Jeanne PhillipsDEAR ABBY: I am tired of taking a backseat to my boyfriend’s video-game addiction. He comes home from work, sits on the couch and gets lost in his video games. It has gotten to the point where he barely speaks to me or even looks up from his game.
I know he chats with a lot of people, both male and female, on these games. I suspect he has inappropriate conversations that he feels are harmless because he won’t meet these people in person.
Constantly being ignored is hurting my feelings. He never responds to my texts anymore because he’s so busy on his game. I’m starting to feel resentful, lonely and very angry. Please advise me on what to do. – ANGRY IN OKLAHOMA
DEAR ANGRY: Your boyfriend may or may not be a video-game addict. If his conversations online are “inappropriate,” he may be playing more than one kind of “game.” If he feels that those conversations are harmless, he is mistaken because what he is doing isn’t healthy for you or the relationship.
My advice? Give him an ultimatum: Modify his behavior or else, and if he refuses, end the romance before he damages your self-esteem. Being ignored has been known to do that. Trust me.