Hey all

I am new here and in desperate need of advice. My SO was diagnosed a year ago with CRPS and has suffered greatly for all of that time, we were lucky in many respects as my SO was diagnosed a lot earlier than seemingly most, even though that aspect was lucky she still suffers a great deal from the pain, anxiety, depression and from time to time manic outbursts. Life is hard as she has had to reduce her working hours which has put pressure on me to try to keep up the shortfall in wages, her CRPS has steadily spread up her leg and she has isolated herself off from everyone other than a few friends...

For all that time I have seen the pain change for the worst and tried desperately to help out, remain positive and understand but I have seen a rapid decline in the quality of both our lives.

Our marriage is rocky, we have become more like housemates, little or no contact, completely sexless, she sleeps on the sofa every night (when she can sleep to be fair) and I feel isolated, untrusted and alone. I am not even allowed to stay in the room when she talks to the few friends she has kept.

I do love her dearly, even now but more and more I am holding back anger and frustration. We are only in our early 30s and I have always wanted children desperately but now it looks like that will never happen as she has said she now doesn't want them as she is afraid.

I hate myself for this but I don't know how much longer I can cope, I try to look after her as best as I can, earn money in a full time job and keep her sane but the thought of being in this situation until I finally die old, resentful and childless is difficult to stomach. Don't get me wrong I love her with all my heart but we cannot go anywhere, do anything that other young couples should be doing.

I have tried tentatively explaining things to her but its difficult because all she does is concentrate on her CRPS, everything revolves around it, to the extent she has been driving her own friends away, I have tried explaining to her that she needs to understand that they have their own lives and difficulties, etc and she should understand why they don't jump when she expects them to but she just doesn't get it.

Has anyone else been in this similar situation or got any advice because I am ready to crack..... Thanks in advance it would be most appreciated!