

They find comfort in going on ad nauseam about their plight, while giving excuse after excuse about why any suggested course of action won’t make matters any better. But it sounds like your sister has become what therapists call a “help-rejecting complainer.” For help-rejecting complainers, complaining is a way of being. Of course, we all go through tough periods in our lives, and many people find it helpful to talk with friends or family about their struggles. Is there any way I can help her and also maintain a good relationship with her?

I can see that she does not have a lot of self-confidence, and blaming her situation in life on others is easier than doing something about it.

This was met with a torrent of tears and protestations. Recently, I lost my temper after a three-hour car ride of complaints and told her I thought she should do something to help herself and stop blaming everyone else. However, this does not result in a great relationship, because I dread spending time with her. Needless to say, suggestions from me about changes she can make fall on deaf ears, and I’ve learned pretty much to keep my mouth shut and listen. When we get together, her “conversation” with me is a litany of complaints about her life, and I’m concerned that this is the case with others, as well. My adult sister is a thoroughly unhappy person, but according to her, it is because no one in her life treats her well: Her children don’t call and visit enough her friends don’t want to spend enough time with her and talk too much about themselves when they visit she is a widow and is lonely, but none of her friends will fix her up with a man her boss treats her poorly, etc. The thing is, the truth about Kody's relationship with Robyn is that she isn't just the fourth wife, she's very likely the last wife, and their relationship has been far from easy.Editor’s Note: Every Monday, Lori Gottlieb answers questions from readers about their problems, big and small. But when it comes to Robyn, things are especially interesting. The wives of Kody - Robyn, Meri, Christine, and Janelle Brown - all have their own characteristics and offerings that they bring to the table. The Brown family is very large and very committed to their faith as fundamentalist Mormons, and their show is honestly pretty addicting. The show focuses on Kody and his four, yes four, wives, with Robyn being the last wife added to the mix. So obviously, Kody and Robyn from Sister Wives aren't your typical married couple, but the title of their series probably gave that away. After all, TLC has a series about all-female quintuplets, 90-day engagements, and more. What's the truth about Kody Brown's relationship with Robyn Brown? For someone to land their own reality show on a major network, they undoubtedly have to be pretty unique.
