort over a weekend. Guess who has suddenly decided to do the same?
I’m nervous about being around this man. I don’t want to compromise his sobriety, but I can’t stand seeing him at every meeting and event I attend. My husband is also bothered by it, and I’m considering not attending any meetings at all because he’s creeping me out. How should I handle this?
— Sober and creeped out