Relationship issues after infidelity can interfere with many areas of your life. We don’t always understand how infidelity impacts us, but we can certainly feel the impacts within the body afterward. After infidelity, when we do have these sensations and emotions, we can choose to ignore them or heal. Ignoring them can create its own issues. This blog post will discuss the relationship issues after infidelity and ways to start healing.
Betrayal Trauma
You made it. You finally found the person you’ve been looking for in life. Then boom. You’re blindsided by either your partner telling you directly about the infidelity or you find out via alternate social connections or social media. Betrayal trauma can take many forms in life. Furthermore, every relationship will have its own boundaries on cheating. Below may be a few examples of betrayal trauma, but this isn’t an exhaustive list.
- Physically cheating on your partner.
- Emotionally connecting with someone else despite a commitment to your spouse.
- Problematic pornography that disrupts your connection with your partner.
I want to emphasize that all relationships will have different boundaries and expectations on what cheating is. Thus, what may appear as cheating in one relationship may not be cheating in another relationship.
Fallout from Infidelity
However, when infidelity does occur outside the bounds of expectations, many things can happen within the relationship and to the person who was cheated on. This section will explain the aftereffects of infidelity.
Relationship Changes
- Communication can break down in the relationship.
- The relationship will fail to grow and evolve.
- The joy and ease of the relationship may disappear, and it can feel like a trudge just to ‘be together.’
- Guilt and shame can burden the relationship.
Individual Changes
- Insecurities can become heightened for the person cheated on.
- The self-esteem of the cheated-on partner can plummet.
- Feelings of not being good enough can impede happiness.
- Difficulty connecting with others and yourself.
Where Does the Relationship Go from Here?
This is a major question for those in the relationship to answer. Couples counseling may help to support the relationship in finding this answer, too. However, both individuals in the relationship will need to take an honest inventory of what happened and their future desires and commit to restoring the relationship’s health. Healing the relationship after infidelity may take a long time.
Individual Therapy for Infidelity Near Greenfield, WI
At Revitalize Mental Health PLLC, my goal is to help you heal from infidelity. This way, you can decide your next steps in the relationship or life with confidence. Individual therapy can be a great place for you to heal so that the relational trauma you experienced doesn’t impact your future life. Take the step and reach out now to start healing from the pain.
If you or someone you know could benefit from individualized therapy, call me at 720.295.6703 or submit an online form here by following this link. I offer in-person therapy for those living near Pleasant Prairie, Racine, and Union Grove, WI and online therapy for those who live throughout Wisconsin and Colorado.
