'Tween 12 and 20 by Dr. Robert Wallace

DR. WALLACE: Please tell me what to do. I'm 20, married three years and the mother of a 2-year-old son. I love my husband very much, but I'm lonely and depressed. My husband works 12 to 16 hours, 6 days a week. I have no friends, no job and no time with my husband.

Lately, I have been having suicidal thoughts — often — and this scares me. My husband is a hard worker, and he loves me very much, but at times, I feel like running away and never coming back. I'm only out of my teens for a year, yet I feel like a middle-aged housewife with nothing to do but the laundry. Please respond. I'm confused and really need your help. - Nameless, Toledo, Ohio

NAMELESS: Thanks for putting faith in me to help you through a very difficult and challenging time in your young life. I'm positive that your life will turn for the better soon. When a young wife gets the feeling that she wants to get away from it all, she usually has major disagreements with her husband. But in your case, you love your husband and your husband loves you. The love you share can overcome the great majority of life's obstacles.

Open and honest conversation with your husband is paramount. Tell him that you're depressed and feel all alone, but that you also love him and your son. Say you are very confused and need help. Mention that you are scared and have contemplated suicide. You are in a rut, but it wouldn't take much to get you on a road to stability and happiness.

You must have contact with others. If you have other family members that you can talk with, do so. It doesn't matter what the details of the conversation are, just have conversation with another adult.

Perhaps you can meet other young mothers and take your child to a playgroup. If you don't already attend a church or other religious service, do so with your husband. Take a college or community college class. Find a part-time job. Do something so you can mingle with people.

It is possible that professional counseling could help you to get your life in order. Contacting me was your first step with many more to be taken, but you will take them. Please contact me soon to let me know what you are doing to overcome your loneliness. And remember that you will never again be alone if you have faith in the Almighty.

CUT DOWN ON TELEVISION VIEWING TIME

TEENS: Do you find that you never have enough time to finish everything you must and want to do in a 24-hour period? The need to finish things will stay with you for a lifetime. According to the publication, "Parents of Teens," the average North American sleeps a total of 24.5 years over the course of a lifetime, spends 13.5 years at school and at work, 12 years watching television, 4.5 years socializing, 3 years consuming food and 1 year talking on the phone. The other 13 years are spent in various activities, including using the Internet.

Just think, if you can reduce the time spent sitting in front of the television set by two-thirds, you would have an extra 8 years to finish some of your must finish projects!

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@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.

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