Move beyond cold hubby

Dear Amy: My husband and I have been married for 24 years. He does business development for a large firm. He is involved in numerous community groups, explaining that this is how he builds relationships and clients.

He is home Sundays and two or three evenings each week. When home, he spends hours responding to e-mails and reading Facebook sites. I feel lonely when I see the great relationships he maintains with others, whereas all I get is a tired, stressed and distant husband.

I wonder why I stay with him. We’ve done counseling twice, but he says I should leave if I don’t like it.

Lonely

Dear Lonely: Your husband’s response to your concern about your relationship is disrespectful and doesn’t offer room for discussion.

Counseling would help you develop strategies to deal with this painful reality. Pursue it on your own. You need to develop the tools to live an active and fulfilled life -- with or without him.

Send questions to Amy Dickinson to askamy@ tribune.com or Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.