Please help me, I am so lost here?

Dear One, I believe that your family is taking advantage of you and they should be pulling their own weight. You have fibro, other illness and you are working and going to school full time. I can see why you are so exhausted and in such pain. It sounds as if you are burned out.

I would recommend that you stop doing what you are doing around the house. I would pick up after myself and allow the others to pick up after themselves. You are going to experience some flack from the members of your family as they adjust. The family dynamics will change and people resist change. Tell them that you won't be picking up after them anymore and that they are responsible for themselves. Tell they how you feel and that you want them to help. Don't give in or give up, and they will eventually adjust. It will take some time.

It is time you took care of you. Tell them that also. I recommend 2 books for you: Codependent No More, by Melony Beattie, and People Skills, by Robert Bolton, Ph.D. These books will help you become more assertive and be able to effectively resolve conflicts. I wish you the best in your life and future.

Hugs...Sorry to hear that you are going through this, My neighbour also has fibromyalgia and I know it is painful. Sounds like you are very underappreciated and that's hard to deal with. If I were you, mabye find a therapist to talk to if you are feeling really down. But I would also try keeping a journal or write a letter to your parents (don't give it to them) telling them how much they hurt you when they are unappreciative and how you would like their support...Right down all your bad feelings and then burn the letter. Go about your day as you will and just leave their emotions to them. If they don't appreciate all you do that is their problem. You are you and you can only do so much. Try to keep a daily journal, sometimes writing it out helps. Also you can join an online diary and get support from others on there. I found a website...Opendiary.com very helpful. There's all different kinds of topics to have a journal under....Hope things get better soon.

Hey-- keep your chin up. You need to find something to live for, because it sounds like right now you're wandering through a dark place, spiritually. For me, my faith carries me through when I'm at the darkest points in my life. For you, maybe it's something else... but it sounds like you haven't found it yet. What is good in your world? And don't tell me nothing :) There is always something good if you'll look for it.

I think that the sheer beauty of life is its incredible shortness and fragility. On a cosmic scale, we barely measure up to dust particles, yet every life, no matter how short, is also so beautiful in its... specialness that it leaves me staggered. The things that impart meaning to my life are so simple, yet so powerfully elemental that I have a hard time describing them to you. The way the light shines through a drop of water dangling, suspended, from the edge of a leaf during a spring rain... the look in my dog's eyes when we're sitting in my big chair and I'm scratching behind her ears with one hand and reading a book with the other... the smell of a library... the feel of a pair of jeans that fit just right... these things are all proof to me that while we live in a world with a lot of pain and hate, our world is also filled with love, and we were created for a divine purpose and love that transcends life, death, and all ethereal bounds.

So what gives you life?

If you want to talk, shoot me an email.

First, don't give up. It might not feel like it now, but this will pass. In terms of dealing with your parents, I can tell you how I've dealt with difficult people. I hope it'll help you.

1) Listen to them

I'm sure you listen to your parents. It becomes challenging when one listens without judging them or getting angry or sad. When I'm dealing with someone difficult, I try to remember that no matter how mean they seem, deep down, they just want to be heard, just like the rest of us. When it comes to powerful listening, just listen and ask questions to better understand what they want. In your case, it's unclear as to what your parents want from you. If you ask them and just listen (free from judging them), you'll understand why they do what they do and they'll be more at ease because they're being heard. In my experience, if I listen to someone and ask them more questions about them, the more that person loves me. They don't realize why they love me, they just do. Everyone wants to be heard.

2) Remember to like myself

When someone is being hard on me, it's challenging to not take it personally, especially when it's someone in your family. Remember that even if your parents don't ever show appreciation for what you do, it doesn't mean that you're not a great person. What they think of you (or how you think they see you) is independent of the kind of person you are. Remember that. Remember to encourage yourself. You can talk to yourself the way that you want your parents to talk to you. It might sound crazy, but it feels good! I treat myself like a friend who is going through a rough patch. It can be easy to be hard on oneself when you're hearing harsh words from someone close to you. That's okay to feel hurt. Remember to also give yourself compassion. That is the best way you could treat yourself.

3) Talk to someone

Either friends who are good listeners or even a therapist. The right therapist can travel with you on this journey. They can help you get out of it and into a place where you celebrate life. You don't have to do it alone!

It might feel impossible now, but it can happen. You're parents are probably hurting to, but aren't expressing it to you or even themself. It just takes a little patience and persistence on your part. And along the way, be kind to yourself:)

I agree with what kristen said, I just wanted to add that I've found Lyrica to really help with nerve pain.