Pregnant Woman Asks How To Move On From Husband’s “Joke”, Internet Urges Her To Move OUT Instead
Disagreements, arguments, and occasional hurt feelings are part of most marriages, and many couples grow accustomed to navigating some level of conflict. Over time, this can blind people to behavior that goes far beyond what’s acceptable.
On r/Relationship_Advice, one woman described how her husband ignored not just her comfort but also her deepest fear. Living with severe claustrophobia, she said he deliberately trapped her in a closet, laughing while she begged to be released.
His “joke” left her deeply shaken, forcing her to reevaluate their entire marriage.
This woman has been living with a bad case of claustrophobia
Image credits: Impactphotography / Envato (not the actual photo)
But for some reason, her husband finds it amusing
Image credits: throwra-021
Phobias aren’t funny
Image credits: s_kawee / Envato (not the actual photo)
Little is known about what causes people to develop a fear of confined spaces. However, it usually emerges during childhood or in teenage years, and traumatic events — such as being stuck in a crowded space for an extended period of time, being locked in a small space as punishment, or experiencing heavy turbulence when flying — can also play a part.
The Redditor didn’t provide the specifics about her condition, but she did highlight that it’s severe. Triggers in such cases may include:
- being in a small room without windows;
- riding in an airplane or small car;
- being in a packed elevator;
- undergoing an MRI or CT scan;
- standing in a large but crowded room, like at a party or concert;
- standing in a closet.
Other places that can trigger claustrophobia include public restrooms, car washes, revolving doors, store dressing rooms, caves or crawl spaces, and tunnels.
As you can imagine, with such limitations, even normal routines can feel unpredictable and exhausting.
The woman revealed more about her predicament in the comments
People thought her husband’s actions were a clear sign that she needed to leave him
Eventually, that’s exactly what she decided to do
Image credits: Pablo Merchán Montes / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: throwra-021
How to identify emotional abuse
Attitudes and behaviors that may signal emotional abuse include:
- Ridicule: Name-calling, making “jokes” that attack your character, or shaming you. This may also occur in front of other people, further affecting your self-esteem.
- Verbal abuse: Emotional abuse isn’t always subtle. Sometimes, it manifests as verbal attacks, sudden mood changes, or episodes of yelling.
- Humiliation: This may also show up as either private or public behaviors that degrade you or make you feel hopeless.
- Threat of abuse: Trying to create fear with threats of harming themselves, you, or something you care for. This may be done to control the decisions you make.
- Jealousy: Someone may exhibit controlling behaviors toward you to limit the time you spend away from them.
- Restriction or damage to property: Attempting to scare someone through destruction may be used to create a perception of control.
- Threats of ending the relationship: If your partner issues an ultimatum or threatens a divorce to exert control, this is abusive behavior.
- Neglect: When someone deliberately refrains from meeting your physical or emotional needs, it can be considered a form of neglect.
According to a paper from 2023, being exposed to coercive control can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. So the woman definitely needs to prioritize her own well-being.
Poll Question
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I'd get an abortion and a divorce after that incident. He's psycho and the mask is slipping.
Definitely! And a baby will tie them for maaaany years (they'll have to stay in contact - custody sharing, medical decisions, meetings) so I'd go with abortion as well...
Load More Replies...Pretty sure he tampered with her birth control. Baby trapping and escalating to abu$e once he thinks he has her locked in. If she doesn't abort she needs to move to another state asap. One that favors the mother if possible, hopefully with family and friends. She needs to keep meticulous records especially of this situation. He endangered the baby (yes I know embryo technically but most people will say baby) by endangering her.
I'm not generally huge on how Reddit seems to jump on "divorce!" as a solution, but in this case... OP needs to divorce the dickhead and never look back. If he's like this now, think how worse it could get once the baby is born. Any man that finds his wife's distress amusing is a C U Next Tuesday, not a husband.
The OP mentioned that there were other signs, so this isn't a one-off. Plus it's common for abusers to love-bomb (such as apologizing) after abusing an intimate partner.
Load More Replies...I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but she needs to have an abortion. Even if she divorces him, he will still be there, in that child’s life - and her’s. He can sue for custody and make her life a living hell. And there is no doubt he’ll be a*****e to the child, too.
15 minutes. He left her in there for 15 minutes. Like maybe 10 20 seconds is a badly judged joke… but 15 minutes. Wtf is wrong with him.
Fifteen seconds in a closet might be a joke, fifteen minutes is sadistic - ESPECIALLY for someone with claustrophobia. This guy is a damned psycho. Too bad she's pregnant, because now she's tied to him.
TBH I don't think any prank of this sort is acceptable, even if it were only 15 seconds. A prank could only be funny if both pranker and prankee are genuinely laughing about it.
Load More Replies...Another pregnant woman being abused by her 'loving partner'. Wish I could say I was surprised.
Violation is the right word. This was intended to terrorise OP and dominate her. Cruelty is never ok and she needs to get out asap before the abuse escalatea.
No way in hell would I stay married to this person. He is a horrible a****r and it will not get better. I'd terminate the pregnancy tomorrow and never look back.
I'm an odd sort of claustrophobic in that I can cope with planes, trains and buses but not the back seat of cars, nor anywhere (no matter how big) if I think I am locked in. Put me in a room the size of a football field and if the door is locked, I'm on my knees. This guy is a right farquewit and I have sweaty palms just reading this. He also now knows what will upset her the most. OP was right to walk out.
She's stupid not to terminate while she still can. That AH will tie her in knots in court about custody and visitation and child support and b******t "parental alienation" c**p for the next 18 years and with co-parenting drama forever unless she gets completely free now.
He was testing her to see what he can get away with and how far he can go. It'll slowly escalate. I'm glad she's divorcing him. But I would have aborted also, you don't want to be tied to a person like that. I would also be disgusted by a piece of him growing inside me which is why I would get the abortion.
A sane person wouldn't even do this to a person they don't care about and who's not claustrophobic. A sane person wouldn't do this to people they hate. It takes a lot to do this to anyone. OP should do that poor baby a favour and abort it. Life with such a father lurking somewhere would be hell.
Why are "abuse" and "abusive" censored in the post, but "abusive" isn't censored in the poll? Is it only ok when BP writes those oh-so-terrible words?
I would have called 911 for abuse. When the cops would have seen the state she was in, I'm hoping they would have had "words" with AH hubby, maybe while he was in a jail cell.
I thought it was like a joke abt the phobia when i read the title... Girl move OUT what r u DOING IN THERE?????? DIVORCE. NOW.
I'd get an abortion and a divorce after that incident. He's psycho and the mask is slipping.
Definitely! And a baby will tie them for maaaany years (they'll have to stay in contact - custody sharing, medical decisions, meetings) so I'd go with abortion as well...
Load More Replies...Pretty sure he tampered with her birth control. Baby trapping and escalating to abu$e once he thinks he has her locked in. If she doesn't abort she needs to move to another state asap. One that favors the mother if possible, hopefully with family and friends. She needs to keep meticulous records especially of this situation. He endangered the baby (yes I know embryo technically but most people will say baby) by endangering her.
I'm not generally huge on how Reddit seems to jump on "divorce!" as a solution, but in this case... OP needs to divorce the dickhead and never look back. If he's like this now, think how worse it could get once the baby is born. Any man that finds his wife's distress amusing is a C U Next Tuesday, not a husband.
The OP mentioned that there were other signs, so this isn't a one-off. Plus it's common for abusers to love-bomb (such as apologizing) after abusing an intimate partner.
Load More Replies...I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but she needs to have an abortion. Even if she divorces him, he will still be there, in that child’s life - and her’s. He can sue for custody and make her life a living hell. And there is no doubt he’ll be a*****e to the child, too.
15 minutes. He left her in there for 15 minutes. Like maybe 10 20 seconds is a badly judged joke… but 15 minutes. Wtf is wrong with him.
Fifteen seconds in a closet might be a joke, fifteen minutes is sadistic - ESPECIALLY for someone with claustrophobia. This guy is a damned psycho. Too bad she's pregnant, because now she's tied to him.
TBH I don't think any prank of this sort is acceptable, even if it were only 15 seconds. A prank could only be funny if both pranker and prankee are genuinely laughing about it.
Load More Replies...Another pregnant woman being abused by her 'loving partner'. Wish I could say I was surprised.
Violation is the right word. This was intended to terrorise OP and dominate her. Cruelty is never ok and she needs to get out asap before the abuse escalatea.
No way in hell would I stay married to this person. He is a horrible a****r and it will not get better. I'd terminate the pregnancy tomorrow and never look back.
I'm an odd sort of claustrophobic in that I can cope with planes, trains and buses but not the back seat of cars, nor anywhere (no matter how big) if I think I am locked in. Put me in a room the size of a football field and if the door is locked, I'm on my knees. This guy is a right farquewit and I have sweaty palms just reading this. He also now knows what will upset her the most. OP was right to walk out.
She's stupid not to terminate while she still can. That AH will tie her in knots in court about custody and visitation and child support and b******t "parental alienation" c**p for the next 18 years and with co-parenting drama forever unless she gets completely free now.
He was testing her to see what he can get away with and how far he can go. It'll slowly escalate. I'm glad she's divorcing him. But I would have aborted also, you don't want to be tied to a person like that. I would also be disgusted by a piece of him growing inside me which is why I would get the abortion.
A sane person wouldn't even do this to a person they don't care about and who's not claustrophobic. A sane person wouldn't do this to people they hate. It takes a lot to do this to anyone. OP should do that poor baby a favour and abort it. Life with such a father lurking somewhere would be hell.
Why are "abuse" and "abusive" censored in the post, but "abusive" isn't censored in the poll? Is it only ok when BP writes those oh-so-terrible words?
I would have called 911 for abuse. When the cops would have seen the state she was in, I'm hoping they would have had "words" with AH hubby, maybe while he was in a jail cell.
I thought it was like a joke abt the phobia when i read the title... Girl move OUT what r u DOING IN THERE?????? DIVORCE. NOW.











































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