Confessions of a 210lbs 29 y/o woman

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I am gross. I am a liar. I am bad with finances.

Growing up I never wanted for anything. We had money, although we were a dysfunctional family. I remember sitting round the fireplace as a child as my uncle and his gf shot up heroin, I even "helped" by holding the spoon. I've never done drugs, for the record. Or really drink. Or smoke. I was never "IN" to any of those things. I liked gaming and horses. I am academically average though there was no need to go to college or uni nor was it ever really brought up. I did a lot of physical stuff and flaunted my body a lot, had loads of boyfriends, unashamedly so.

But then the breadwinners in our family died - both of them in my arms. One was choking and the other having a heart attack. Ambulance came fast but no chance. And I learned how unprepared I was for adulthood. My friends disappeared.

So I'm sitting here at 29 in my 6 bedroom house in squalor with my mother who is more like a dependant (as she had me when she was 13 having been groomed by a pedo. OUR mum, my grandma, died). A leaky roof, sagging stairs and curtains that have not been washed in over a decade. We used to have cleaners and a cook. Not rich rich, but rich enough to live very comfortably despite the messed up family stuff. My mother inherited the house and we have enough money to barely afford it. No savings. I have not left the house in 2 weeks and for the last 5 years I have actually regressed in personal development.

The good news? I got a job. A minimum wage job but the first real job of my life. It is very strange to basically be an assistant to people barely 20 years old as I have zero work skills. It is REALLY hard for me to give up 5 days of my week and commuting an hour each way on public transport. I am often late. My goal is to go to university but if I cannot even sustain this then what hope do I have of college or even having children? I can barely look after myself. I work, come home, eat about 10000000 calories and then go sleep.

I started my job in september. I have already taken over 3 weeks leave. It is a really difficult adjustment but I have to, out of necessity. And I meet these amazing people who have such discipline. Who understand the true value of earning their way through life. It seems so stupid but one colleague refused some chocolate because she ate too many carbs and needs to compensate. Her self-discipline in this small thing was so admirable. I am just not used to saying no, especially to myself.

I go back to work tomorrow. I have to wake up at 6am to remotely be on time. It is SO hard not to just do what I want when I want. And yet... I want to change. I just want to be happy. To have a purpose. Even now, I have no purpose. I breathe just because.. it is easy to do nothing. It is easy to wake up late and sit on my computer and distract myself.

So this leaves me here. I am currently at 210lbs. I am pre-diabetic and have started to go bald and grow a mustache I have to shave. My entire house is squalor. I'm talking dishes that have not been cleaned in months. I cannot even see the cooker for the old pans stacked on it. We usually just eat microwave meals or sandwiches now. Mould in places you would be amazed. But you'd never know it. My personal hygeine is a daily affair, I wash everyday and brush my teeth and I always have clean and ironed clothes and get my hair cut every 8 weeks. I look after my appearance just not my weight. But once I'm home, the mask comes off and I am basically like a homeless person living in filth. I am literally gross. I went through a phase last year where I didn't want to leave the house for fresh cat litter so the cat ended up pissing everywhere and you know... I didn't care. I just continued on. Feeding fresh food and water but pissed/shat in my bedroom? I didn't care. I would go bed staring at a cat turd and feeling.. nothing. What on earth has my life come to?

How can I sit 30cm from a plate of food from last week with god knows what growing on it? I don't know. But when I want to do something about it I just cannot physically move.

I have told my doctor everything but we apparently do not need a social worker or help. We have been advised to sell the house and we should - but it would be so difficult in it's condition. My mother is a whole other disaster in herself. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer but refuses treatment even though we have the NHS... she is likely trying to eat herself to death before the cancer kills her off. Bringing it up just raises both our blood pressure. I am apparently "WITH IT" enough that I should just get my *kitten* together and get things done. But I freeze. And no one in a professional field takes me seriously enough to even visit my house to see how real the issues are... and friends. What friends? We have none between us - literally. None. No other family, all dead.

So yeah. I'm here. My last hope. Why did I choose MFP? I don't really know. I have SO MANY issues I need to work I would have to sign up to so many different sites. I thinking about how to break everything down into little goals. And it sounds really sad and pathetic but the thought of trying to figure out a way to begin cleaning petrifies me.

All I know is I have to look after me. Living like this and being fat are obviously connected. Like why bother trying being healthy, what is there to go home to and live for?

So I hope it's ok that I don't just document my weight loss progress, which I think will greatly boost my health and self-esteem but also ANY progress I make in life. For me it is an achievement to get out of bed on time. It's an achievement to do 10minutes worth of cleaning.

I just want to finally be able to be honest about my situation. I am crying as I write this as it really is just a sad state to be in... that I am mentally "with it" enough to acknowlege it.

I am gross. I do lie to people in person about my living situation out of embarassment. I cannot manage finances well. But I am trying. I just want somewhere to be honest.

Thank you.













Replies

  • ACanadian22
    ACanadian22 Posts: 377 Member
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    You have been through a lot. I am very sorry to hear this. Weight is an issue, but it seems that you don't seem to have a grasp on everyday "real" life first. You say that you want your money in order, yet you miss so many days? Personally, I would get my life in order before worrying about weight. Clean your home, get working, look after yourself and then work on the number on the scales.
    If you want to lose weight, go for a walk and record the things you need to do and then do them. Don't say you will do them......Actually do it. You can. <3
  • nita987
    nita987 Posts: 1 Member
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    Your story is very moving and you have survived a lot , you are stronger than you realize- OA (over eaters anonymous)
    Helped me ,the meetings are free and there is a lot of support you can do this,
  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    edited November 2018
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    I agree with the above. You are brave, you are worthy, you are beautiful inside. You are not gross. Do one thing today. Go get a large box of trash bags. Fill one of them. Then tomorrow fill one. I also think just throwing a good bit away will be so much easier than trying to clean and organize. Once you get little breathing space then maybe try it differently. Just do one. Then tomorrow just one, or if that's rough the day after tomorrow. Make a calendar and write one VERY SMALL step every other day. Sending love and support and wanting you to find the amazing power that just one small step at a time can bring.

    Also perhaps, one small thing for you each day. Get up 5 minutes earlier and write 2 positive things. Or do 2 push ups, or stretch. Just 5 mins of self care to start your day. Then 15.
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
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    Recognizing the issues and actually writing them down was very brave of you, so you've made a big step.

    Along with the other excellent advice you've received, I'll add - don't try to change too much at once. You know you are going to need to get the house in order to either continue to live there or sell it, so start small. One corner, one pile makes a difference.

    Wishing you the best of luck and stick around here - lots of really nice, supportive people hang out here.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    Typing this took a courage that few have.

  • ggenet2014
    ggenet2014 Posts: 71 Member
    edited November 2018
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    You are very brave and strong. Those are great qualities in a friend. I see myself in a lot of what you spoke of. I know it’s your story but I can understand it.
    You will do great. One step at a time.
  • 100_PROOF_
    100_PROOF_ Posts: 1,168 Member
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    I'm really sorry. It sound like you are having a rough time.
    I wish there was a way you could form a support network like getting a counselor, therapist or even a trusted religious leader if you are into that type of thing.
    I'm really sorry you are going through this.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    I hope your appointment went well. Please update as you go along. There are many who will be interested in following your triumphs and I'm sure will be happy to help you when you stumble. Building a support community is important. And changing the sheets when you've been feeling as low as you have is an amazing success. :flowerforyou:
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
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    I can relate a bit.. I live with a hoarder. I'm trying to tackle things in small steps. Tonight I got motivated and bagged up 4 bags of trash and a big bag of clothes to take to the charity drop. That motivation is REALLY hard to find most days.
    But some of the others were right. Do things in small steps. Clean an area for 5 minutes. Or bag 1 bag of trash. Eventually you'll start to have some progress.
    A person's weight tends to reflect their mental state and environment. A little work putting things in order and you'll have more self esteem.. feel like you're more worth making the effort for yourself.

  • DonnaKelly79
    DonnaKelly79 Posts: 31 Member
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    Amazing story and super well-written, have you thought about writing your story or some short stories to be published? You are obviously very clever and well spoken, when the time comes perhaps editorial/writing would be something you could look into? Have you sought grief counselling over not just the loss of your family, but of your prior life? Sorry you have been through so much. I agree with other posters, I like the idea of focusing just on your room so that you have a clean and healthy space to focus on yourself. 5-10 minutes a day will really start to show some progress. I wish I lived nearby, I'd help! Good for you for finding a job and doing your best, the little victories are what count in life and they all add up! Wishing you all the best!
  • leahmariemounsey5023
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    Baby steps. You’ve been though a lot do one thing a day that will improve your life you obviously want a different way of living so try one thing a day like “today I will clean the living room so on so forth also cleaning is a form of exercise so that would help you with some weight. Be kind to yourself xx
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Honestly, it sounds like professional therapy would be a good option for you.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,136 Member
    edited November 2018
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    I find when I am stressed or anxious one of the first things I notice is my pride in my appearance and my home slips a little, it's a bit of a vicious circle in my case because I have a lot of OCD tendencies so I if I am unhappy I don't make as much effort, but if I don't have a tidy home I get stressed out by my OCD.

    Living as you described is a massive flag for depression, which is unsurprising from what you've said about what you've been through. As you've mentioned the NHS I assume you're in the UK, it can seem like it's impossible to get help from doctors but there are great support groups and charities in the UK and you definitely need to start getting to the root of your depression and anxiety and sort out your living situation before you start trying to tackle your weight. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/depression-help-groups/

    As for the cleaning I think I would agree with a lot of what is said above, start small:
    • Throw out anything that's in a really bad state, even if it's just a case of filling one bag of rubbish per day.
    • Consider maybe just buying 2 new sets of crockery/cutlery even if it's just out of the pound shop, doesn't need to be anything expensive, so that you have one set for you and your mum that can be cleaned and re-used for each meal.
    • Make a list of everything that needs to be cleaned/tidied broken down into small task, once you've thrown out what is beyond saving and give yourself a goal of ticking maybe 2-3 things off the list each day. For example Day 1 you might clean the microwave seeing as you're currently using that as you main method of cooking and clean the area that you're eating in. Day 2 you might change & wash your bedding, and so on.

    I personally don't agree that bringing it up at work if you're very new to the job would be a good idea, but seeking support or help from a local support group or charity might be a good idea if the cleaning seems very over-whelming.

    You might find this website helpful also http://www.squalorsurvivors.com/index.shtml
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 979 Member
    edited November 2018
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    Life is tough. I don't mean that in a mean way, I mean that in a way that is to say, that when the rug is pulled out from under your feet, you shouldn't be surprised if it is tough to get back up again. I honestly believe that you will be fine, because from they way you are talking, it sounds like you've gone far enough. You sound strong, but stuck. Unfortunately if nobody is going to help you, then you need to help yourself. Accept your reality now and accept your past is past. Make a plan for what you want to do going forward, and work out how you're going to get there.

    For the house, if you're finding it overwhelming to clean it yourself, you could consider getting a one time cleaner in. There are people who specialize in this kind of situation. It can be quite expensive, but if you want to sell and move, it might be the easiest way going forward. A fresh start sounds like what you need.

    Don't hate yourself. That doesn't change anything. Forgive yourself for allowing yourself to get this way, and move past it.

    And may I suggest, in this world connectivity it is easier than ever to reach out to old friends. Reconnecting with those who you once cared about will be hard, and it might seem easier and less daunting to not worry about it, but most friendship do not die because you've lost touch, they just go into hibernation. If one person is willing to make the effort for the friendship, and the other reciprocates, then friendships can be reformed. It may surprise you how willing old friends are to meet up again, but this will require you to take the first step and to develop a thick skin to those who may have moved on with their lives.

    Good luck, and I wish you all the best :heart:
  • PigHerder
    PigHerder Posts: 89 Member
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    Hi @gr3ychik3n. Sorry to hear your tale. Where about in the UK are you? I live in Scotland and there are lots of organisations up here that operate outside of the NHS that support people in similar situations. My mother worked for one for several years, and worked with clients with the same kind of challenges you have. Many of them were able to make huge, life-changing transformations with a wee bit of help from someone who helped them access the help they needed. If you're really struggling or feeling suicidal, don't forget the Samaritans are always there on 116 123, and they may also be able to refer you to local services that could offer practical or emotional support. The same goes for MIND who have a great information line. Don't feel ashamed. These organisations deal with this kind of thing all the time, and have the resources and info that could really make a big difference. Good luck!