It is huge. Highly complex. It's something that is fraught with difficulties, unexpected setbacks, unforeseen problems and lots of other bad stuff. That's the road, and it ain't easy, but I don't think it has to be horrible, and I know a few who really look at it as a true turning point. But, about the overwhelming thing, well I can say something about that.
She works as an electrician right? In Vegas? (I was just there) So she's worked on some pretty huge projects right? So you do your own life projects (or at least I do, but I'm weird) just like you do huge construction projects. You do one thing at a time. You do the next thing that has to be done. Focus on that, and that alone. And that's how you keep it from overwhelming you.
Look, you read a 5,000 page book just like you read a 5 page book, you start on page one, move on to page two, lather, rinse, repeat.
I do it with something I learned, (then practiced, practiced and practiced) called Critical Path Scheduling (google it). There are a lot of variations of it. But basically you list out all the things you want to do, have done, still need to accomplish and all that. Then you arrange them, because some of them (if not all of them) have prerequisite to them. You have to do A, before you do B. Right? I have to unload the truck before I set up the band, no way around it because all the stuff I need to set up is in that truck. Or you have to put in the conduit before you run/pull the wiring. Or you have to have the damn wire delivered before anyone can do anything with it. So, first things first - you unload the truck. It looks a lot more manageable when you see it in that form. Actually, doing the forms, that work in planning, and trying to get the ducks in a row is the first step to really managing it (as opposed to it managing you).
Failure to plan is planning to fail. No way around that. So, you plan the work, and then work the plan - and even if things don't turn out picture perfect, or exactly on schedule all the time (and they won't) you won't panic, you'll have a clear understanding that you are still on target, it's not hopeless, it's moving forward, what's the next thing? That's the only way (other than not caring at all and just leaving everything scattered to the wild winds) to keep it from being overwhelming that I know of.
she feels no one besides me even cares about her
a) well at least she has you, and that one more person than most people have
b) once we all finish our personal pity party about that - boo hoo, nobody cares about me (and guess what buttercup? They don't care about anyone else either.) - and really examine that it goes from being a huge bummer concept to one of the most liberating ideas anyone can ever have. Because it's true for the most part (and BTW, sad, sad, sad are those who have far too many people caring about them). And once you get that, you're free to pursue your dreams, because - as she correctly stated - no one really cares anyway. So, what's stopping you?
And I'm not much of a fan of therapy, or lots of other 'feel good' stuff like religion either, but it does work for some people and I can't argue with results. But in the end - no matter how you get there: Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds (or, choose) to be. And once you get there, the rest is pretty easy (or at the least, more enjoyable). And you need to watch that very carefully. Far too many people would rather be miserable and know it, then risk trying to be happy but unsure. That and lots of people are never really happy. It's always one more thing. Always, too much but not enough. It's like they live their life in a constant quest for the approval of someone who doesn't care (as we've established above), and isn't watching at any rate.
The other thing has to do with unrealistic expectations, which are pretty much the rocks that most people's ship-o-life runs aground on.
