Part of the fall out of dealing with infidelity in marriage is the new challenges that it creates for the couple in crisis but especially for the cheated on spouse. It would seem that life would be a whole lot better if people spent more time trying to make their marriages better instead of looking for greener pastures elsewhere. Here are some of the challenges that you might face in your relationship after an affair.
1) Should I Stay or Should we Get a Divorce?
This is a very difficult and gut wrenching decision to make. Well meaning friends and family members may offer their own advice and opinions, but in the end only you and your spouse can decide whether to end your marriage or not. You can always work with an objective third party such as a marriage counselor who can help you make the best decision.
2) Getting Over Suspicious Feelings
Depending on how far into the affair repair process you’re in, most affair victims would tell you that they simply cannot stop being suspicious of their dishonest spouses, it is almost like an obsession. They wage a daily battle to stop the fears and suspicions from destroying their lives. To keep yourself from going crazy, what you can do is to develop your own suspicion filters to filter out the real from the imagined.
3) Will They Cheat Again?
This is a tough question and only your spouse can answer that for you. If he or she is a serial cheater, then that’s another issue altogether. But if your spouse just lost his way, still loves you, is truly remorseful and is committed to doing the necessary work to repair the damage, then the likelihood of a future affair is diminished. The two of you can work to put boundaries in place and take other steps to affair proof your marriage.
Infidelity in marriage is one of the toughest emotional crisis you’ll ever have to face in life. There are many challenges to overcome and life-changing decisions that need to be made. Assuming that your disloyal spouse is willing, the two of you can work together to build your relationship to something better than you ever had before.