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Abusive Realtionships with Family


12 years ago 0 60 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Congrats LilyElsa!
 
I have a similar issue. My husband constantly nags about how I eat. When he is away at work he calls and lectures me for hours on what supplements I should be taking and what foods I should eat. And then he goes ballistic on me when I don't follow 'the plan'. So after some internal injuries slowing me down physically and emotional frustration I am eating more sugary foods...comfort foods. I have gained about 25 lbs in 2 years. Now he even has the kids calling me fat. Mind you, I am 5 foot 7 and weigh about 150 lbs which according to most doctors is not even overweight yet. I have been told by friends that I need to stand up to him and not take the verbal abuse. But I have tried to say something and it just makes him more angry and he attacks me even more.
 
I am glad your family was understanding enough to listen to your concerns. I hope it helps you get back to being happy with yourself.
I hope to be right behind ya!
12 years ago 0 199 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
LilyElsa,
 
I must also say Good for You!!  You have taken a huge step in the right direction..You are doing what is best for you and learning to love you...Your story is very inspiring...
 
Sid...
12 years ago 0 3043 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Good for you LilyElsa! I'm glad you stood up for yourself and that you're doing it your way. Keep it up!
12 years ago 0 14 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0

Hi.
I thought I'd report back. I stuck to my guns on this one. I told my mother that although she was concerned, she was the reason for my overeating. Her constant nagging was casuing my lack of self esteem, not my weight.
I didn't diet the way she wanted me to, I did it my way. So far I've lost just over a stone. :)
12 years ago 0 3043 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi LilyElsa,
You seem to know what's going on. You know that your family's thinking is negatively affecting you and that it's not your fault. You are a valuable individual and what you look like on the outside doesn't compare to you on the inside.
 
I think exercising is a good option for you. I'm not saying that your family is right. Personally I think they all need to wake up and see what they are doing to you. What I found when I started going to the gym is that it's time for me. I get to work out all my frustrations and I feel extremely good about myself afterwards. I definitely recommend it. Also, it may help them to back off since exercise is the safest way to lose weight not skipping meals.
 
Have you done a thought record for this?
 
Rowsie
12 years ago 0 14 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi.

I feel completely abused by them. I have told them so many times. I've had clinical (by definition) depression since I 'was sixteen. My mother knows exactly why I feel so upset and put down. My father thinks depression doesn't exist. Enough said. It just doesn't sink in. My goals are to graduate, get a job and move out ASAP. My more immediate goals are to try to stop self harming and just cope. I just need some conformation that I am following the programme correctly and that my thinking isd not faulty (I did all the exercises and it seems to be logical)
 
Thanks,
LilyElsa

12 years ago 0 2606 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hello LilyElsa,
 
Thank you for opening up and sharing with us. It sounds like you are going through a challenging time right now, and I hear that you are feeling pressured by your close family and friends. It is important to communicate with them about how this is making you feel and how this is affecting you on a daily basis. Please do not feel the need to apologize for having a longer post, we definitely encourage you to express what you are going through no matter how many words it takes. Let's focus a little bit on your goals at this time. What is important to you at the moment? What would you do if you weren’t answerable to anyone?
 
Know that we are here for you, please know that you are not alone.
 
 

Samantha, Health Educator
12 years ago 0 14 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0

Hey. I could really use the perspective of other people on this one. It's been going on for a while and it's really got me down.
 
I am a 21 year old female, 5ft 11 (vey nearly six foot) and I weigh about 15 1/2 stone. That's a UK size 14/16 dress size. For the last couple of years this has been my constant weight, but my family just can't seem to accept me for who I am. It began with little prods about needing to lose weight and has escalated. At easter my mother said she didn't feel she could have friends round when her daughter "looks like this. You don't make an effort, you don't wear nice clothes and you're overweight". Then my stepmother (hark who's talking) gave me a massive lecture on it (a size 20 herself and only 5ft 5), followed by my dad and my grandmothers, one of whom is 5ft 3 and has managed to eat herself into diabetes. Now my mother (having finished uni. I am back at home until I can afford my own place) is giving me tiny portions, not letting me eat certain foods, and has me on 1300 kcals a day. Today she told me she was ashamed of me and didn't like the daughter she had. I am ashmaed to say I lost my temper. But I felt completely crushed. So, since I got my tea taken away form me for my (rightly) appaling behaviour, in the last 24 hours I have had two slices of toast, one roast potato and some stufiing and I feel ill.
 
Every single mealtime, without fail, I am being encouraged to eat as little as possible and miss meals where I can. I am a veggie, and I get eaily anemic, so this is making me exceptionally tired. I thought my boyfriend would be on my side, but he just encouraged more exercise and told me to follow her rules.
 
Maybe I'm missing something here, but until my (literally) entire family began tellin g me i was "killing" myself I was happy with who I was. It seems to be them that has the problem. But I just don't know. I feel fat and ugly and unworthy. I am self-harming to try and cope but I hate being forced into this. My mother sees it as if I live in her house I must obey by her rules. But it's my body and although I am overweight, I eat healthily.
The real problem is that I'm afraid it's starting to sink in. I can't seem to eat food anyone without their voices inside my head telling me I'm fat and they are ashamed (which they have literally said).
 
I'm sorry this porbably sounds like a rant, but I'm at rock bottom, and I could someone telling me whether or Not I am thinking correctly. I have followed the program and tried to work out what my faulty thinking is, but with everybody around me saying the same thing it's really hard to judge.
 
Any advice or comments would be a huge help.
Thank you
LilyElsa

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