Hi Rick, I am the unfaithful spouse and I typically go through this cycle. I start to feel encouraged and feel good and I feel the ability to have empathy for my spouse. During this time everything seems to work for me. This lasts for 2 or 3 weeks max. At that point I start to feel very numb and detached. My wife will say things during this period and they will hurt more than the previous week. I slowly start to drift. It is a slow process, but it happens more and more. Pretty soon I find myself just going through the motions while still trying to do the right thing. My wife can see that I am detached and she gets scared. This usually ends with a big argument, and I react in a negative way because I feel like I can't take it anymore. Then I repent and I start all over again. What does this mean and how can I keep showing empathy when I can't feel it? I feel confused because I want to do what is right, but I feel like I get forced into "pretend-normal".