Dear Abby,

My boyfriend has seemed irritated the past couple of weeks and I can understand why. He recently lost his job and he has been depending on me financially a lot and I have no problem helping him out because I know he is looking for another job. So since I'm helping him out....why is he acting so irritated towards me?

Helpful GF in Hilbert

Dear Helpful GF,

Here's the deal. Do you notice how when something is wrong with girls they kind of come together and vent, but when something is wrong with a guy, they just kind of isolate themselves. He is distancing himself from you because he feels like his territory is being stepped on. Men feel they are to be the sole providers and protectors of the family, and I think he is feeling like the roles have been reversed. You are a great person for helping him out, and to be honest, if his attitude keeps up, I would stop helping him out until he learns to appreciate you. Sometimes we need to step down and show some humility.