DEAR HARRIETTE: I am an alcoholic. I started drinking heavily in my fraternity days in college, and I haven't stopped. It wrecked my grades, and I had to drop out of school. Drinking has had a negative impact on my life, and I want to change it. I don't want to do Alcoholics Anonymous because I've been, and it just made me want to drink more. Nor do I think rehab is the way to go.

I want to turn my life around and finish my degree to get a better job. What can I do to change my ways? -- Ready to Change, Flint, Mich.

DEAR READY TO CHANGE: Congratulations on realizing that you need to change your life. Awareness is the key to your success in kicking this addiction. You need to get help.

Start by going to your internist and getting a physical to check on your overall health. Ask your doctor to recommend a method of detoxification that may work for you. Options include going to a therapist who specializes in drug and alcohol addiction. Many alcoholics do one-on-one therapy like this or attend group therapy with a professional counselor. If you have insurance, it may help pay for counseling.

Your doctor also may suggest that you reconsider the options you say you have ruled out. Although you didn't like Alcoholics Anonymous in the past, you may want to revisit it. There are many AA meetings, so you may be able to find a different one that is more suited to you. AA is free and you can go every day, which has proved helpful for people who are trying to kick this insidious habit.

DEAR HARRIETTE: At an event, I spoke to a woman who immediately asked if I remembered her. Her face was familiar, but I didn't really know who she was. She kept insisting, and finally I had to tell her I wasn't sure. She went on to tell me that I never remember her, and it was obvious her feelings were hurt. That wasn't my intention at all.

What else could I have done? And do you think it's right for people to ask if you remember them? I feel like they're setting themselves up for a letdown. -- Embarrassed, Jackson, Miss.

DEAR EMBARRASSED: Usually a friendly greeting is enough to satisfy people when you see them. What people want most is to be acknowledged. Of course, it's best to state the person's name if you know it. But if you don't and you are asked that question, you could say, "I know your face but don't remember why. Will you remind me?" Then it's on the other person to fill in the blanks.

I would strongly advise against asking someone if he or she remembers you, though. Instead, you could help out the person by saying your name and adding something like, "I met you last year at X event," or whatever the reminder might be. That way, you reinforce your connection rather than create discomfort.

DEAR READERS: Today is Election Day. I feel compelled to write about it, because I know how important it is to make your vote count.

Perhaps the most precious truth about our country is that it is a thriving democracy. The very nature of a democracy is that the people get to choose their leaders. As citizens of the United States, we have a huge stake in who will lead our government and our people.

I would venture to say that this election cycle has brought more awareness to avid news consumers and regular folks who don't pay that much attention to the candidates and their views. Social media and 24-hour cable news programs are likely the reasons that the airwaves are seemingly flooded with political content. I know some people feel overwhelmed by the amount of information out there, while others are tired of the endless flow. Regardless, I urge you to add your voice to the political conversation today -- if you have not voted already.

For generations, activists have fought to extend the right to vote to all people, including women and African-Americans. If you are 18 years old and are an American citizen in good legal standing, you have the right to vote.

Because the presidential race is so tightly contested, it is even more important for you to cast your ballot. Why? Can you imagine how you would feel if your candidate were to lose your state by a dozen votes, and you had stayed home? It really is true that in a race this close, a single vote counts. And if not enough people go out to vote, the man elected as president may not be a true measure of Americans' political pulse. Don't let anything or anyone stand in the way of voting today!

Even more, if you have children, take them with you. I have taken my daughter to the polls since she was born and told her about the process. She is almost 9 now, and she is excited about going into the ballot booth with me. Naturally, today she favors the candidate I favor. But my husband and I have been exposing her to both candidates and sharing their views, so she can learn what they think and what her parents' opinions are of their thoughts.

Our goal is to inspire her to be an independent thinker so that when her time comes, she will be able to make her own decisions and act on them. This is what my parents -- one a Republican, one a Democrat -- did for me. This is what I am passing on to her and recommending to you.

Vote.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am planning to study abroad in Paris next semester. I have a friend (if you can call her that -- she drives me crazy, but I am nice to her) who keeps asking about where I am studying abroad and wanting to know all the details. I am afraid she will want to do the same program as me.

What should I do or say? I don't want to ignore her, but I don't want her coming with me, either. -- Going Solo, Syracuse, N.Y.

DEAR GOING SOLO: It may be hard for you to hold fast, but I think you are doing the right thing by not telling your friend where you are going. If your gut tells you that she will want to tag along -- and if you don't want that -- don't help her figure it out.

You can tell her that you have decided not to talk about your study plans for next semester. In that way, you aren't lying by saying you don't know yet -- which, by the way, only keeps her asking questions as she tries to find out when you have made up your mind. If she asks why you don't want to talk about it, tell her that you want this experience to be unique for you, and you want to do it alone. It's not being mean to be clear about your intentions. It's actually more unkind to be vague.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am taking yoga at a new venue that is cheap and easy for me to get to from where I live. I have been going for several weeks. The woman who leads it picks favorites in the class and doesn't acknowledge the rest of us, except to tell us we are doing it wrong. She doesn't even try to learn our names and sticks with the people she knows and likes.

I don't want to quit, but I want to have a positive experience and enjoy going. What should I do? -- Yogi, New York

DEAR YOGI: The point of doing yoga is to have a peaceful, harmonious experience. If you cannot tune out the teacher's favoritism and center yourself while you are at class, you are in the wrong place.

The students your teacher interacts with may have been coming to class for a long time, and so she naturally gravitates toward them. The irony is that yoga is designed to inspire keen awareness, yet your teacher appears to be oblivious that she is playing favorites.

You could speak to the instructor privately and tell her your concerns before giving up. Tell her what you like about the class and the specifics about what bothers you. Apart from that, the good news is that New York City has many yoga studios. Do some digging, and chances are you can find another affordable studio more suited to your demeanor and in line with the spirit of the practice of yoga.