Hi everyone! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I am a newbie and have played for about a year. Just now I have got my barre breakthrough, and I must say, it was WORTH all the pain. Now I find it "easier" to play more advanced chords that I hardly dared to try out earlier. Now I excersise on the Theme of New York New York and can play it "okey" 
Thanks to the barre (in my opinion).
So my humble advise, practise to you are bored to death and your hand and arm and everything is IN BIG PAIN
Newbie from Oslo,Norway