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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

My husband's weight gain is triggering unwanted memories in me

14 replies

PoppyPinecone · 30/07/2022 01:15

Before you read on, just a heads-up this is a bit heavy and might be triggering for those with childhood trauma.

My husband has been slowly gaining weight over the years - drinking lots of energy drinks, working at a desk all week with zero exercise. The thing is, you know how everyone puts weight on differently (some put it on all over, some in particular areas)? Well, he is taking the shape of the relative who used to molest me as a child.

I have (mostly) repressed memories but his weight gain has got worse lately and it's been triggering - just now I saw his silhouette as he was getting into bed and it brought on a flashback. I just lay there, holding my very young daughter who co-sleeps with us, trying to fight the memories, such as the abusers smell, and just praying that my daughter never experiences what I did. I held her tighter than ever but was barely holding it together so made up the excuse that I needed to go downstairs to get painkillers and wait out a headache (breaking down into tears when I reached the bottom of the stairs).

I don't share this for sympathy, I just want to ask what would you do?

Should I tell him??

He is an extremely kind and thoughtful man, keeping his family happy and cared for is his world and he's sensitive - I think it would devastate him, knowing this. And weight loss isnt easy or overnight so, if he does attempt to lose weight (which I know he would), he would feel probably shame and pressure everyday until his body shape changes.

But if I don't tell him I'm not sure how I should manage my feelings on this. Like I said, he's a really, really good person but even still, because of the triggering I found myself reluctant to leave our daughter with him just now and only left because I was about to start sobbing in bed (plus I reminded myself he is NOT the same person, not even close). Urgh I would really appreciate your views.

OP posts:
Perple · 30/07/2022 01:24

You need to get yourself to a very good therapist asap -

this must be incredibly difficult for you - I have no advice at all on how to approach with your husband - but I definitely think getting some support for yourself is the first step.

xxxxxxxx

calmlakes · 30/07/2022 01:26

I would tell him, because he loves you and I can't imagine he would want to cause you distress.

Does he know about the abuse? If he doesn't then take more caution.

calmlakes · 30/07/2022 01:27

Go and talk this through with a therapist first.

Cucumberbund · 30/07/2022 01:27

Oh poppy that is very sad. I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to you. I think though you need therapy to deal with these emotions and flashbacks. Have you told your husband about the abuse? Perhaps you could tell him you are having more memories surface and explain you are trying to deal with it without actually telling him he is triggering them. Or tell him it's difficult to be around a male while having the feelings / memories.
Personally I feel the universe pushes us to face things which need to be looked at for our own protection. It's obviously terrible what happened to you and very scary to face those feeling but for your future health and mental health you do need to do your best start to deal with it.

SallyPallyMallyAlly · 30/07/2022 01:52

I wouldn't tell him and speak to a therapist asap

RavenPaws · 30/07/2022 02:01

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PoppyPinecone · 30/07/2022 02:08

Thank you all so much for your kind words of advice and support. I will see a therapist. He does know about the abuse.

Cucumberbund's suggestion to share that I'm having flashbacks, but to spare him the details of why, feels right to me. Also, I've been having those same thoughts about the universe guiding us to what we need to confront, to grow.

OP posts:
RavenPaws · 30/07/2022 02:16

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PoppyPinecone · 30/07/2022 02:20

I just want to make clear, he's not tainted in my eyes. I'm fully aware that he's not the same person. I'm not delusional or displacing. I love him and appreciate him. I've otherwise not got any issue with his weight gain, mine yo-yos. So it's not me shaming his body shape. The issue is subconscious. I haven't decided he can't be trusted with his daughter and never would - he is an amazing father and I do trust him - it's just that subconscious reluctance I had mid flashback and I don't want to experience that again because it's not fair on him, me or my daughter.

OP posts:
PoppyPinecone · 30/07/2022 02:29

I don't understand why you are being like that, RavenPaws. I didn't say that I'd demand he lose weight - I just know that if I told him what's happening he'd immediately decide to. Quite the opposite, I don't want to put that pressure on him. I also don't want to continue with these triggers. But I think the kind advice, from everyone else who has commented so far, has steered me in a good direction. Your comments have just ramped up my anxiety but I'm guessing that's exactly what you were going for.

OP posts:
PoppyPinecone · 30/07/2022 02:30

I'm sorry but I can't follow this thread now that a potential troll has jumped on. For my own self preservation I'll leave it here. My heart is pounding. Thank you again to those who have helped xx

OP posts:
calmlakes · 30/07/2022 02:34

Don't feel guilty about your trauma response.
I do think that telling him you are struggling with flashbacks, given he knows about the abuse is a sensible middle ground.
Having therapeutic support for yourself is an excellent idea, just make sure they are properly trained in trauma.

GoT1904 · 30/07/2022 03:21

PoppyPinecone · 30/07/2022 02:30

I'm sorry but I can't follow this thread now that a potential troll has jumped on. For my own self preservation I'll leave it here. My heart is pounding. Thank you again to those who have helped xx

Really sorry for that poster. You didn't deserve that. :( I've also been through some stuff and experience flashbacks. It's rough and some of them come out of nowhere.

You're right in that they're absolutely subconscious. It's not your fault and it's not your OH's.

I hope you'll be okay and get through this okay. I'm sure your DP will want to support you, as he sounds wonderful from your descriptions. Take so much care. It gets better I promise. Xxx

TheLadyofShalott1 · 30/07/2022 04:05

started at 01:30

My first thoughts were similar to @Perple's.
I am so sorry that you are going through this @PoppyPinecone I can't even start to imagine how hard this must be for you.

Does anyone in your family, including your DH know about the abuse? Was the monster who did that to you ever punished for it?
Even if you had lots of family love and support from when it happened, even if the monster who did this to you is still in prison, even if you have had loads of counselling, you have still been through a terrible and life changing trauma, that you probably need more help with in order to process everything, and to enable you to live in the best way possible for you, your DC, and hopefully your DH too, as he does sound very nice.

But what if your answer to my question is no, no-one knows, you have never had any counselling, and therefore that monster has never been punished for what he did? You need to start talking/crying/screaming. You need to tell your DC about what happened to you, maybe even describing your attacker to him - but perhaps not actually drawing any comparisons to your husband's figure - at least for now. Then I think you need to have a face to face appointment with your GP, maybe a female one? Then with your GP's advice, choose a counsellor who has had lots of previous experience in this field.

[ I really do think that as our mental health service is so dire, and they just cannot cope with the numbers of people in desperate need of help, that people with mental health problems should be triaged, just like at an A&E department people with physical health problems are triaged. I would have you in the top tier of that list OP ]

I desperately hope that in reality, other people do know at least some of your terrible history, that you have had at least some help and support - if they don't, and if you haven't had any help or support, I don't think you would be able to be at home with your DH and DC. I just don't think it would be possible for a human to have gone through the sort of trauma you have, and yet still be a functioning human being, and such a loving mummy and wife.

So first of all, if you have not got good enough professional and family support, please use as much of your energy that you can spare - I am sure that your batteries must be very depleted now, which means asking for help will be even harder, and if you are not getting enough help at the moment, you somehow need to find the strength - to demand it, hopefully with your DH doing most of the (calm and polite) demands on your behalf.

So your GP, your DH, and any psychiatric or psychological professionals that you are seeing, need to be your first/next people to know that you are still in great need of their help and support. In case you are worried that you think other people will think you should be over your abuse (abuse just is not a strong enough word for it - sorry) by now, you are wrong. There is absolutely no time limit when it comes to things like this (sorry for bringing that up if that is not your mistaken belief, I have those thoughts for my own issues, which incredibly luckily for me were not caused by anything anywhere near as horrific as yours, so I could well be projecting).

Anyway, you definitely need expert professional help in being able to stop your mind from linking your abuser in any way to your DH, and it is definitely not your fault that that is where your mind is taking you, in fact it sounds very logical to me, but obviously quite unhealthy for your relationship with your DH. If you can refrain from telling your DH how you feel about that aspect of him, please do. I am also worried that if you don't get more help in dealing with your demon, it could eventually lead to you linking everything about your DH, including the very fact that he is male, to your attacker. I think like you said, that he would definitely try to lose weight for you, but I also (being very overweight myself) believe that his actual determination to lose weight for that reason, would immediately make it much more difficult for him to do so.

So I am going to suggest something for when you have both more mental and physical energy available to you - I know how physically exhausting young children can be - which is to discuss with your husband that you are beginning to feel too sluggish, and you wonder if (both of) your diets need to be a bit healthier, cut down on sugar - refined sugar really is everyones biggest enemy, and is hidden in so many products from bread to beer - and if you could suggest some activities that you can do quite easily with your little one that also use up quite a bit of energy, and strengthen muscles, and also make you more supple, you might be able to help both of you (well all 3 of you with some of the activities) get fitter and stronger.

They also say that getting your heart beating a bit faster, and expending energy a bit more quickly than usual, and having fun, all help to increase your endorphins, which should help both you and your DH relax more afterwards, and to feel happier. So, obviously walking slighy briskly is one of the cheapest and easiest forms of exercise for most people, and if you find some slight inclines that you could take turns in pushing the buggy up (but make his turn longer than yours!) then all the better. Hopefully if you are in a city there should be some nice parks you could walk in, if you are in a town, maybe you some green spaces that you can access easily, and if you already live in the countryside then you hopefully have lots of different areas you can explore.

To make it more fun - have something to look forward to - and to give your DH some extra weight bearing (on top of his own!) can you take a delicious picnic with you - when I want healthy, but really tasty salads or picnic meals, I look first at vegan recipe books (I am a staunch meat eater, but I will sometimes go to a vegan restaurant for a meal, as they tend to source good quality ingredients, and combine them in interesting and tasty ways), as well as usually being at least reasonably healthy, they often use healthy oils for their dressings etc, you also don't need to worry so much in warm weather about meats like chicken going off on the journey. Then I would add treats like strawberries and raspberries, and take a banana each for their energy, ease of transportation, and their vitamins, I also like their taste and texture so they are a win win for me! Then if your DH takes the picnic stuff in a well balanced, and well constructed backpack, that should help him burn a few more calories than you, hopefully without him realising that that is what he is doing.

If your little one can walk and run, then obviously games with a ball, or throw bags etc are brilliant. Until any DC you have can swim, do you have anyone, that you trust, who can take care of your DC while you and your husband go swimming once or twice a week, and or play tennis or badminton together? Just a few suggestions here, I am so sorry they take up so much space xx

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