DR. WALLACE: Megan and I have been very best friends ever since first grade, and now we're both in the 11th grade. This past year and a half has been really hard for Megan. She has had quite a few unhappy experiences that have caused her to be really depressed. It all started when her parents got a divorce and her father moved out of the house.

Then Megan's boyfriend got into trouble with the law and his mother sent him to live with his dad in Georgia. Then the worst — Megan's dad was killed in an automobile accident six months ago. She told me then that she felt like ending her own life, but I didn't take it seriously.

A couple of months after that Megan took an overdose of sleeping pills, but did not die from it. Now my mother told me I should stop being her friend because she might influence me to attempt suicide also. I told my mom that would be impossible because I have a wonderful and happy life.

Since Megan's suicide attempt, we have been even closer friends and I seriously believe that I have helped her overcome some of her depression. She has begun to smile and laugh again, and I definitely do not want to abandon her.

What can I do to convince my mom that I care about my friend Megan, but that she could never convince me to give up my life? I enjoy it too much. — Ashley, St. Louis

ASHLEY: Tell your mom that Dr. David Brent, a child psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh, maintains that healthy, happy teens will never be "talked into" committing suicide. Teens who copy others' suicides are already vulnerable, and if someone does end their life, it was their own decision 100 percent.

I SUPPORT COMMUNITY COLLEGES

DR. WALLACE: I'm a senior in high school and want to attend a university when I graduate next June. My problem is that I want to attend UCLA, which is one of the better schools on the West Coast. However, my parents want me to live at home for two years and attend a community college to save on expenses.

I don't like the idea of going to a community college for two years of inferior education and then transferring. My parents are not millionaires, but we're not poor either. What do you think? — Olivia, Orange, Calif.

OLIVIA: I'm a big fan of community colleges. The courses at these schools are diverse and challenging, and the instructors are excellent. Believe me, two years at a community college will not mean any sacrifice in the quality of your education. You'll be well prepared when you transfer to UCLA in 2018.

DRIVE WITH A CLEAR MIND AND A STEADY HAND

DR. WALLACE: I applaud the letter you printed from Kate, telling some of her research on teen drinking and driving. I would like to take her warnings one step further and warn about another very deadly situation that many people never give a second thought to: falling asleep at the wheel, which causes many accidents.

Teenagers lead very busy lives and tend to burn the candle at both ends. Getting enough rest can be just as important to being a good driver as not drinking and driving. Both situations could be deadly. — Panzy, Louisville, Ky.

PANZY: Excellent advice. Driving a 4,000-pound vehicle at highway speed takes full-time concentration, with a clear mind and a steady hand. Anything less is unacceptable.

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@galesburg.net. 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.