DEAR ABBY: My husband and my son get along better with me when they're not together. When I am there, they gang up on me and become adversarial. I have reached a point where I hate to be around them at the same time.
I don't know what to do about this. When I try to talk to my husband about it, he gets angry and blames me. I don't think I can take much more. What do you think about this? -- THREE'S A CROWD IN SOUTH CAROLINA
DEAR THREE'S A CROWD: If picking on you is part of their male bonding, it's unhealthy. Your husband may do it because he has underlying anger issues he doesn't express directly to you. Your son may participate because his father encourages it, but he should not be allowed to treat you with disrespect.
Before this takes a further toll on your marriage, the three of you should get family counseling. If that doesn't help, you may need individual counseling to help you either stand up for yourself or decide whether you can continue living this way.