HUSBAND AVOIDS BEING WITH ME

Dear Coleen

My partner is never at home – he is always running around doing things for everyone else. He spends virtually no time at all with me and, when he does come home, it’s to eat and sleep, and that’s it.

I just can’t take this behaviour any longer, but don’t know how to tackle it with him.

Have you any advice?

Coleen says

He’s avoiding being at home – and avoiding you. Why? You have to ask him, even if you’re worried about the answer you’ll get back.

Don’t dance around the issue – tell him the relationship isn’t working for you any more and ask him directly why he’s avoiding you. Have his feelings for you changed? Is he stressed about work or something else? Is he seeing someone else?

I realise it’s not easy to confront these things, but it’s better to know so you can do something about it rather than carrying on with the way things are, which must be very lonely.

He’s using your home like a hotel and there’s no real communication between the two of you. He owes it to you to be honest.