Friends Communication

Absolutely. I often tell my patients that variations of this question are why I have a job. It is incredibly hard for people to to watch someone they love suffer. Most of us have the impulse to try to "fix," to make it better, to take some kind of concrete step to deal with the problem. And this impulse can mean that we actually totally fail to do the most helpful thing, which is to listen in a kind and compassionate way. I wrote a blog post about this issue a while back, so feel free to point loved ones over there for some coaching on compassionate listening: http://bit.ly/ozyxg2 I specifically deal with the tendency to try to fix. However, here are a few steps to deal with someone who is not listening.
1. Does your family or friend network have a "key communicator?" That's the person who always manages to keep everyone else in the loop, who coordinates family time. If so (and if that person isn't you), I'd encourage you to sit down with that person and outline your needs. Specifically, I'd be explicit about the fact that one of the things you need most is for people to allow you to express your feelings without trying to fix the situation. Then, I'd ask that person to spread the word.
2. Sometimes, being direct is the best way to get our needs met. This won't work with everyone, but some family members will respond well to hearing, "I can hear how much you want to help me, and I know it's hard for you to watch me go through this hard stuff. The most loving, supportive help that you can give me right this minute is to let me just empty this out of my head, so that I can set it down for a while."
3. If you're noticing that you have a lot of tough feelings that you need to process, it might be appropriate to take that to a therapist (or a pastor, or another neutral party). I know that I mention this in most of my answers, but there can be a huge relief in knowing that you're allowed to say whatever you need to without having to censor yourself.
I hope that is enough to get you started. Please feel free to ask me a follow-up with a new question if you'd like more details.