Hi Dawn~ You are soooo not alone!! Every issue you've mentioned is one I've dealt with and/or deal with and.... I think I can safely say~ they are issues at least familiar to all of us!!

 

Take heart! Hang in! It's a rough ride. I like to think of all of us as Spiritual Warriors willing to live our lives despite these outrageous fortunes! And to live them w/honesty, integrity, sensitivity and compassion~ to the best of our abilities~ which may fluctuate from day to day or moment to moment. And we all need humor~ lots and lots of humor! I've just finished reading a David Sedaris book and boy did that help me laugh!!

 

I, too, am just exiting frm a rough patch. For the past three months~ I did too much, over-extended, didn't have enough compassion for myself (or integrated learning or something) to make wiser boundaries, to say no, etc. The results?!!! Financial expenses (really stupid ones) I can't afford and a fall down a flight of stairs which left me bruised, stiff, flared-up and stitched up!! It sucks. And worst of all~ I took myself out of my own life to support the lives of others! Gddmt!! But..... after days of anger, frustration and feeling powerless and alone, which led to more anger... I decided to look beyond the apparent and try to find~ "ok, what do I need to learn frm this AGAIN?!" Then I went to my therapist!!! Now I'm sharing (dumping?) on the grp~ who I hope will have forebearance and even laughter frm this recounting!!

 

This group is precious bec. it's such a resource! I'm grateful it's here and that we can all reach out to each other through it. Thank you for asking for emotional support! Here we find people who CAN understand, who WILL take the time to listen and GIVE EMPATHY.

Others don't understand! How could they?! I've given up expecting them to!!

 

As one of our CFIDS/FM support members has wisely shared at our mtg~ hang out w/sick people!! 

 

I've unwittingly deleted your email and all those preceding and I don't know if this has felt supportive at all but, girl, I hear you and you're amazing!!! And now there are others in Oakland for you to hook up with! May your joined energies and spirits bring relief, release, laughter and love! Deborah

--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Dawn Fraley <dawn87@...> wrote