Dear Annie: A few years ago, my wife suffered a stroke. As part of her recovery, her doctor recommended a video game to improve her hand-eye coordination. At first, I thought it was a great idea; it gave her a sense of fulfillment and helped her heal. But over time, this once useful activity has become a serious phone addiction.

He now spends almost eight hours a day on his phone, playing games and scrolling endlessly. She eats with her phone right in front of her, hardly noticing me or anything else around her. I try to engage her in conversation, but it’s like I don’t exist. She no longer contributes to housework, cooking or activities. Most of the time, she just sits in the kitchen and watches TV with her phone in her hand, totally engrossed in her games.

What is even harder to deal with is that she uses her phone to text family members expressing how unhappy she is and implying that I am somehow to blame. Now her relatives are rallying against me, believing her portrayal of our situation without knowing the whole story.

I’m at my wits end. I want to support her recovery, but her phone has taken over our lives and it’s like I’m losing my partner to a screen. I’m really considering turning off her phone as a last resort. What should i do? — At the end of my mind

The end of it dear: First of all, I am very sorry that your wife suffered a stroke. It must have been incredibly scary and challenging for both of us. Now that she’s on the mend, she’s apparently become addicted to a video game on her screen. She is not alone in this; it is well known that video game designers often make these games intentionally addictive to get people to play.

Try to channel your understandable anger and frustration into a constructive solution to help your wife break the habit. Have an open conversation with her. She may not be fully aware of how much time she spends playing. Limit her playtime and call her doctor to ask for more healthy pastimes to reduce stress and help her recover from her stroke.

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