Girlfriend’s anxiety taxes partner

Dear Abby: I’m stuck in a rut here.

My girlfriend is anxious and depressed. I love her very much, and I want to help her. I understand that someone with anxiety and depression can be a handful, but sometimes I feel like I’m dealing with too much. My girlfriend is so deep in this state that no matter how I try, it seems like she doesn’t want my help at all.

How do I deal with this? I feel like I’m going mad.

Need Guidance in the East

Dear Guidance: Iam sure you love your girlfriend very much, but it is important to realize that depression and anxiety are medical conditions. YOU cannot “fix” them.

The most helpful thing you can do for your girlfriend would be to convince her to discuss what’s going on with her doctor so she can be referred to a licensed mental health provider. Medications are available that could help her, as well as talk therapy, which she may also need.

Dear Abby: I’ve been a dental assistant for more than 20 years, and I’d like to share an observation with your readers. Over the years, we’ve seen many patients who diligently take care of their oral hygiene. Then, suddenly, we notice decay both clinically and on X-rays — after years of no decay.

We ask them, “Are you taking a new medication that’s causing dry mouth? Have you started drinking some different beverage? Have you been eating more sweets?”

More often than not, they tell us nothing’s changed.

The problem often is sugar where they don’t expect it — in fiber supplements, meal replacement shakes, gummy vitamins, chewable antacids, vitamin water, etc. Many of these items contain a surprising amount of sugar.

Please encourage your readers to read the nutrition labels of their SUPPLEMENTS. It could save their teeth.

Anti-Decay in Dallas

Dear Anti-Decay: Thank you very much for educating my readers and me. This is something I had never considered, and I’ll bet many of them haven’t either. Your letter is an important one, and I hope they will heed it as I plan to.