Extramarital Affairs: Not Always Due to Sexual Unsatisfaction

Whenever a person finds out that their partner is cheating on them, or was once involved in an extramarital affair, more often than not, the things you imagine are worse than what actually happened, especially when it comes to their sexual encounters.

Take this case of extramarital affairs, for example, where a woman began an affair with someone who was 15 years younger than her. She described how she felt during the affair, saying that she didn’t feel like herself and that she was actually truly traumatized from it. She talked about how difficult it was for her lover to get an erection, and when they were finally able to have sex, that it was not good at all. In fact, it made her feel worse about herself.

What you have to keep in mind, though, is that what you imagined they had done during the extramarital affair is not necessarily the truth. And that in most cases, it is actually the opposite.

This is a problem that most victims of infidelity encounter – believing that the affair occurred because of a lack of sexual satisfaction in the marriage, and that it is the other person who started the seduction. This is not the case for everyone who has gone through or is going through an extramarital affair. Reasons for engaging in extramarital affairs actually go deeper than just a lack of sexual satisfaction in the relationship most of the time.

Usually, people cheat for personal reasons that have nothing to do with problems regarding their partners or relationships. They are usually problems that go back even before the relationship, and your partner probably had not been able to cope with it properly. Extramarital affairs are never as simple as a bad sex life, and the only way you can get to the bottom of it is if you explore each others’ needs together.

Real-Life Infidelity Stories: Getting Over Feeling “Controlled”

This real-life situation is from a woman who feels controlled by her husband.

It’s been difficult for me ever since I found out about my husband’s affair, especially because I’ve been trying to get him to tell me the details of what happened between him and her but he just won’t talk to me about it. Now, every time we try to have a conversation about anything, it turns into an argument. We just don’t communicate the way we used to anymore. I’ve been trying to piece together all the things he said with the things I found out and nothing makes sense. His stories don’t match up. I don’t know what to believe anymore. I’m trying to understand and forgive him, but he won’t even tell me the truth. To be honest, I’m getting really fed up with what’s happening. I don’t want to be in love with him anymore. I don’t want to be with him anymore. I feel like he’s controlling me and I just want my life back.

Here are a few things that were suggested for her to focus on:

1. Why do you think that you need to know the details of his affair? Do you think that it will help you cope more or move on faster? Dig deep into the reasons behind your need to know.

2. Try to understand why your partner is so hesitant in telling you what you want to know. Is he doing it for any specific reason?

3. Acknowledge this feeling of powerlessness. When does it usually occur? Rate it on a scale of 1-10. When is it the strongest? What happens that makes you feel powerless? When is it the weakest? Try to pinpoint when it happens and when it isn’t there.

Marriage and Relationships: Romance is Not What It Used To Be

One of the biggest factors that causes affairs in marriage and relationships, especially that of the “I fell out of love… and just love being in love” type, is romance. And here are some of the reasons why:

1. People use romance as a way for them to meet their personal needs. They want to be acknowledged, to be cared for, to feel special, to feel like they are important and so on, so they look for someone who will do that. Romance should not be used as a tool to feel somewhat validated. Letting it lead you and the decisions you make will only take you from one person to the next without any satisfaction.

2. Romance has become idealized in movies, books, TV shows and other things like that as the ultimate experience in intimate relationships. It is depicted as the basis of a strong and lasting relationship, the basis in choosing the person you should be with. They show beautiful people in a beautiful relationship, and who wouldn’t want to have that?

3. Romance is a way for people to feel good – about their life, about themselves – and they expect to feel good whenever they pursue romance. They want that high you get when you’re with someone new and they expect it to last, but it never does because their basis for being with that person is for an immediate fix instead of a lifetime goal.

4. And lastly, romance is an excuse that a lot of people use for sex. Having chemistry with someone doesn’t indicate that you two should have sex, it doesn’t even mean that you should be together, but most people would see this chemistry as a “spark” that should be pursued and so they pursue it.

Romance has lost its true meaning mostly because we use it as an excuse to satisfy our immediate wants and desires. If you want true romance, look into yourself and be more aware of the things that bring you real happiness and accept yourself for who and what you are.