Dear Doctor Love,
Is there any way to tell when your relationship is over? Are there signs to look for? A feeling that can tell you that a relationship won’t work? /s/ Is it over?
Dear Is it over,
C’mon, you already feel it, don’t you? That ache in your chest when they walk in the room and it doesn’t light you up like it used to. When silence sits heavier than words ever could. When you fantasize more about freedom than about fixing things.
The signs? They’re not always big. Sometimes it’s the slow fade the way conversations get shorter, touches feel colder, futures go undreamed. And yeah, there is a feeling. It’s the one you get when you start asking questions like this.
So let me be real with you. If you’re already wondering whether it’s over, it might already be. And that’s okay. Not every love is meant to last but every love is meant to teach. Learn the lesson. Take the wisdom. Let go with grace. /s/ Dr. Love
Dear Doctor Love,
My dad is an alcoholic. I have known this for many years, but there has always been an unspoken rule about bringing the topic up. Since he always provides for the family, no one says anything about his drinking habits. Not my mom or my older siblings. But I am tired of this behavior and think that we should try helping him before it gets really bad. I have tried telling my mom, but she just got angry at me saying my dad is a good man and that he just likes to drink. What should I do? /s/ Alcoholic Father
Dear Alcoholic Father,
You’re carrying a lot and you shouldn’t be carrying it alone. It’s easy for families to protect the one who provides, especially when the damage is quiet, hidden behind “he’s a good man” or “he just likes to drink.” But you’re seeing through the denial. And that’s not disrespect. That’s courage.
Here’s the truth: good people can still have dangerous habits. Love doesn’t mean enabling. And silence doesn’t keep a family safe it just keeps the problem alive.
You might not be able to change your dad or your mom. But you can speak your truth. You can get help. You can set boundaries. Look for a support group, a counselor, even just one trusted adult who hears you. Sometimes the one who breaks the silence is the one who breaks the cycle.
Don’t stop being brave. You’re doing the right thing. /s/ Dr. Love
Dear Doctor Love,
Life is getting really frustrating. I don’t know how a regular Belizean can afford to live anymore. Price of everything has gone up, EXCEPT salaries. Rent is through the roof and trying to buy a land or house is a dream. Its frustrating to see how foreigners come in and have better lives than us born and raised here. We struggle daily but don’t seem to get ahead. Do you think things will get better for Belizeans? /s/ Struggling
Dear Struggling,
You just said what half the country is thinking. You’re not alone, and you’re not wrong. It’s hard out here. Real hard. The cost of living keeps climbing, but salaries stay stuck. Foreigners buy beachfront while locals can barely afford rent. It’s like watching someone else live your dream with your passport.
But here’s what I believe Belizeans are tough. We make miracles with little. We build with bare hands and stubborn hearts. And while we wait for change from the top, the real strength is in community. In buying from each other, speaking out, organizing, pushing for policies that actually work for us.
Will it get better? Not if we stay quiet. But if we keep raising our voices like you just did hell yes, it can. The system might be cracked, but the people? We’re solid.
Stay loud. Stay proud. You matter. /s/ Dr. Love
Doctor Love is the islands, and possibly the world’s greatest authority on just about everything. The Doctor answers questions concerning any subject except religion or politics. Persons needing additional assistance or counseling should contact Family Services Division at 227-7541. The opinions herein are not necessarily of The San Pedro Sun. Write Doctor Love at PO Box 51, San Pedro Town, Belize, or email: [email protected]
