Is Keeping your Infidelity a Secret Really the Best Decision?

September 20, 2012 by 1 Comment

A problem that people who have had affairs always have to face is making the decision whether to keep their infidelity a secret or tell their spouses about it.

No matter how many of their friends or family or anyone else they ask advice from regarding this, the only person who can make the decision is themselves. But what are the things that you need to consider before deciding whether or not they should continue to keep infidelity a secret?

Of course, everyone is aware of the obvious and potential consequences that could happen once an extramarital affair is revealed. But there are some things that could happen that you need to consider if you’re thinking of keeping your infidelity a secret from your spouse.

You may think that it would be easier to keep your infidelity a secret from your spouse, but in relationships where secrets are kept from one another, especially for a long period of time, certain changes occur that would degrade the relationship.

Communication, for example, would become limited to the topics that you are comfortable with because you will do anything to try to avoid getting discovered. And even when you think you are doing a good job of keeping your infidelity a secret, your spouse will know that something is going on.

When this happens, the relationship becomes swallowed in this hole of deception and lies that will not be easy to get out of. And it is more likely that all the lying and mistrust that will develop in your relationship will cause its demise, rather than the extramarital affair itself. So whether or not you reveal or keep your infidelity a secret from your partner, there is still a very big possibility that you will both end up hurting each other.

You have to remember that it’s not always the obvious things that can hurt a relationship. Sometimes – most of the time, actually – a strain in communication is enough to cause major problems, especially if it happens for a long time.

So before deciding not to reveal your infidelity, you have to make sure that you will actually be able to hide it from your spouse for the rest of your life. Otherwise, it would be a much wiser choice to come clean and accept the consequences of your actions rather than to continue keeping your infidelity a secret.

Filed Under: After the Affair, Infidelity and Tolerations, Infidelity Coaching, Infidelity Decisions, Infidelity Fears, Infidelity Help, Infidelity Impact, Marriage Makeover, Recovery From Infidelity, Relationship Tips, Relationships: Marriage, Stopping the Affair, Surviving Infidelity Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sexual Addiction: How Does it Cause Extramarital Affairs? Part 2

September 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

In this second part of the two-part series on sexual addiction and infidelity, we will continue to list down more things you need to watch out for from your partner, or anyone else you know, to be able to identify whether or not his or her infidelity is caused by sexual addiction.

Here are a few more insights and observations on sexual addiction and infidelity:

1. Sex for someone who is sexually addicted is actually tied very closely with fear. He or she is afraid, most of all, of getting caught or discovered. This person is afraid of being faced with the consequences of his or her infidelity. He or she does not want to be looked down on, to lose the respect of the people around him. He or she does not want to alienate himself, and lose his family and his friends.

2. Because of this fear, he or she develops a different view of the world. This person begins to rationalize his or her actions and behaviors, and convinces himself that there is nothing wrong with the things he or she is doing. He or she will also be able to hide his or her addiction from those around, and convince them that there is nothing wrong. He or she will be able to lead a kind of double life – one where his or her addiction exists, and one where it doesn’t.

3. There is also a cycle of making and breaking promises, and failing to keep his or her word when it comes to sexual activities. Usually, after a bout of infidelity, that guilt persists and this person makes promises to not do it again either to himself or his or her partner. This promise usually only lasts until the next time he or she feels the urge to act out on his or her addiction again, in which case he or she will most likely will. And the cycle continues.

If you see any of these on anyone you know, encourage them to get help as soon as possible. It won’t be easy, of course, because no one would admit right away that they are sexually addicted. But try to convince him or her that living without this addiction will create much better relationships with other people, especially with his or her partner. And that he or she should explore and discover the world without sexual addiction.

Filed Under: After the Affair, Infidelity and Tolerations, Infidelity Decisions, Infidelity Fears, Infidelity Help, Infidelity Impact, Marriage Makeover, Recovery From Infidelity, Relationship Tips, Relationships: Marriage, Stopping the Affair, Surviving Infidelity Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sexual Addiction: How Does it Cause Extramarital Affairs?

September 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A kind of extramarital affair that is becoming more and more common is one related to sexual addiction. The one having the affair has a hard time saying no and instead, feels obligated to say yes when it comes to sex.

Although we all have our limits when it comes to affairs, and will, at some point, eventually say no and mean it, there are those who have a difficult time at doing so. Not because they want to continue the affair, but because they have a hard time saying no to it.

This is why sexual addiction and infidelity that is caused by it is very hard to fix, because it’s difficult to separate one from the other completely unless the addiction is addressed.

In this two-part article about the relationship between sexual addiction and infidelity, you will learn a few identifiers that will help you point out whether or not you should suspect sexual addiction as the cause of your partner’s infidelity, or if it is a different type of affair caused by other factors.

Here are some things that you should take note of:

1. The other person or persons are only seen as objects for personal gratification. Your partner does not develop a real relationship with him or her, and no true intimacy is developed. He or she is used merely for sex.

2. Your partner’s sexual addiction may have stemmed from an experience from childhood that he or she had a difficult time to cope with and hadn’t completely resolved yet – usually sexual abuse in some form.

3. Sex, to your partner, has a heightened role or value in your relationship. The need for sexual gratification is great and should be acted upon frequently. Also, other activities related to sex such as watching porn, going to strip clubs, or having multiple sexual partners is very common.

For more signs of sexual addiction, check back in a few days for the second part of this post.

Filed Under: After the Affair, Infidelity and Tolerations, Infidelity Coaching, Infidelity Decisions, Infidelity Help, Marriage Makeover, Recovery From Infidelity, Relationship Tips, Relationships: Marriage, Surviving Infidelity Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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