Family/spousal support

[Guest guest]

How much support do you all get from your families and/or spouses

regarding dealing with this awful affliction? I've been dealing with

this, along with irritant dermatitis for the last 5 years and I find

that everyone I'm related to thinks that I'm making a mountain out of a

molehill and that I should just accept that my skin's not perfect and

get on with my life. They usually see me every couple of months, with

makeup on, and to them it doesn't look bad. They don't usually see me

when I'm in a flare and I have a rash all over my face, because I tend

to hide then. They think I'm eccentric (not to mention a pain in the

ass) that I try to control my diet and my environment so as not to

aggravate this disease. My husband has seen more of the ups and downs

of this but he also makes me feel that I am weak to let it get to me,

that if it were him, he wouldn't let it bother him and it wouln't stop

him from doing or eating any of the things that he likes. (Of course

this is coming from a 38 year old man with a history of severe back

problems who just threw his back out yet again trying to ride the

neighbor kid's skateboard). I feel like no one understands but the

people in this group, and that all the people who are supposed to be

part of my support system think I'm creating problems where there

really aren't any. Do any of you have this problem? Should I learn to

keep it to myself or find a new support network?

Thanks for listening.

JE