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Perfectly straightened hair? Check. Cute, new outfit? Check. Your best friend completely plastered before you even head out the door? Uh-oh.

You’ve heard it all. “College is the time to try everything,” and “Hey, you only live once!” While college is obviously known as a time for experimenting, there is still work to be done and, well, embarrassing moments to be had. So maybe you’re not the drunk girl dancing on the stripper pole, puking in the bathroom sink or making out with a random stranger, but what do you do if one of your friends is?

First Things First, Stay Calm

Maybe you’ve had a few drinks, too, or maybe you haven’t. But either way, you have to remember that your friend is in an altered state of mind and that means that anything you say or do at this point could be taken the wrong way. If she’s just having fun, let her be. Everyone deserves the chance to let go and be crazy on occasion. But if things look serious (for example, she’s in the corner kissing someone twice her age or making promises to go home with the boy from her English class), it’s time for a chat.

Don’t, Under Any Circumstances, Let Her Leave by Herself

So that boy from her class? He says there’s something going on at his house later and invites your friend, and you, along. You’re tired and so ready for bed – but your friend obviously isn’t. Make sure you let her know that you aren’t going to follow her and make sure that she knows that means you think she’s not capable of handling herself if she goes alone. You’ve all heard the horror stories about girls who get themselves into dangerous situations with guys they just met. These stories aren’t just awful and disturbing – they really can and do happen to college girls.

She’s Embarrassing You

She might not be the sexiest chick on the dance floor after her seventh beer, but now isn’t the time to discuss her not-so-suave moves. If your friend’s drunken antics are becoming more and more ridiculous, or if she just doesn’t know how to control herself and does things she tells you she later regrets, make sure to remind her of the crazy, embarrassing things she did the night before – when she’s sober. There’s a fine line between being a fun drunk and a drunken mess. But if she’s doing something really crazy that you know she wouldn’t do sober, like flashing the neighbors or attempting to drive home, take immediate action and let her know.

She’s Really Angry … Now What?

Sometimes your friend won’t take your seemingly harmless advice so lightly, especially if she’s intoxicated. Don’t get angry back at her. Continue to tell her that you are only letting her know because you are trying to be a good friend, and leave it at that. There’s no reason to fight with her when she probably won’t even remember why she was mad in the morning.

Not Only Was She Acting a Fool, Now She’s Puking All Over the Dorm/Bathroom/Kitchen Floor!

Whatever you do, don’t leave her passed out on the tile. Get her some water, hold her hair back, and if you can, get her in bed on her stomach. It is possible for her to choke if she is lying on her back. She’ll thank you in the morning, even if she is hungover.

Really Worried?

Some people can, and do, develop psychological and physical dependency on alcohol. Everybody likes to have fun and relax in their own way after a long, stressful week, but if your friend is drinking every night, drinking alone or can’t control or stop herself while she is drinking, she could be developing alcoholic tendencies. You’ll be doing her a favor if you sit down and talk to her about her drinking, even though she might be defensive at first.

Need more information on alcoholism? Click here for tons of information about alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse, including an alcohol abuse screening quiz.