DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been feeling overwhelmed for several months now. I just can't seem to get my life together. I lost my job a few months ago, and I have been looking for a job with no luck so far. I am single, and I have nobody to help me. Honestly, I don't know how much longer I can take this. I feel like I get shut down at every turn.

Friends were helping me out here and there, but I feel horrible about asking for their help. Plus, they are barely making ends meet themselves. I got on food stamps recently, but I hate that, too. I feel like a mess. I went to the doctor about it and was prescribed some depression medicine. I'm afraid to take it, though, because I'm afraid that I won't get another job if my employer finds out that I have to take meds. What can I do? -- Stuck, Detroit

DEAR STUCK: Thank you for writing and sharing your situation. You have done the right thing by speaking your pain out loud. It is also great that you went to the doctor to be evaluated. Now, you absolutely must take your medicine. Getting healthy is going to be a requirement for you to turn your life around. Your meds should be able to help you stabilize your emotions. Find a way to continue to go to see a mental health professional who can help guide your steps. It is possible to climb out of this dark hole, but you need help to get there.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son has taken to wearing braids in his hair so that he can grow it out. He thinks it looks cool. The way I grew up, men wearing braids was in poor taste. Even if things have loosened up in recent times, I do not think wearing his hair like that is going to help him get a job. He has been looking for a job for a while now, and the interviewers haven't told him why he isn't being hired, but I believe that his hair isn't helping at all. How can I get him to consider getting a hair cut? -- Helping My Boy, Jackson, Mississippi

DEAR HELPING MY BOY: You could be right that his appearance could be an obstacle in his job search. Beyond that, though, there could be other factors. Suggest to your son that he reach back to his interviewers to ask if they can give him feedback on why he was not selected. If he is lucky, he will get input from at least some of the interviewers about his interviewing skills, his ability to do the job for which he was being interviewed and his appearance.

Suggest to him that he ask the interviewer if his braids stood in the way. Legally, most employers are not supposed to judge candidates on the way that they look, but people are people, and some do. Perhaps he will get a glimmer of how his appearance measures up. Hearing such feedback from someone other than his parents will likely make it easier for him to hear.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm not a prude, but I am also not a fan of public displays of affection. Especially on the subway on the way to work where people are all crammed up next to each other anyway, it makes me uncomfortable to see couples who are all touchy-feely.

It was really bad this morning. There was a gay couple on the train who kept rubbing their hands up and down each other. It wasn't that they were touching inappropriately. It was just that I really didn't want to see two men loving each other up. I don't so much consider myself homophobic. I figure everybody should be able to live the way they want. I just don't necessarily want to see it. Am I horrible for feeling that way? -- Anti-PDA, Brooklyn, New York

DEAR ANTI-PDA: You have brought up more than one issue. Public displays of affection can be uncomfortable for others to watch, regardless of what gender the people are. At the same time, it is natural for people who are in love to touch each other. Oftentimes, they don't even realize that they are doing it. The best thing you can do in a situation where you are in eyesight of a couple being too touchy-feely for your taste is to cast your eyes in another direction or move. Then you don't have to see it.

As far as observing a gay couple sharing loving touches, do your best to recognize what you already know -- that they are no different from any other loving couple. I know there are plenty of people out there who remain insensitive and intolerant to same-sex couples. I implore you to treat people equally. You may not like what you see, but you can simply avert your gaze and, in turn, give everyone space to be who they are.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Now that crowdfunding is so popular, I must get five to 10 requests for donations a week. It's totally overwhelming. It's much easier to pick generically from charities that send me requests at my house. But these tend to be coming from people I know. They make personal appeals. It feels more uncomfortable than people begging on the streets, in a way, maybe because it's so frequent. How can I choose to donate to some and say no to others without hurting people's feelings? And do I need to respond to the ones I reject? If so, I have to figure out ways to reach them other than their campaigns. -- Stop the Handouts, Chicago

DEAR STOP THE HANDOUTS: Just as with any other charitable request, you must use your discretion. It should start with your personal budget. How much money have you allocated for charitable contributions? Based upon that figure, you can then determine how many different charities you will select, and which ones. When you receive requests either outside your budget or outside your interests, it is perfectly fine for you to say no.

You do not have to track people down to apologize for not contributing. It is your choice.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a junior in high school, and I plan to go to college. I told my parents that I do not plan to go to college in state. I told them that I would prefer to go to school out of state. My mom and dad got upset with me because they feel like they would never see me. My mother really wants to see me go to a school that is closer to home, but I feel I should be able to choose where I want to go. I need help. What should I do? -- Distant Learner, Memphis, Tennessee

DEAR DISTANT LEARNER: It is natural for parents to want to hold their children close at the very moment when they are about to leave home and begin to live on their own. This is an emotionally challenging time for parents, so be gentle with them as you figure out your next steps.

Also, who is paying for your college? If it is your parents, you should know that going to an in-state school is far more affordable than going out of state. They may be considering cost as well as emotional loss when they urge you to stay nearby.

If you have the financial resources through scholarships or financial aid to go to the school of your choice, you can make that decision. What you should do is talk to your parents about how you can stay connected to them via Skype, regular visits and phone calls.

DEAR HARRIETTE: It is prom season, and I would like to create a program to donate clothes to young people who may not be able to afford a gown or a tuxedo. I would like to make this happen this year. However, I would like to take my time to plan this out accordingly for next year. How can I help young people this year as I plan the business for the future? I know so many people with hardly worn evening gowns that are just sitting around. -- Getting Dressed, Cincinnati

DEAR GETTING DRESSED: Why not start by asking your friends if they would be willing to lend dresses this year with the promise of renting next year? Talk to a school that you know and find out if you can use a classroom to set up as a "store" where students can come and "shop" for a prom dress. Test the waters and see how popular the idea is for these students. Make sure that you do charge a cleaning fee for the clothing so that you can return it in pristine condition.

If your test works, use the time between now and next prom season to set yourself up as a business, secure the dresses you want to offer, establish price points, create marketing materials and open up for business. Good luck!