DEAR ABBY: I am a 14-year-old girl who is very distraught. My mother and I fight constantly over everything. Please don't tell me it's a common "teenage thing," because that isn't the case here.
Mom began taking birth control pills, and she blames her frequent rages on the medication. She has told me that she'd like to run away or commit suicide just to get away from me.
As hurt as I am by these statements, I cannot help but feel angry. I've tried to talk this out with her, but we always end up fighting.
Please help me, Abby. I don't know what to do. -- OVERWHELMED TEEN
DEAR OVERWHELMED: You are right to be concerned about your mother. Severe depression and a raging temper are not the usual side effects of birth control pills. She needs to be evaluated physically and emotionally to find out what is causing the problem.
It's important that you talk to an adult whom your mother trusts and who can convince her to call her doctor. Show the person this letter and tell him or her you wrote it. Your mother needs more help than I can offer in a letter.