About the not recieving anything in return, I've been in the same situation, I've felt that I've tried to be nice and helpful but that I didn't get anything back.
I think it's about people. Some people just won't realise that you expect something in return, and in my opinion those are not worth spending any extra energy or time on. Save that energy for those who give something in return. I don't know your age but I think that I started recieving more and more by time, and I think that it pays off to be nice and helpful eventually. If you feel that you recieve nothing back, then maybe you spend time with the wrong people.
I try to stay nice and helpful to people in general, even though it can be hard sometimes, because that's the type of person I want to be. I often 'give' more than I 'recieve', but in the end it's still worth it I think. I try to use more energy and time to be nice and helpful to the people that give something back.
I don't know if this helped, but I wanted to share my experiences of this and say that you're not alone.
It's gotten to the point where everything around me is shrouded in darkness and I just can't fucking stop it. All I want is a candle,must one candle to help m....