Actually, it's even a bit worse than that - they suggested psych meds. Therapy has been suggested plenty of times in the past (and I've gone to therapy on and off for years when I felt I needed help with managing my life and/or to work on specific issues), but I suppose now they're moving on to suggesting medication…

Awww, thanks. :) I'm an only child and my other relatives like me even less! I'm single (divorced) which actually factored into the hurtful remarks (I was told I don't have/can't keep a man because I am too weird).

These are folks who are always dealing with their own brand of unhappiness, and thus usually have to have something to make cutting remarks about. I've actually fixed/changed a lot of the (not really any of their business, but still somewhat reality-based) stuff they used to pick on me about (not to please them, but…

I definitely do need to work on setting boundaries and letting folks know that some topics are not up for discussion. I just get so flustered and keep sitting there and taking it, especially when multiple people are ganging up on me. I really don't like to engage in adversarial discussions, particularly when they are…

It's okay. I wasn't sure what to say in response either!!! I appreciate your support. :)

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!

I am not really sure how well I am dealing - I've been crying on and off for two days, and eating a lot more than I need to (although not quite flat-out bingeing like I used to, really want to keep off all the weight I've lost). And today I just hibernated and hung out in sweats (although I often do that on Saturday…

Sadly, these family members are actually the best of them (aside from my kids) - for some reason they were just in an especially mean mood that day. I've just never really been accepted by my family (I've always been too fat/too plain/too geeky/too introverted or just had the wrong job/education) so I'm not sure why I…

Thank you, hugs much appreciated. :)

Thank you!!! That's a great quote. I will try to keep it in mind whenever someone (family or otherwise) behaves in an ugly manner.

Sounds like a wonderful meal! Hope the cough/cold are on their way out ASAP!!!

I'm so sorry. :( Would you consider writing back one more time to say something like, "In case I wasn't clear, I think I need to take a break from our friendship for a while - and perhaps permanently - while I work through my feelings. I'll reach out to you if I ever feel ready, but I think no contact would be best,…

Thank you! I definitely needed this tonight!!!

Good evening, folks. Having my own personal pity party today. Still trying to shake off (without much success so far) the hurtful things some close relatives said to me a couple days ago - that I should get plastic surgery to change my face to something less hideous, and that I should get under psychiatric care,…

Congrats to you too on getting and staying active!!! I attribute the majority of my success to switching to an active lifestyle (i.e., in addition to targeted workouts 5-6 days a week, I rarely sit for more than a couple hours straight now - even at work I try to take short activity breaks every couple hours and a…

Okay, in that case I'm going to spend much of the next year hanging out with family members, drinking fancy champagne and eating my favorite cheeses and playing with my cats? Well, could be worse!

Whoops! I did/am doing laundry. And my household cats are big meowers. Oh well, hopefully the heaping mound of black-eyed peas I had with dinner will even things out!

Sounds like a lovely night! I'm finishing up reading Blue Labyrinth (the latest Pendergast book by Preston & Child) and will soon be joining some relatives in another part of the house for Veuve Clicquot and truffle-laced gouda. I took myself out for Thai food earlier in the evening. Not my most exciting NYE, but a…

Congrats on the new beginning! Now that's the way to start off a new year! Sounds like you have great things ahead and are already getting started.

Good evening, all! I have no one to kiss tonight, but I do have a chilled bottle of Veuve, a very fancy cheese platter, and a few family members to share the evening. (Honestly if it were just up to me I would curl up in bed with a book and consume all the champagne and cheese myself, but I'm lucky to have folks who…