DEAR HARRIETTE: Sometimes it feels like no matter what I say or do, my friend group always makes jokes at my expense. Even though I laugh along, it still feels like the jokes are usually pointed in my direction. I don’t know if it's intentional or not, but it's difficult for me to just sit there and take it. Everyone always tells me to lighten up and relax, but that's getting harder and harder each time we meet up. How can I stop this from happening? What could I have done to become the friend in the group that everyone laughs at? -- Butt of the Jokes

DEAR BUTT OF THE JOKES: Friend dynamics are among the most puzzling, second only to families. When you are part of a friend group, sadly there often is one person who becomes the punching bag. You are right to believe that the negative behavior demonstrated by the friends is not always conscious or intentional. It sometimes becomes a knee-jerk experience. One minute innocent banter is being volleyed about; the next, daggers seem to be tossed. You probably became the punching bag because you didn’t stop it immediately the first time someone threw a jab.

Regardless of the reason, the way to get it to stop is to stop tolerating it. The next time someone says something inappropriate about you or to you, call them on it and walk away. Leave the group at once. If they continue to barb at you when you rejoin, leave again. Be prepared to exit the group for good if they don’t get the message. You deserve to be treated better. This could be a sign that it’s time for you to make new friends.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I agreed to model for my friend, who is an aspiring photographer. I trusted my friend to share the pictures with me first before putting them on social media, but he didn’t honor our agreement. The pictures that he shared were horrible. They weren't even edited. People from school, friends, family, and even complete strangers have seen the pictures -- all of which were unflattering.

The experience was so embarrassing that I wished I had never agreed to help in the first place. He eventually took them down, but I had to practically plead with him to remove them. Was I overreacting, or was he wrong for posting without letting me approve them first? -- Unflattering Pictures

DEAR UNFLATTERING PICTURES: You were not wrong to expect this photographer to honor his agreement. It sounds like his idea of what is flattering and yours are different. In the future, you may want to put your agreement in writing as to how photographs can be shared before a single photo is taken so that everyone is crystal clear about usage.

Good for you that you pressed him to take them down until he relented. Make it clear to him that none of those images can be used again. Ask to see the others to determine if anything is salvageable. Remember that this person fancies himself an artist. He is likely extremely uncomfortable that you disliked his art so vehemently. Help him to see if he can use anything at all from the shoot, and tell him specifically what you think doesn’t work about the images he initially posted.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I started my first corporate job three months ago, but I lied about having prior experience in order to get it. It was really daunting at first. I was worried that I wouldn't know what to do, but I somehow managed to make it work. So far, everyone at the workplace has been extremely welcoming and helpful in teaching me the ropes. Although I've made some mistakes, I'm learning quickly. However, this has caused me to become exhausted as there's so much for me to take in and figure out! Despite this, I've maintained the facade of knowing what I'm doing thus far. Is it possible for me to keep this up in the long term? -- Fake It Till You Make It

DEAR FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT: I am not a proponent of lying. It rarely works to your advantage. But given that you did lie to get into this job, your responsibility now is to do everything you can to become proficient and then excellent at it. Exhaustion may be the price you have to pay until you are solid in your skills and execution. Three months may feel like a long time, but it is not. That actually matches the probationary period that many companies use to evaluate whether employees are capable of doing the job they were hired to execute. So, stay on point and keep learning.

Know that the day will probably come when you will be called on your lie. When it does, you should tell the truth -- in context. Why did you lie? Was it to get an opportunity? Was it because you had been out of work so long that you were desperate? Was it because you really believed you could do it? Whatever the reason, if and when you are asked about your past by a person in power, be prepared to tell the truth, defend yourself and apologize.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have always wanted to have children but never got around to it until later in life. As a result, my son is growing up without siblings, and I worry that he may feel lonely at times. It can be difficult for him when his friends all have brothers or sisters to play with. He has extended family, but not many of them live close by. Is there any way to ensure my son isn't deprived of the important relationships and experiences that come with having siblings? -- Older Parent

DEAR OLDER PARENT: You cannot change your son’s birth circumstances, but you can offer perspective as well as put him in situations where he may be able to develop close-knit bonds with peers. First, please know that your son is not the only only child. Look around in his school and your community. You are bound to find some other young person who is solo. When you do, learn a bit about that child and their family. If the child seems grounded enough, suggest to the parents that the two of them meet.

Look around some more for other children in your community who are your son’s age. Encourage your son to invite them to play together. Be proactive. You may need to cultivate a rapport with the parents in order to set up the play dates. That’s fine. Do whatever you can to expand your son’s orbit, and stop comparing his reality to anyone else’s, including his cousins'. It is a blessing that you have a child. Pay attention to him and his needs and respond to them. How he lives and what he needs are specific to him.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband has had false teeth for more than 20 years, so he is accustomed to them. When he drinks heavily, though, he often takes them out of his mouth and puts them who knows where, only to be searching madly for them the next day. I find this infuriating and irresponsible. One time it took him a few days to find his teeth, so he had to go to work and interact with people looking absolutely crazy.

Anyhow, he repeated this awful behavior the other day. I attempted to intervene by suggesting that he put his teeth in his tooth cup. He sneered at me and kept on drinking. I’m sick of this. I hate when he gets that drunk, of course. But what’s worse is having to be enlisted in the search for his teeth the next day. How can I get him to wake up and see that what he’s doing isn’t working? -- Lost His Teeth

DEAR LOST HIS TEETH: Stop enabling your husband. As frustrating and embarrassing as it may be for him to be without his teeth in the light of day, especially if he has to interact with others, that is his problem, not yours. Tell him that he is on his own in the search department. Remind him of why his teeth are missing, even though he will hate hearing it, and make it clear that you are no longer willing to participate in the aftermath of his drunken evenings.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a number of health challenges that require me to have regular medical checkups and to take a few different medications. My husband has no patience for this. He thinks I am a hypochondriac and that I am taking too many medications. He doesn’t believe in going to the doctor and tells me that if I would only exercise and take the fistfuls of vitamins that he takes, I would be OK. I don’t doubt that more exercise and some vitamins might help, but he is constantly admonishing me for my health problems. His attitude doesn’t make me want to consider any of his ideas or tell him when I get a health report. I feel like I am retreating to a corner because of how we interact. How can I make our relationship more amicable on this topic? -- Listen to Me

DEAR LISTEN TO ME: Tell your husband that you need and want his support regarding your health challenges and that right now it feels like you receive only criticism. Point out that you know the two of you do not see eye to eye on health management, but you are grappling with some real health issues, and you would appreciate being able to share the journey with him. Ask him to listen to you without judgment and to try to be supportive.

Meanwhile, you should enlist someone else who is sympathetic to your condition to serve as a confidant. You may even want to consider making somebody else your health proxy in case of emergency. If your husband is not up on your situation and is either impatient or skeptical of your health concerns, he may not be the best person to help you in case of emergency.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)