Pamela you're definitely not alone feeling this way, I think it's something we all struggle to deal with every day. Sometimes I feel totally overwhelmed with grief and the more sleep deprived I am the more emotional I become. I try hard all the time to remain upbeat and not dwell on the negative but to be honest some days (or weeks even) I lose it completely and get really low. Being a guy it is considered to be somewhat wimpish to cry but sometimes it just happens, and to be honest I really don't care what other people think any more.

It doesn't help that people in your life don't understand either. I also have this problem with people in my immediate family and it doesn't matter how much I try to explain they just don't want to hear it. Try and explain to your friends and family that it's really not 'cool' or funny to try and bring on cataplexy attacks because you suffer as a result of this. I think I would be quite annoyed at anyone that did this to me. I mean if someone had bad asthma you wouldn't purposely make them cough would you? This is no different. Point that out to them. What you have is a medical condition, not a joke.

It can be a very lonely place to be, even if there are people in your life that do understand they still don't really know what's it's like to have to live with N and C every day. The most frustrating part is that we look normal from the outside so people just see a normal person, not someone struggling with a major health issue.

You do have people to turn to, sort of, we're all here for you. Ok it's not in the physical sense but we're just a message away. And remember, it's a huge achievement to raise kids, and you're doing a great job. Hang in there Ok.

Please know you are not alone. I have been crying quite a bit lately, as due to thyroid problems I can no longer take my N meds. Sometimes I feel like just giving up, yes I got through cancer, and yes I am sleeping with ambiencr, but all i do is dream so I am back to being very sleep deprived. It is such a vicious cycle so I think we all deserve to cry whenever we feel like it.

I think I would love to smack a few family members-friends strangers --specially the security guard who I thought might mace me when son was having problems------

I know how you feel my family thinks that I use it to be lazy and not clean and they don't understand and it infuriates me but I try to let it slide unfortunatly I don't have friends so no one but my son is usually around when I have my attacks but I know how much it hurts as last year I was in school and class and my teacher just thought I was lazy and that it was funny! So aweful and that was nursing school you think the teachers who are RN's would understand but no

You better believe that your not alone!
I struggle with that also. I am better now because I have a really good support system for the most part. Those family members who want to be jerks are not in my life.
No one in my family ever laughs at me when I have an attack but sometimes I will joke about it. They all know not to panic when I have them. They stay calm and if we are in a restaraunt they will keep on talking to give me time to come around. I like that because it doesnt draw any added attention to me during an attack which I cant stand......
There are plenty of reasons to cry sometimes dealing with this and to have small kids at the same time is insane. I dont know how you do it! You have to feed the kids, clean the house, bath them, work, do the shopping, hug them when they are hurt, be a counslor and to do all of this with N/C is unreal. Go ahead and cry....you have earned it!
One thing that might help you as this did for me was to see someone who does a type of neuro bio feedback or a counslor who can teach you how to juggle everything. Someone who can take a situation that is totally frustrating you and show you what you can do to change it or adapt.
One time I was upset because my ADHD son had anger issues and wouldnt help around the house much or keep his room clean and was struggling in school. She said "what is more important....school work or a clean room?" Pick and choose your battles and dont sweat the small stuff. So to this day my kids rooms are a mess. Sure sometimes I get a bug and force them to clean it or I will but since I seldom have enough energy to do it nothing happens much there. I would rather them get good grades.

Cheri.....hows come you cant take your N meds with your throid meds? I must of missed something while I was gone. I am so sorry to hear your dreaming all night......I know how you feel. I do that too without meds......its like my brain never shuts up......

i think we deserve to cry, i do ask why i had to have something so odd as narc, i cant imagine bringing up children having it.I dont do much at all each day and i find that difficult hahahahaha. I am just thankful i am not so bad with narc, some people will have it worse, anyway you cry if you want to. x

Once there were four untouchable, hungry lepers outside the gates of Jerusalem. They were starving because of the scorched earth policy of the invading Assyrians who had the city under seige and so their normal food supply was cut off.
"If we stay here, we'll surely die" they figured and so they started up the hill to where the Assyrian army was camped, preferring to die quickly rather than slowly starve to death.
As they trudged up the hill, God amplified the sounds they made so that the Assyrians thought a mighty army was coming to the aid of Jerusalem and fled leaving all their booty and a feast of tasty treats. The lepers felt it would be a shame to waste all this good nosh and so they scoffed till their eyes bulged, filled their pockets with treasure and then decided to go back down the hill and let the 'touchables' in on the breaking good news. Guess what? ... those inside the gates refused to believe them. It took a good few days before someone decided to check out the story these ranting 'untouchables' were crowing about.
Narcolepsy is a lot like the leprousy of ancient times. It sets one apart. There is great value in being setapart. Try to find the treasure that those good at earning rat-race credits don't have time for. It really does exist, there's plenty to share and you might even get to see your name in the Lambs book of life.

as long as this site exists you will never be alone i ahve learned to laugh at my Cand N and feel that if i dont i would go insane my six year old is fantsatic when parents evening comes around iv had several attacks during this and each time the staff and other parents panic my daughter tells them to back off hes fine hes only having a nap hes got narcolepsy thats all
lol and once she even told the teacher she must have been boring lmao she is great but it must be hard as i cant even go out on my own anymore as it is that severe i do hate it and i know there are parents at my daughters school who whisper and talk and i know they are saying hes faking trying to get disability.
well to those people i say for your info i recive disability and i would give you 500 pounds to cope with this for 1 week they soon shut up

I agree dangermouse big time! I would love to see anyone who complaines about me being on disability suffer with this for just one week and see how they like it! To bad we cant actually have that happen eh?
our kids can be so funny about this too.....my youngest tried to pick my nose once with my own finger while I was in an attack.......he made funny sounds as he did this. We had a long talk about not doing that ever again but looking back it was pretty funny.

Sleep deprivation gets you that way. Everything is so much harder. I've started explaining to people about a solo round the world yachtswoman surviving on catnaps who became tearful at the slightest hurdle, things she could deal with just fine before she started her catnap regime. It explains it a bit (or I hope it will if and when I get a diagnosis.)