DR. WALLACE: I'm a busy teenager in high school and I am experiencing noticeable mood swings for the first time in my life. One day I might feel full of energy, happiness and optimism, and the very next day I can feel tired, lethargic, moody and even a strange combination of worried and lightly depressed. I say strange because I tend on those days to worry about things that I intellectually know are not worth worrying about.

It all seems weird, but my "inner pendulum" always comes back to the optimistic side, so I'm not too concerned overall.

Do you think I should just deal with this on my own, or seek some help and guidance at this point? — Back and Forth, via email

BACK AND FORTH: I believe that many individuals experience mood swings from time to time, but yours appear to be more frequent than most. As a first step, I recommend that you discuss your situation at length with your parents. They can request that your school contact a licensed psychologist via your school district.

This would be a good and safe way to get a brief evaluation, and a chance for you to get various issues off of your chest. It could just be that you are experiencing a normal variety of teenage angst from time to time, but if there is something a bit more going on, a professional can help you to address issues that may need further scrutiny and diagnosis.

And just taking the step toward speaking with a professional may put your mind at ease and create an ongoing sense of overall calm via knowing that your situation is more normal than you might presently realize on your own.

SHOULD I SHOW MY LITTLE BROTHER THE SHORTCUT?

DR. WALLACE: My parents are very strict and so they limit the time that my little brother and I can watch television. We're allowed only five hours total per week each and we can't "give" each other any of our hours. This means my 10-year-old brother has to find other uses for his free time.

However, I know a shortcut! It's not really a secret, but it works just as well. It's called a cellphone! I often watch television shows, video clips and even movies on my phone! I could loan it to my brother and show him how to watch more "television" on the phone. Should I tell him about this? As his older sister, I kind of feel obligated to look out for him. And by the way, I'm much older since I'm 17. — I Have the Shortcut, via email

I HAVE THE SHORTCUT: If I were you, I'd leave well enough alone. Your letter didn't mention anything about your younger brother asking you for anything, so I'd recommend that you stay silent.

Your parents have a rule, and you'd be circumventing that rule if you give him your phone behind their backs. You're lucky that your parents have not noticed that loophole you've found for yourself thus far.

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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