DR. WALLACE: I'm being raised by a single mom, and whenever we're out in public and somebody asks her about her marital status, or if that comes up in some other context, like filling out some kind of form, she always answers that she's "unattached."

In the run-up to my mother and father getting divorced, I remember a lot of very loud arguments, slammed doors and scalding, very specific criticism being launched in both directions. I personally think my mother is in denial, but I'm too afraid to bring this subject up to her in any context at all. Do you think it's wise for me to continue just ignoring the way she responds to her marital status? — My Mom Is in Denial, via email

MY MOM IS IN DENIAL: From my perspective, I'm not sure that it's your mother exhibiting a state of denial as much as she may be not wishing to think about the pain and rough times she went through in that marriage.

I'm sure that all her legal papers show that she's divorced, and this would apply to her tax return, which I'm sure she files as a single person (or head of household). I do heartily agree that this is an extremely sensitive subject for your mother, so you are wise to have the intuition to stay clear of this matter entirely.

Everyone deserves a bit of grace and some space, especially with matters that are very difficult for them personally. This situation as you describe it absolutely applies to your mother, so continue to stay clear of any discussions regarding this topic. In the big picture of her life, and yours too at this point, her sensitivity in this area is indeed a trivial matter.

HELP, MY CRIME-SHOW JUNKIE MOM ALWAYS FEARS THE WORST!

DR. WALLACE: My mother is what you would call a crime-show junkie, as she loves watching all the various half-hour and one-hour crime shows that everyone has heard of. This is all well and good if this is her guilty pleasure to spend some of her free time this way, but the problem is that it spills over into my personal life.

This is because every time I'm even five or 10 minutes late getting home, my mother assumes the worst! I'm certain she thinks this because she's constantly watching these terrible stories about misfortune that happened to people because of really bad crimes. What my mother's not taking into account is that the sensational stories are sometimes one in a million, and they're not happening all day, every day to everyone.

When she sees me or finally reaches me, she goes off on a 20-minute harangue at me that she was imagining that something horrible had happened to me. It's bad enough to have to listen to this nonsense for 20 minutes straight, but what's worse is that sometimes we actually get into a verbal fight over this because I just can't take it anymore!

How can I get my mother to chill out and not worry about me so deeply every single second? — My Mom Assumes the Worst, via email

MY MOM ASSUMES THE WORST: It's unfortunate that your mother does immediately go to a very dark place, but you do have more control over the situation than you perhaps realize.

I feel the key here is to communicate with your mother thoroughly and often. Yes, it's going to be a bit of an inconvenience for you to have to keep in touch with your mother so regularly, but if you are able to do so, this will keep your mother much calmer, and she'll know where you are and why you might be late during certain instances.

The choice is now up to you, since your mother is not likely to change her deeply ingrained mindset about impulsive worrying and assuming the worst when it comes to you and your safety. You can simply live with her over-the-top reactions, or you can seek a much more peaceful route by investing a little of your free time when you're out and about by taking 30 seconds here and there to text your mom and let her know what's going on with you and where you are. I feel spending a few moments texting your mom regularly is well worth the investment in prevention here.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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