DR. WALLACE: I am very thankful to have a handful of close friends, but with one of them I feel that our relationship is one-sided and quite draining for me these days.

I have a group of five other girls that I've been close with for a long time. Two of them have been my dual "very best friends" for six years now, and I've gone through everything with them. This one friendship I'm specifically referring to was very beneficial and healthy for the both of us until this past year.

We have always attended parties together and had a good time, but I have noticed ever since she has had family issues she has been drinking way more significantly at these parties. When this happens, she usually gets really sick, and I end up being the one who is responsible for making sure she is all right and gets home safely. She has even gone so far as to make sure I'm always the one who provides the transportation for her.

It feels as if she abuses how much I care for her to the point she will stay at my apartment all day after she parties, and she expects me to take care of her and to help her feel better all day on a Saturday or Sunday after another one of her tough Friday or Saturday nights. We're college students, so she always crashes at my place after she binges. Then it seems that whenever I need help with a daily task or even just a light favor (and I'm referring to regular stuff, nothing involving drinking) she is nowhere to be found. I have no idea what I should do next with this friendship or if I should just seek to end it because I now realize that it is becoming increasingly unhealthy from my point of view. What should I do in a situation like this? — It's A One-Way Street, via email

IT'S A ONE-WAY STREET: It may be better to remain friends but to simply make yourself scarcer, especially when you feel she's apt to go on a binge. You would both likely benefit greatly if you were to sit her down at a quiet time in the middle of a school week and have a heart-to-heart talk with her.

Don't lecture her on her drinking or complain about the time she's taken in the past convalescing at your place. Instead, look forward and tell her that because you care for her, you don't want to put her in situations that are not healthy for her. Instead of attending parties or events with her that lead her to lose her sobriety, offer up another activity as an alternative suggestion. This way if she does insist on attending parties or events where she plans to drink to the point of needing help, she'll have to find that help elsewhere as you won't be there.

Continue to act normally with her during the week and continue to encourage her to get control of her life when it comes to binge drinking. That's what good friends do for each other. And since you've mentioned that you have a circle of five total friends, it's likely time to initiate some discussions amongst your other friends to see if they may have suggestions on how best to help your mutual friend.

MY FRIENDS SAY THESE TRUCKS ARE GROSS!

DR. WALLACE: Is it safe to eat food from a food truck? My dad works in construction, and he eats from one at least twice a week. I worry that he'll get sick from these trucks and then come home and make my sisters and I sick too.

My friends tell me food trucks are gross and filthy and that we should never eat from them, ever. Are they right? — Afraid of Food Trucks, via email

AFRAID OF FOOD TRUCKS: Food trucks can be healthy or unhealthy, just like restaurants can be. Most communities have health inspectors who regulate the cleanliness of local restaurants and even food trucks that operate regularly in the local community.

Ask your father to take a picture of the truck he patronizes so that you can see the name of the business. Then cross-reference the business name with reports that your city or county issues. And if they don't have ratings on that particular truck, encourage them to do so.

Once you've done this you can feel that you have an independent rating to evaluate the safety or lack thereof as it relates to the truck your father eats regularly from. Your friends are making generalized statements that are untrue as there are indeed some catering trucks and even food trucks that are even cleaner than some restaurants. I've even heard of gourmet lobster roll catering trucks in some areas!

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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