DR. WALLACE: My best friend and I are unhappy at home and hate school, and we are thinking about running away. We are both 17 but will be 18 in a couple of months. She has an older cousin who lives in California, and she said that we could stay with her till we get settled. She also is pretty sure she can get us jobs when we turn 18.

My friend's mom won't care if her daughter takes off, but my overly strict parents will blow their minds. How long do we have to be gone from home before we are classified as runaways? Will we still be runaways after we are 18? —Nameless, Detroit, Mich.

NAMELESS: Running away from home is never the right answer when you are unhappy. Running away only compounds the problem facing you. If problems can't be solved within the family, outside assistance from the school, religious organizations and community agencies is readily available. The best place to start is with people who know you at your school or church. They will know best how to work things out with your parents.

A young person under the age of 18 is considered to be a runaway if he or she is away from home without permission. You are labeled a runaway after you spend your first night away from home without parental permission. If you and your friend should run away and make it to California, your friend's cousin would be committing a crime if she sheltered your friend and you, knowing that you are away from home without your parents' blessing.

One of the major problems facing the runaway is the lack of money, which causes the teen to do things he or she wouldn't normally do to earn funds. Many of these things are illegal or morally unacceptable!

YOU NEED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING

DR. WALLACE: I really need your advice. I'm a 17-year-old girl and for the past three years I've had bouts of depression. When I'm depressed, I don't like the way I look, and I'm unhappy with my attitude. To avoid seeing people I stay in bed, saying I have a headache.

My parents are not aware of my feelings. Sometimes this awful feeling lasts for five or six days, then all of a sudden it goes away. I exercise, eat right, get good grades and try to please my parents, friends, teachers and relatives. I'm tired of living this way, but I don't know what to do. Do all people get depressed? Is there any way I can get depression to stay away? —Nameless, Jackson, Mich.

NAMELESS: I think it's safe to say that we all get depressed at times, but most of our depressions are much less severe. You must tell your parents about your problem and encourage them to seek professional counseling for you. Severe depression is an illness, and you must get proper treatment. Please contact me in a few weeks, and let me know how things are progressing.

If for some reason your parents don't help you seek professional help, discuss your bouts of depression with your school counselor who will help you get necessary treatment.

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 [email protected]. 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.