Erin Khar

Dear Erin, I am at a crossroads in a 3-year relationship... Last year got rough. My partner stopped seeing friends, drank heavily, and showed other signs of depression/stress. Our awesome and abundant sex life? Gone.

I have been dating my new boyfriend (it is so weird to write that!) for a little over a month. We just, as in this week, made it “exclusive.” I have been in long-term relationships in the past and the holidays were a no-brainer. And when it’s casual, that’s easy to figure out too. But this is foreign territory for me. Do I get him a gift?

You’ve met someone who you actually like. There you are, on your first date, and you think, I can’t believe how well this is going.

She’s made all the mistakes, so you don’t have to… Ask Erin is a weekly advice column, in which Erin answers your burning questions about anything at all.

She’s made all the mistakes, so you don’t have to…Ask Erin!

Dear Erin,

I need to know if I am being a bad friend. I have a good friend, who is also my roommate; she has been having a lot of issues with the guy she’s seeing. And I mean A LOT of issues. Whenever we are both home, that’s all I hear about.

In the beginning, I didn’t mind listening and giving advice to her. However, it’s getting to the point where I am flat-out annoyed and frustrated, because she is constantly asking me for advice about THE SAME THING!

This is not a complicated situation, but a person like your boyfriend wants it to feel complicated so that you feel confused enough to stay.

She’s made all the mistakes, so you don’t have to… Ask Erin is a weekly advice column, in which Erin answers your burning questions about anything at all.

When I found out I was pregnant, I reluctantly made the choice to stay clean. I doubted my decision (both to have this baby and to stay sober) the entire pregnancy and was unsure of how I would feel or what I would do when my child was born. Everyone around me was unsure, too. My parents discussed contingency plans with my son’s father for when — not if — I relapsed. But I didn't.

She’s made all the mistakes, so you don’t have to…Ask Erin is a weekly advice column, in which Erin answers your burning questions about anything at all.