Advice Column Urges Boundaries, Treatment for Family and Friends

Two readers who wrote to a syndicated advice column described family and friendship tensions that they say are straining relationships and could limit future contact with loved ones. One letter described repeated verbal outbursts by a sister‑in‑law the writer says has been diagnosed with bipolar I disorder and borderline personality disorder; the other described discomfort around a longtime friend’s guest whose political views the writer finds objectionable.

In the first case, the writer said her brother, identified as Joey, married a woman she named Allie, who every few months directs angry, personal attacks at family members. The family’s usual strategy, the letter said, is to ignore the episodes until Allie calms down, but a recent incident at the parents’ home escalated when Allie reportedly phoned the writer’s mother the day after a visit and yelled that the house was “toxic” because of clutter and dust, and that staying there was harming her unborn baby. Allie is pregnant with the couple’s first child, the letter said, and the family expressed concern they may be shut out from seeing the child.

Responding in the column, the columnist described Allie as having a dual...