My mother is a disaster. Anything she doesn't understand isn't real. Only mainstream doctors are correct, and only information that comes from CNN or Snopes is valid.

She's OCD and psychotic.

She berates me about my diet daily and is disappointed and ashamed of who I've turned out to be.

It's all about her, even with a potentially fatal medical condition. As if I'm responsible for her miserable life.

Very toxic relationship. She's bonkers and I hate her, honestly.

It's especially draining to me, and I feel suffocated by her. Of course trying to tell a psychotic/neurotic person that only makes it worse.

I KNOW exactly what you mean. I have a friend who goes from one crisis to another. I cringed when I saw her number show up on caller id. I started avoiding her calls and not returning her messages. I just couldn't handle getting sucked up into another one of her crisis. It finally occurred to her I was avoiding her calls so she called my hubs. His adrenals aren't much better than mine. I finally had to email her that I just didn't have the energy to talk on the phone or visit. She's a hot mess and I don't EVER think that that will change.

I worked along with life coaches for a very long time and learned a lot from them. One thing about having people in your life that drive you crazy is choosing to have them show up differently for you. In other words see them as having the qualities you want and not by getting upset and telling them they need to be less stress but actually convincing yourself in your mind they are. Love them and remember do not take anything they do personally. Then one day they might surprise you and suddenly be different for you. Your best friend may start be more responsible. Your husband may realize he is not sportive enough when you need him to be. You can't change someone but you can expect them to show up differently. I tried this on my relationship with Mom because my Mom drove me crazy and I would dread calling her. Yesterday she just left after a 10 day visit at my house and I realized I wasn't wanting to pull my hair out on day three of her being here.

I would also like to add the advice I am giving is for people that you really do value in your life. I have had some short term friends I had to discontinue my relationship with. These people were always a mess and required so much of my energy. If they had been a life long friend I would not have cut off my contact with them. Sometimes you have to make a decision weather the friendship is worth it or not.

I dump 'em. Pure and simple. I've dumped plenty of people along the way and today I can proudly say that it has been wildly successful. I've dumped family members, I've dumped best friends...anybody who lies, cheats me, talks badly, goes behind my back, harms me in a way I cannot forget...I dump their ass. Now, that doesn't mean that everybody has to be perfect, no way, far from it. I mean...destructive. Those are the types I immediately dump on the curb of life and forget I ever knew them.

I don't allow toxic people, no matter how close in the food chain they are, to become involved in my inner circle. I keep them on the outside, and there they stay until I say it's time to come in. Did that with a sister who treated my honey of a wife with disrespect initially...dumped her ass for 7 years until she learned her lesson. Dumped a good-for-nothing alocholic lieing bastard father for 20 years. I gave my mom the cold shoulder for a year for stealing money from me off an insurance policy. A lieing high school "best friend" has been on the outer circle since 2004 and he now is entering the fray with his tail between his legs. And I'll make the call. I give you these real, brutally honest examples because that's how I live life. You might read this and think "ah, I'm sorry". Don't...lol...best things that I ever did. Why? I cut out the potential damage these losers would've caused myself and my family by keeping them on the hook. Toxic people will crush you if you aren't strong enough to ward them off forcefully. You know it, everybody has people at work, people in their family, friends, ex's, all types who constantly have negative effects on your every day life. Get them gone! Then, if they return (which the sister did), they return with a whole new attitude. Believe me...this works!