DR. WALLACE: Our family will be driving to Kentucky this summer to visit our relatives who live there. Every time we drive more than a few hours in the car, my sister gets carsick. This is very bothersome. We then have to stop the car until she feels better. My sister is a bookworm and always reads in the car while it's moving. I have tried to tell her that reading in a moving vehicle can bring about nausea, but most of the time she thinks I'm crazy and never listens to me.
Maybe she will listen to you. Please put my letter in your column. I'm tired of dealing with all of her "travel drama." — Rosie, St. Louis, Mo.
ROSIE: Your sister appears to be wrong, at least about this matter. People with queasy stomachs should never read while traveling in a vehicle. It's a sure way induce motion sickness. Motion sickness can also be brought about by poor ventilation, unpleasant odors and noise. If it strikes anyway, the best thing to do is lie down, close your eyes and remain as still as possible. If that doesn't work, stop the car and let the sufferer take a short walk.
As you travel, I suggest that your family makes a point of engaging one another in conversation, discussing the scenery or playing games to pass the time. Perhaps this way your sister will not feel that she has to bury herself in a book during the entire trip.
HE SUGGESTED I LIGHTEN MY HAIR
DR. WALLACE: Mario and I have been dating for about three months. I'm 19, and he is 22. We met at a mutual friend's birthday party, and we hit it off immediately. During the first month we were together, things were wonderful. But recently, he has started making suggestions and even demands. First he told me to wear my hair in a certain style, which I did. Then he suggested I lighten my hair. To please him, I did this as well. He also requested that I change my wardrobe to include more conservative clothing.
Yesterday, he requested that I start texting him every morning and every afternoon so that he would know where I was during the day. He said it was because he wanted to know I was safe when he wasn't with me. This seems very silly, and I feel odd to have to tell him where I am at any given time. What do you think about this? — Maria, Los Angeles, Calif.
MARIA: The guy you're dating has a possessive personality, which, as you have noticed, only gets worse with time. He wants to control how you look, what you do and, eventually, who you are. This is not right.
I suggest you stop seeing him immediately. If you continue dating him, his behavior could potentially turn your life into a waking nightmare.
ALL KINDS OF SMOKE ARE HARMFUL
DR. WALLACE: A very good friend of mine smokes tea regularly! She does not smoke cigarettes or marijuana — only tea! I'm curious to know if she's in any physical danger from doing this. - Nameless, Austin, Texas
NAMELESS: Some substances are definitely more of a health hazard to smoke than others, but it is unwise to smoke any substance at all. This includes cloves, corn silk and, yes, tea. The chemicals found in all types of smoke are harmful.
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.
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