DR. WALLACE: I know you won't consider this important, but I'm contacting you anyway. For the past year, I have been feeling very sad and I don't know why. I've got a loving family and good friends. In high school I get good grades, stay involved in activities and work hard to do things correctly. I try to fight back these sad feelings, but at times they take over and then I feel like nothing matters at all. Whenever someone is kind to me, it makes me feel down in the dumps.

There are times I feel as though I want to curl up and hide. Many times I just go to sleep to escape from everything and everybody. I realize that a lot of people feel sad sometimes, so probably I am just making a big deal over nothing. Am I hopeless? - Nameless, Garden Grove, Calif.

NAMELESS: Hopeless? I should say not! Nor do I dismiss what you're feeling, or your contact with me, as unimportant. Depression is a complex and thorny problem. If it doesn't go away when you try to shrug it off, there's something at the root of it that needs to be discovered and dealt with so you can start enjoying life. Your happiness is extremely important!

Please discuss your situation in depth with your parents. Ask them to speak with your school counselor, who can have you visit the school district psychologist. This professional can help you figure out what's bothering you.

It's very important that you follow my advice and I would like you to contact me again in the near future to let me know how things are progressing for you. I am a former high school administrator in the Garden Grove School District and I'm aware of the district's superb counseling program.

Thanks for writing to me about your bouts of depression. I'm positive that better days are coming very soon!

MAKE YOURSELF SCARCE

DR. WALLACE: My parents both have very bad tempers and they often get into heated discussions. Whenever this happens, they try to drag me into the argument by asking me who I think is right. Most of the time, It's my dad, but when I say that, then my mom gets upset with me. I can't win! I try not to get involved when they argue, but somehow I'm dragged into it. I'm getting tired of being the scapegoat. Now I know how a referee feels. Help! — Nameless, South Bend, Ind.

NAMELESS: Parents should never drag their children into their arguments, let alone make them act as referees. Whenever you sense a heated discussion coming on, make yourself scarce. If possible, leave the house. If you can't do that, at least go to your own room. Mom and Dad will have to learn to settle their own disputes.

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. E-mail 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.com.