Hi Teena
Sounds like your husband may be doing a bit of attention seeking. Perhaps he loves the feedback he gets from it, puts him on a high. Having been married to the same guy for 20 years, if I discovered my husband was doing this, my question to him would be 'What the hell are you doing?!'. I figure there must be more considerate and creative ways of feeling good in life and it's as simple as that. If what he's creating for himself is highly destructive for you, I wouldn't regard it as 'positively creative'.
Have you asked him why this has become one of his favorite hobbies? Is he bored or is he going through a bit of an identity crisis perhaps where he's looking for ways that confirm he's of some significance or is he just plain self serving and arrogant and always has been? You mention a bit of gaslighting. Is he a typical gaslighter, a tad on the manipulative side?
If my husband refuses to feel for me when I'm upset about a particular issue, that's something I tend to seriously question. Being a 'feeler'/empathic person, I make every effort to feel how my husband feels. I expect the same in return. 'Just comments' sounds like a justification from your husband, a bit of a brush off. I think there are those triggers we can really feel at times, those self serving 'brush off' remarks/triggers such as when our partner may say 'You're blowing this out of proportion' or 'You're being ridiculous' or 'You're so dramatic' or 'You're making a big deal out of nothing' etc. Teena, they're the kind of remarks that used to depress me and lead me to feel unimportant, not worthy of greater consideration. These days it's a different story, these days that sort of stuff kinda makes my blood boil. Teena, you're important and this is something I hope you fully believe in. Are you important enough to command more respect and consideration than what you're getting, especially when it comes to your feelings? Absolutely, in my opinion.
Personally, I'd be asking him why this is the only way he can get a serious high out of life and why he can't think up something less destructive.