Feeling Too Guilty To Leave, Re-Evaluating Life In Your 40s & Talking About Trauma With Kids

TW: Just a heads up that this episode mentions child sexual abuse – if that’s not for you today perhaps skip this episode & listen to one from our extensive back catalogue.

This week – navigating a partner coming out as trans, imposter syndrome after maternity leave & becoming a surrogate for a friend.

• My husband told me he thinks he needs to talk to someone about his mental health and thinks he's headed for a mental breakdown. I'm really conflicted. I have been preparing to leave him due to emotional and financial abuse but now I feel obligated to stay and help him through this. I still want to leave and feel like I should be able to match the effort and support he has shown to me and our daughter but I feel guilty and worry about what people will think of me if I leave now.
• I am 47, perimenopausal and in a long-term relationship. I notice that many women at this stage of life are re-evaluating their choices. With children who have left or are leaving soon and the profound physical and psychological changes we go through, it seems like time for taking stock and looking forward to the next phase of life and what we want that to look like. This is especially true for women like myself who did not had the skills to set boundaries for themselves early in the relationship and have ended up with all the household responsibilities as well as working. My question is how do we as women begin respectful conversations with men regarding menopause and this re-evaluation, especially since re-evaluation of our relationships is often a major part of this? How do we make sure we have explored the possibility of improvement before we “leave our husbands” so that if we go, we can feel that we did the best we could do?
• I cut my dad out of my life when I was pregnant with my first daughter. After experiencing childhood sexual abuse at the hands of my father, years and years of therapy, a few attempts at severing ties, I finally did it. And I went through a period of grieving as though I'd lost a father through death. My question is, how do I navigate this with my children who are 3.5 and 6. Curious and wanting to know about their family connections, they ask "who's your dad?" How do I share my story in an age appropriate way, and also impart information about protecting themselves from the potential of abusive men who could be someone close to them? I feel that our society doesn't talk enough about the fact that predators are more likely to be relations or close family friends.

If you have a question for Clementine, get in touch: dearclementine@novapodcasts.com.au

CREDITS

Executive Producer: Edwina Stott
Audio Production: Adrian Walton
Managing Producer: Elle Beattie

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