
DEAR ABBY: I am a single, stay-at-home mom of a special needs 14-year-old. I also take care of my elderly father. When life starts to overwhelm me, I tend to isolate myself to focus on taking care of my son and Dad and taking care of my mental health.
I haven’t even been on social media in three years. Because of it I have lost touch with many friends and family members. I’m now being called “antisocial” and a few other not-so-nice names. How can I get people to understand that this is how I handle stress and it has nothing to do with them? — STRESSED-OUT IN CALIFORNIA