to feel completely overwhelmed by selfish people?

[twohourssleepandamigraine]

I am currently living the dream - stroppy tween who refuses to do anything I ask of her, completely self-obsessed parent who refuses to do anything for herself and expects me to do everything, and useless ex who keeps letting aforementioned stroppy tween down and leaves me to pick up the slack. Things have got so bad that I get around three hours sleep a night after dealing with everyone else's crap, and then go to work feeling like a pile of shit because I don't get the time to wash my hair/eat/sort out important stuff like renewing the car insurance. I really don't have the time in a day to sort out everyone's problems/fuck ups, but seem to be surrounded by people who consider my very existence their gift and their right. I thought I was a strong, independent woman, but it seems I am just a reliable sucker to a bunch of narcissists. Seriously, no one cares about the pressure they are piling on and I am at my wit's end.

Take yourself off for a weekend. Stuff em. Let them deal with the crap and realise how much you do. Do something for you.

Only you can change it honestly

I believe the word you need to use more is NO.
Sounds like you're getting a very rough deal all round.

If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always got.

If the situation is unbearable for you, then YOU need to be the one to change it. Maybe teeny changes? Maybe going away for a weekend as suggested upthread.

But you're the one who's hurting. You can't force other people to change their behaviour, but you can change YOUR behaviour or your reaction to theirs. Good luck

and sounds like you need some and maybe some

You must start to say No to all of it, for your own sanity. Dont worry about the fallout, its not worse than what you are dealing with now.

Fancy a desert island? Ill come with you. You have just described my role in a house containing 3 teenagers. I'm ready to explode too (hugs) x

I dream of getting away for a weekend. I have friends who actually can do this because their ex's are basically good dads. If I left DD with her dad for a weekend, I would come back on Sunday night to find her in the care of social services - at best.