Dear Amy: “Carol” and I are extremely good friends. I know she cares deeply about me. However, whenever she asks about my life, instead of sympathizing with my problems and my feelings, she clings to an issue I’ve mentioned and immediately brainstorms solutions to my problem — as though I or my family members were incompetent at solving our own problems. She asks me about how my life is, and I respond honestly. In these situations, I have not asked her for any advice.