Or at least they used to be.
Lately, you’re feeling disconnected – almost as if you’re living two separate lives.
And if your husband or wife is connecting with someone else then your marriage may be in jeopardy. Emotional infidelity in a marriage can lead to divorce, but it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker.
What is Emotional Infidelity?
Emotional infidelity occurs when your husband or wife establishes a meaningful connection with a person of the opposite sex. It becomes a problem in a marriage when your spouse turns to that person for comfort and connection.
If you’re already feeling disconnected from one another, then the emotional cheating widens the gap. It can also lead to physical or sexual infidelity.
It’s incredibly common because people often spend more time with their co-workers than they do with their spouses. And when you do spend time with your husband or wife, the discussions often center on household decisions and responsibilities.
There’s little time left to talk about your personal interests and challenges. The connection you once had with each other weakens. All people crave a connection with another person.
If that connection at home is weakened, emotional infidelity is a common consequence.
Is Emotional Infidelity in a Marriage a Deal Breaker?
When your husband connects with another woman and tells her his most intimate secrets it’s painful. An emotional affair can be one of the most devastating things that can happen to a marriage.
However, it’s not a deal breaker.
Consider emotional infidelity a red light warning.
It means your marriage is in trouble.
It doesn’t mean your marriage is over.
In fact, many people recover from emotional cheating to have better, stronger, happier, and more satisfying marriages.
Recovering from Emotional Affairs Takes Time and Determination
Do you want to save your marriage?
Do you want to feel that connection with your husband or wife again?
Do you want your best friend back?
If the answer is yes, then you’re ready for the next step.
However, it’s not just up to you. You can’t fix the marriage alone.
Your spouse must want to make it work too.
4 Questions to Take You to the Next Step – Surviving And Thriving After Emotional Infidelity
Once you’ve uncovered an emotional affair and you’ve discussed the infidelity with your spouse it’s time to ask four important questions.
1. Do you want to improve your marriage?
2. Does your spouse want to improve your marriage?
3. Are you willing to communicate and do the work?
4. Is your spouse willing to communicate and do the work?
Simple questions to ask, yet they may not be so simple to answer.
And to be honest, you and your spouse may not know the answers until you’ve taken a few steps toward repairing your marriage. Sometimes it takes re-establishing a connection for you to remember the spark and connection you used to have.
Marriage Counseling May Not Be the Answer
Marriage counseling can work for some couples. However it carries a stigma with it and it’s not always the right approach for emotional infidelity issues.
Consider alternatives to marriage counseling like Marriage Coaching and step-by-step marriage repair programs. These programs and alternatives provide the steps you need to take to survive and thrive after emotional cheating.
Is emotional infidelity a deal breaker? No, it absolutely doesn’t have to be. However, to stop it in its tracks and get your marriage back on the right path, it’s important to get help.
Act fast. Find a system or program that works for you and save your marriage.