Dealing with Infidelity

Infidelity can be devastating to a relationship. What people consider as “cheating” may vary from person to person. For example, you may feel that viewing pornography is cheating, or having very personal conversations with a member of the opposite sex is cheating, but your partner may not see it that way.

Many people feel that cheating is a deal-breaker, an absolute end for the relationship – and it often is. However, sometimes it’s not that simple. Sometimes, people don’t want to walk away from a long-term relationship that they have invested years in. They may still genuinely love each other, or it can be especially hard to dissolve the relationship when children are involved. Even though there could be an interest to work through the breach(es) of trust and get to the root of the problem to try to salvage the relationship, it comes with challenges that may be difficult to navigate on your own.

When is it time to get help?

Infidelity is a major breach of trust and can feel devastating to the person who has been cheated on. It can also be crushing to the person who was unfaithful as they are likely to be dealing with many intense emotions themselves. Relationships can and do survive infidelity. Other relationships can and do end. If you’ve experienced this in your relationship, there is much to process. It’s possible that you are feeling a large variety of emotions that ebb and flow or change from time to time. If these emotions are interfering with your sleep, eating work, parenting, other relationships, or general wellbeing, or you’re just not feeling able to move forward then it’s time to seek help from a therapist who can help you to navigate this event – either by yourself or as a couple.

You may also want to learn more about:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma
• Marriage and relationship concerns
• Grief
• Anger management

As these are common issues that may be present when dealing with the aftermath of infidelity.