DR. WALLACE: I have kind of a strange situation to report to you. My girlfriend's mother is mean to her. And by mean, in fact, I feel she may have a deep mental problem.

My friend won't be doing anything wrong, and all of a sudden, her mom goes crazy and starts throwing things at her. My girlfriend's self-confidence is very low, and sometimes, I feel like she's going to have a nervous breakdown. To say this family is dysfunctional completely understates the situation. I've noticed these problems for over a year now, and I feel helpless to help my friend, so I thought I would write to you to get your opinion on this.

Is there anything my friend can do to be protected from her mother? Where should she go for assistance? Sometimes, I feel like I am the only other person besides those two who truly knows what goes on in that home. — Worried Best Friend, via email

WORRIED BEST FRIEND: Have your friend immediately share her problems with a nurse or a school counselor, as it's imperative that a trusted adult can make contact and assess this situation as quickly as possible.

If your friend refuses, then it's up to you to share her problems with one of these professionals. You can also inform your parents to solicit their advice and guidance as well. In any case, an intervention is needed immediately. Thank you for being such a good, concerned friend that you took the time to write to this column.

Now move from a good friend to a great friend by quickly finding a way to get these two ladies the help they need. Do not wait another day; take action immediately. Please follow up with us here after future developments take place. Also know that many of our readers and I are rooting for you and your friend to quickly address this situation so that positive changes can be made.

THE RHODES IS AN EXTRAORDINARY HONOR

DR. WALLACE: My much-older cousin, who attends a major Southern university, just became a Rhodes Scholar. Everyone in the family is quite proud of her, but my parents and I are not sure what this title means. We don't want act stupid and ask my cousin or her family about her award, since we can already tell by how everyone else is reacting that it's a big deal. Can you inform us as to just how big a deal this really is? — Curious Cousin, via email

CURIOUS COUSIN: A Rhodes scholar earns two or three years of the study at the University of Oxford in England with all expenses paid. It's worth about $30,000 to $75,000 per year, depending on the specific details for each field of study.

The scholarship was established by Cecil Rhodes, a wealthy 19th-century British industrialist, to bring gifted college students from other countries to study at Oxford in England.

Female scholars were barred until 1976 from applying for this prestigious award. Your cousin and her family had every reason to be very proud. It's an extraordinary honor to be selected as a Rhodes Scholar!

Former President Bill Clinton was one, as was former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Actor and musician Kris Kristofferson was a Rhodes Scholar.

From the world of sports, former Sen. and NBA star Bill Bradley was also a Rhodes Scholar, as was Myron Rolle, a defensive back and sixth-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in the 2010 NFL draft. Mr. Rolle now is a Global Neurosurgery Fellow at Harvard Medical School. So, I would say that your second cousin is about to follow in the footsteps of some very prestigious individuals who have achieved this award before her.

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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