Oh, and wanting recognition for being a "good little martyr" is one of those "covert contracts" they talk about over on the NG site: "If I do (or abstain from doing) x, y, and z, surely he/she will recognize this and treat me to ___."
My answer is: surely he will recognize this and love me/approve of me/validate me. Which is what I always wanted from my mother. Sick, isn't it?
