I am 75 and have been dealing with peripheral neuropathy for 8 years and only recently found a neurologist who actually spent time with me from the start. I am currently on Nortripyline and I'm pretty pain free. I have rare days that my feet feel very hot and swollen. On those days I take Tramadol maybe twice on that one day.
For the first 5 years I was an emotional wreck. It seemed like no one understood what I was going through. I felt that even the neurologist I was seeing didn't understand my distress. I tried again couple support groups but was still depressed.
Then I heard something totally unrelated to neuropathy. It focused on taking responsibility for your life. I realized that I am in charge of my life. I had been holding on to lots of stuff both physical and emotional. I started slowly decluttering my house. Sometimes a couple of drawers, I filled bags with clothes that I wasn't wearing some I kept sentimentality. I've been doing this in spurts. I have also taken time to give myself permission to unload some of the stuff I've been holding on to emotionally. I've forgiven myself for stuff I had been beating myself up for. I have made peace with the people in my past that I can't contact.
I didn't do all this alone. I have a psychiatrist that I finally started really talking to.
Now my neuropathy is a very small part of my daily life. I do live one day at a time.