Dear Abby guides on boundaries, romance, and abuse reporting

The syndicated advice column Dear Abby addressed three readers’ personal dilemmas in its recent installment, offering practical guidance on strained friendships, long-held romantic feelings and resurfacing memories of childhood sexual abuse. Abigail Van Buren, the columnist also known as Jeanne Phillips, responded with counsel that emphasized setting boundaries, seeking clarity, and pursuing professional and legal help where appropriate.

One reader identifying as "Worn Out in Alabama" wrote that longtime friends the Smiths monopolize conversations at social gatherings, repeatedly boasting about a son and grandson and seldom inquiring about others. The reader said friends had begun asking them not to invite the Smiths to group dinners and described the Smiths as highly sensitive, suggesting that direct feedback would likely end the friendship. Van Buren advised gradually withdrawing invitations and becoming harder to reach for social events so the Smiths would take the hint. If that does not change the pattern, she recommended explaining the reason for the distance directly, saying that such honesty would ultimately be a favor to them.

Another correspondent, identifying as "Going...