DEAR ABBY: I have an aunt (by marriage) who I think may be suffering from mental issues. All of a sudden, she is calling members of our family and telling them that "so-and-so" (it varies) is talking about them behind their backs. Of course, none of it is true, but it has caused a huge rift in our family. Family members have had big arguments over these calls.
The aunt is in her mid-50s and has always been quiet and sweet to everyone, so of course when someone gets a call, the person tends to believe her. This is tearing our family to pieces, and no one knows for sure if she's having problems or if she is telling the truth.
Help! My cousins are no longer speaking to one another or me. I'm not close to her, but I have fallen prey to her phone calls to others. What should I do? -- SLANDERED IN INDIANA
DEAR SLANDERED: A sudden change in personality can indeed be a sign of mental illness or a physical problem. Those family members who are still speaking to one another should approach the uncle to whom the woman is married and express the family's concerns. She may need a physical and neurological evaluation. (And the cousins need to mend fences.) How sad.