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18th February 2012, 08:01 PM

I warn you this is a long one! Where to start? OH and I met 10 years ago, and it really was love at first sight. Within 6 months we were living together, and blissfully happy. I was in a depression when we got engaged 7 years ago in February, and then I fell pregnant in the May. I had a ghastly pregnancy as I was having my first child at 32, we both went off sex when I was pregnant, and I hev never been the most confident with my body, but assumed it would all come back to normal after baby was here. I had put on a lot of weight and ended up with an emergency section as I was not dilating beyond 5cm after 27 hours of labour!

As I had put on a lot of weight, I felt so frumpy and unattractive after the birth, I found myself repulsive and couldn’t believe my OH could possibly find me attractive now. I thought once I could loose weight it would be ok, but I couldn’t do any high impact exercise for at least 6 months due to the section, and I kept pushing my OH advances away. I was too embarrassed to ask for help with my sex drive/body issues and tried to continue with the weight loss, hoping that would make the difference. It didn’t… What’s worse I had a real crisis of confidence after my baby was born, I didn’t know where I fit within the world… I didn’t seem like a normal mummy to me, I couldn’t be bothered with the competitive chat at the mother & baby groups… I also didn’t tell anyone how I felt for fear of being thought a bad mum or a weirdo! I loved my baby, so I poured my emotion and effort into him. I couldn’t talk to my partner, he was stressed enough with work and trying to renovate our 200 year old house, he had enough on his plate. So I withdrew, trying to deal with it on my own, but becoming more distant, cold and removed from my OH. Our relationship systematically broke down, he would tell me the sex didn’t matter, but I knew it did and knew I would loose him if I didn’t get it sorted, but I was chronically embarrassed at the thought of discussing my feelings with the doctor. So how was I to get help?

Fast forward to two years ago when my fears were confirmed, although he hadn’t slept with her, he had embarked on an emotional relationship with a mutual female friend who lived nearby (emailing and texting) and they met a few days before I discovered them, and had shared a kiss over a coffee! I knew I was losing him and I knew who to, so although I am not proud of this, I snooped his email and found the evidence, which I confronted him with. Long story short, he confessed all (not that he could deny it of course!) and we had the most open and frank discussion we had had in years. We rekindled our sex life and I got the Mirena coil put in, which resulted in weight gain, I got insecure about my body again and the sex life dried up once more. I could see apathy creep in with him, but still even though I knew I had to sort my issues if I wanted to maintain a normal, healthy relationship with the man I loved, I still could not face going to the doctor.

Here we are now, a few weeks ago we had a horrendous fight, lots of nasty things said on both sides and I kicked him out… this time he went and didn’t come back for a week. He came back with promises of talking and we had to change so much if we were to move forward as a family but we had a chance. Within hours of him being back, I was crying and needy and he became more distant and withdrawn. The talks resulted in him stating I had eroded all the love away and he couldn’t live as we were anymore. I promised I would get help if he would give me a chance, and please don’t break my heart by leaving me now. In short, he says he is confused.. one minute it’s ‘I’m moving out, I need space’ then its ‘let’s just take each day as it comes’ then when I push him as I feel so uncertain and insecure I get ‘if you need an answer now, it’s I’m leaving you’. He says he wants to take each day as it comes, but is talking about moving out to give himself space, but I fear if he does that I will never get him back.

I have laid my soul bare to him, so he is in no doubt that I love him, and I have promised that I will seek help for my issues, and I have done that. I have been diagnosed with Body Dismorphiac Disorder (BDD) and anxiety. I am on medication as I can’t eat or sleep with all this going on, but I am managing to stay strong for my child, and holding down two jobs. OH is away with business for the next week so we both have breathing space, but he is being so cold and distant when we speak or email, and conversations are predominately about our child, even when I directly engage him on the matter, he ignores it. He says he doesn’t hate me, but there is not much talk of love either, he says there is a tiny bit of love left, but its buried so deep, he doesn’t know if it will ever come back, and doesn’t want to give me false hope.

I am at a loss to what I should do next. For my own sanity, I have dropped all dialogue pertaining to this matter, and I am trying to concentrate on getting my issues sorted and getting myself better. I hopefully will get counselling quickly and can start sorting out my BDD. He says he doesn’t feel strong enough to get me through my issues, and whilst that hurts, I kind of understand why he has to remove himself. Does he feel if he says ok, lets give everything another try I will stop my progress and not face up to my problems? Or does he just not love me enough to care if I get sorted? I am so confused too, it doesn’t help that parents on respective sides keep calling me to find out what’s going on as he is not talking to anyone.

Please help me, what should I do next? I am so desperate to make things right between us, and whilst our old relationship is dead, I am happy with that as I want us to move forward in a healthier, happier relationship together. He is my soulmate and no one will ever love me warts and all the way he once did…

18th February 2012, 08:01 PM	#1
DeeDeeGee Guest Posts: n/a	Advice needed. 10 year relatiosnhip I warn you this is a long one! Where to start? OH and I met 10 years ago, and it really was love at first sight. Within 6 months we were living together, and blissfully happy. I was in a depression when we got engaged 7 years ago in February, and then I fell pregnant in the May. I had a ghastly pregnancy as I was having my first child at 32, we both went off sex when I was pregnant, and I hev never been the most confident with my body, but assumed it would all come back to normal after baby was here. I had put on a lot of weight and ended up with an emergency section as I was not dilating beyond 5cm after 27 hours of labour! As I had put on a lot of weight, I felt so frumpy and unattractive after the birth, I found myself repulsive and couldn’t believe my OH could possibly find me attractive now. I thought once I could loose weight it would be ok, but I couldn’t do any high impact exercise for at least 6 months due to the section, and I kept pushing my OH advances away. I was too embarrassed to ask for help with my sex drive/body issues and tried to continue with the weight loss, hoping that would make the difference. It didn’t… What’s worse I had a real crisis of confidence after my baby was born, I didn’t know where I fit within the world… I didn’t seem like a normal mummy to me, I couldn’t be bothered with the competitive chat at the mother & baby groups… I also didn’t tell anyone how I felt for fear of being thought a bad mum or a weirdo! I loved my baby, so I poured my emotion and effort into him. I couldn’t talk to my partner, he was stressed enough with work and trying to renovate our 200 year old house, he had enough on his plate. So I withdrew, trying to deal with it on my own, but becoming more distant, cold and removed from my OH. Our relationship systematically broke down, he would tell me the sex didn’t matter, but I knew it did and knew I would loose him if I didn’t get it sorted, but I was chronically embarrassed at the thought of discussing my feelings with the doctor. So how was I to get help? Fast forward to two years ago when my fears were confirmed, although he hadn’t slept with her, he had embarked on an emotional relationship with a mutual female friend who lived nearby (emailing and texting) and they met a few days before I discovered them, and had shared a kiss over a coffee! I knew I was losing him and I knew who to, so although I am not proud of this, I snooped his email and found the evidence, which I confronted him with. Long story short, he confessed all (not that he could deny it of course!) and we had the most open and frank discussion we had had in years. We rekindled our sex life and I got the Mirena coil put in, which resulted in weight gain, I got insecure about my body again and the sex life dried up once more. I could see apathy creep in with him, but still even though I knew I had to sort my issues if I wanted to maintain a normal, healthy relationship with the man I loved, I still could not face going to the doctor. Here we are now, a few weeks ago we had a horrendous fight, lots of nasty things said on both sides and I kicked him out… this time he went and didn’t come back for a week. He came back with promises of talking and we had to change so much if we were to move forward as a family but we had a chance. Within hours of him being back, I was crying and needy and he became more distant and withdrawn. The talks resulted in him stating I had eroded all the love away and he couldn’t live as we were anymore. I promised I would get help if he would give me a chance, and please don’t break my heart by leaving me now. In short, he says he is confused.. one minute it’s ‘I’m moving out, I need space’ then its ‘let’s just take each day as it comes’ then when I push him as I feel so uncertain and insecure I get ‘if you need an answer now, it’s I’m leaving you’. He says he wants to take each day as it comes, but is talking about moving out to give himself space, but I fear if he does that I will never get him back. I have laid my soul bare to him, so he is in no doubt that I love him, and I have promised that I will seek help for my issues, and I have done that. I have been diagnosed with Body Dismorphiac Disorder (BDD) and anxiety. I am on medication as I can’t eat or sleep with all this going on, but I am managing to stay strong for my child, and holding down two jobs. OH is away with business for the next week so we both have breathing space, but he is being so cold and distant when we speak or email, and conversations are predominately about our child, even when I directly engage him on the matter, he ignores it. He says he doesn’t hate me, but there is not much talk of love either, he says there is a tiny bit of love left, but its buried so deep, he doesn’t know if it will ever come back, and doesn’t want to give me false hope. I am at a loss to what I should do next. For my own sanity, I have dropped all dialogue pertaining to this matter, and I am trying to concentrate on getting my issues sorted and getting myself better. I hopefully will get counselling quickly and can start sorting out my BDD. He says he doesn’t feel strong enough to get me through my issues, and whilst that hurts, I kind of understand why he has to remove himself. Does he feel if he says ok, lets give everything another try I will stop my progress and not face up to my problems? Or does he just not love me enough to care if I get sorted? I am so confused too, it doesn’t help that parents on respective sides keep calling me to find out what’s going on as he is not talking to anyone. Please help me, what should I do next? I am so desperate to make things right between us, and whilst our old relationship is dead, I am happy with that as I want us to move forward in a healthier, happier relationship together. He is my soulmate and no one will ever love me warts and all the way he once did…