Roommate doesn’t respect boundaries

DEAR HARRIETTE: My roommate has been repeatedly borrowing my clothes without permission and returning them stained or stretched out. I recently discovered that she also used my laptop without asking, leading to scratches on the screen and unauthorized downloads. Confronting her about these incidents makes me uncomfortable and anxious about potential conflicts. Unfortunately, moving out is not currently an option for me due to financial constraints. I just want to live in an environment where I do not need to check every little thing. — Disrespectful Roommate DEAR DISRESPECTFUL ROOMMATE: You and your roommate need to establish ground rules for living together. That should have occurred before you moved in, but here you are.