Rick Reynolds, LCSW
by Rick Reynolds, LCSW
Founder & President, Affair Recovery

The True Definition of Love and Its Role In Surviving An Affair

Continue Your Healing With EMS Online! Registration Opens Soon.

Spots fill up quickly, so you won't want to wait to register for EMSO! To learn when registration opens back up, click the button below.

Subscribe to Registration Notifications!

Love is a funny thing.

To the couple in crisis due to infidelity or addiction, it can also be a very confusing thing.

In our culture, love is most frequently portrayed as an overwhelming feeling of attraction and desire. In the land of make believe, it is a magical force propelling us into "happily ever after." Our souls resonate with this theme, and we long for our chance to experience true love and never-ending passion. This universal desire reveals our desperate need to be loved and to feel wanted.

The only problem is that this fairy tale style of love exists only in movies and in the initial stages of a budding relationship. Those fledgling feelings are never sustained over a lifetime of marriage. Married people know this.

Movies don't typically portray this type of la-la love when infatuation has disappeared, rebellious teenagers are causing angst, and real life hits like a freight train. In fact, the exact opposite is far more likely to be depicted.

It's far too common for married individuals to wonder if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. They wonder if they should stay or if they should go.

Even less likely to appear in the land of happily ever after, is a couple suffering from a spouse's deep addiction to pornography and illicit, one-night stands. It's not warm and fuzzy, and it certainly doesn't attract the masses.

Like many of you, I've come to learn and understand with great clarity that love is truly a choice, and if I make right choices, overwhelming feelings of love and romance will then ensue, even in the aftermath of surviving an affair. It's just a mature truth that we hopefully arrive at before becoming too much of a human wrecking ball. I know from experience, however, that many times we become that wrecking ball and create incredible amounts of destruction before we realize how deceived and dangerous we are.

True definition of love

Our confusion is certainly understandable though. If I had a one-hundred-dollar bill in one hand and a counterfeit in the other and offered them to you, which would you take? I really hope it would be the real bill. But, if you were raised believing the counterfeit was real and the real was counterfeit, which would you take? That's the problem with our understanding of marriage, love, and long-term relationships: some of us can be amazingly disoriented, believing the counterfeit is real and the real is counterfeit. I invite you to consider the possibility that many of us don't truly understand what true love is.

True Love Involves Hurt

Buddha said that "life equals suffering," but I'd like to suggest that perhaps there is also another truth which is that "love equals suffering." Stephanie and I believe that one of the greatest acts of love represented in human history is Jesus walking the Via Dolorosa (the way of suffering).

If there is to be reconciliation where there has been betrayal, then the one who's been betrayed ultimately pays the cost for the betrayal.

Jesus exemplified this reality. He taught love rather than justice and even chose to pay the price for the crimes committed against him. He actually cared enough about and for others that he was willing to die so they could have a chance for life.

Jesus taught that people change more by contrast than by conflict.

When betrayed, he responded with love, not justice or vengeance. His sacrificial love had such a powerful impact on those around him that they became willing to die for the sake of that same cause.

Taking a lesson from faith and Christianity this week, it's vital we understand betrayal appropriately. In order for a husband to be reconciled to his wife who has betrayed him, he has to walk through the life-changing hurt inflicted by her betrayal and ultimately forgive her failure to love. That is, if they are to ever have a meaningful relationship again.

There is no way she can ultimately bear the total awareness of her pain for her own moral failure and its effects upon her spouse. She can be remorseful for what she's done, and she can make efforts to ensure it doesn't repeat, but he is the one courageously carrying the pain.

It is possible for the husband, out of a sense of vengeance or control, to fail to love and attempt to hurt her in return. This is the beginning of a new, separate offense which will only exasperate the entire nightmare. If that occurs, she'll have to walk through the hurt inflicted by his failure to love and ultimately forgive his failure to maintain his vows of love, hence a new cycle of hurt and pain arises.

Surviving an affair then, becomes that much harder for everyone.

A Love That Heals

Love is a willingness to lay your life down for the sake of another.

That love isn't about trying to get the offending party to pay, though it would be understandable to want that.

It's about a willingness to cover a debt, quite frankly, that they could never, in fact, pay back. (That's not to say the injuring party shouldn't do everything within their power to help the injured mate heal. There's just no amount of penance the injuring spouse can pay for their failure to love.) They can, however, display brokenness, contrition, and humility in their approach to recovery and cautiously move forward.

They can also take charge of their own recovery and mental health, which speaks volumes of empathy to the betrayed spouse. Without such action, a wayward spouse will be hard-pressed to make a case that they are truly sorry for their choices and impact upon their lives.

Please don't think I'm saying that love recklessly reconciles with someone who is unsafe, hard-hearted, or unwilling to own what they've done.

Love, true love, always acts in the best interest of another.

A Love That Has Boundaries

If the one committing the offense is hardhearted, unwilling to accept responsibility, and chooses not to commit and honor the relationship, then it wouldn't be in the betrayed spouse’s best interest to reconcile and allow the destruction to continue. It's tragic when, after injuring others, we fail to comprehend the impact of our actions on them and countless others. Unless we understand and care about the costs our actions inflict on others, we'll never perceive the gift we receive from those who choose to love us rather than leave us.

Understanding the cost of our actions is also crucial in learning how to recover from an affair. When I injure my wife through carelessness or selfishness, the person bearing the pain for my actions is my wife. Her choice to love and forgive comes at great personal expense to her. She chooses to give me the gift of love rather than the rejection. I witness her love each time she chooses to put up with the pain my actions inflicted, in order to be with me.

There is no greater example of this truth than in couples where there is reconciliation following a betrayal. No one will ever convince me that there are no modern-day miracles.

Every time I see a couple come back together, I witness a shadow of God's greatest miracle: the miracle of reconciliation.

Not all marriages survive infidelity. That's just a fact.

Not all unfaithful spouses are willing to own their failure and not all betrayed spouses are able to overcome the devastation they experience due to their mate's choices. Yet, I can personally testify to the fact that the number of couples who find healing and restoration is absolutely staggering, despite the fact that you don't always hear about them!

Today, I'd like to offer you a chance to heal and move forward from the devastation of infidelity. Our EMS Online course is a safe place for those walking their own road to recovery despite unthinkable pain, hurt, and betrayal. I hope you'll give the course and its expert-driven curriculum, a chance to provide you with new hope, new life, and new courage.

Continue Your Healing With EMS Online! Registration Opens Soon.

Our Emergency Marital Seminar Online, better known as EMSO, isn't a one-size-fits-all program for couples. Over decades of experience exclusively in the field of infidelity, our methodology has been honed to better serve couples as they address the betrayal, reconnect as partners and restore their lives.

"I would like to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your ministry and the materials you have provided as part of EMSO and Married for Life. We, all five couples that started EMSO, have just completed the Married for Life 52-week course. We are now deciding what to study next as a group, as we so value the relationship we have together as couples. With God, with your materials and with each other, we have saved our marriages." - B. Minnesota | EMSO participant, March 2021.

Spots fill up quickly, so you won't want to wait to register for EMSO! To learn when registration opens back up, click the button below.

Subscribe to Registration Notifications!

Sections: 

RL_Category: 

RL_Media Type: 

Add New Comment:

Comments

It is in the job description

As the betrayed...if I truly love my wife, then it is my job to give her all my love and forgive her of her actions, lies, betrayal and the affair. It is a hard pill to swallow, as bitter as it is. But I only want to see us restored and feeling joyous again. I am trying so hard to release this anger, but the pain still flashes and I am so hurt by what happened. I know it's my job to bear this pain, and I will do my best. I love you.

I know how you feel

I know exactly how you feel....It was just last month when D-day happened....and the image of her chat with the AP would come up in my head out of nowhere...everytime that happened I have to start all the mental stages to forgive her all over again and it is mentally tiring and just seemed impossible. I know that we as husband was called to love our wife's as Christ loved the chuch....meaning love them even though it hurts...well if that is what we were called then so be it....

The gift of forgiveness

This article helped me reason through something that has bothered me since the day of discovery. I have often been bitter that I did nothing wrong, and yet I am the one suffering the most and having to "suck it up" and offer forgiveness. However, when I stop to think about the ultimate example that Jesus offers us, I am humbled and know it is the right choice to make. My spouse is sorry, ashamed, and working extremely hard to be the person God desires. I can only do the same and put my trust in the Lord, even if I can't yet fully trust my spouse. Thanks for the simple and yet profound illustration of true love!

failure to break off a relationship ?

Question? My husband has yet to break free from his relationship w/ another married woman. They also work together. Its been almost 7 months that I've known about it. Yes, we are in counseling. I am beyond hurt that she is still 'a choice' of his decision making as to 'what he wants to do"?!?!?! He doesn't want to hurt her !! We no longer live together because of his indecision, as well as his initial lying that 'it was over' until I found another cell phone. What do spouses do when this happens?? I never imagined this would happen!

Hi, Mary I just read your

Hi, Mary I just read your post. I know this has been 10 years ago. I'm just curious of what the outcome is as I am going through something very similar. Blessings!

Love articles..

It makes perfect sence... I like reading all of your articles. Thanks

True Love

This was a great article and a question I have been asking myself and my husband for the last couple of months.  He hasn't answered.  But I now know that this is the answer God gave me the day I expirenced my on miracle.  You see my husband has cheated on me four different times.  The first three were all bundled together, so kind of were on event.  I never gave him the gift of true love, respect, and forgiveness after the first discovery.  I spent years being angry, spietful, discrespectful, and far far from loveling.  This only made our marriage horrible and allowing his weak character to continue to search to fill the hole.  Eventually leading him to the last and most painful affair for ALL.  However, God was not done with me, my marriage, or my husband's character flaw.  7 days after I threw in the towel and nearly 4 years since the first transgression God transended on my heart and provided me the same message that you wrote above.  The pain of being betrayed is a great pain, but it is the victims pain to bare; since it is the victims pain to bare it is the victims choice how he or she shall deal with that pain.  If you chose the path of reconcilliation and forgiveness...you must be all in!  And you must be ready and willing to deal with the pain as well as do the work necessary to fix the issues in the marriage at the same time.  This is a very challenging thing to do.  To face the issues in the marriage, some that are caused by the victim; while at the same time baring the burden of betrayal, can feel overwhelming and scary.  I often have to pray really hard for God to keep me on track, because sometimes I just don't understand why I have to do all this work.  I didn't get to spend 3 years and 8 months running around feeling like a king, cause woman were telling how great I was and how horrible my wife was; yet now I have to do all these things to be a better wife as God would want me to.  Tough place to be, but the reward is worth it; I am doing what God wants me to do and feeling the rewards of that every day.

Hi

I know this a long time ago, but just to let you know, I am going through similar of what you have gone through.

Wow, I can't express the

Wow, I can't express the timeliness and perfectness of your article. I've been struggling for weeks now with the concept of how I needed to figure out and come to terms with what I had done to allow my marriage to reach such a condition that my husband had an affair. So much of the affair recovery material out there says this is a necessary step and I was so stuck because as much as my husband and I tried to figure out what I had done wrong both of us came up empty. He says there was probably nothing that would have stopped him from eventually getting in touch with his old girlfriend from high school. She was a malingering wonder that just wouldn't go away. Fortunately for us when he did see her he instantly realized that she wasn't where he wanted to be and that he'd made a huge mistake, but the damage was done, an online affair had been going on for 2 years. Anyway, from this article I can see that I don't have to have any blame or fault for my husbands affair, just as Jesus was blameless as he made that walk, I too am blameless in this mess of an affair and my walk of recovery in this marriage. I can simply accept what was, what is and get on with loving my husband and rebuilding our marriage. I feel like such a weight has been lifted from me. Thank you, Thank you for writing this article and pointing out Jesus' perfect love.

I dont have the strength

Your article was amazing and so very true.  My question is how does the betrayed get the strength to fight and work for the relationship when they feel that their lives were ripped out from underneath of them? I had no idea my husband was unhappy and having an affair.  We had been together for 22 years, going through all the ups and downs of life, he allowed me to believe we had a life and a love yet he was going out on me and by his own choice.  He made plans to do this, no not the first time but once it happened he chose to continue it.  He set himself up to befriend someone of the opposite sex and keep it to himself.  Yes, now he is remorseful, sorry and better than he has ever been, he handles everything, takes care of everything,  but I loved him before and now I have to carry the pain and accept what he has done and work hard and I just dont know if I can.  Not because I dont love him but because he handed me a situation that made me love him less, made me not feel for him what I felt all the years before, made me feel like I dont have the strength to fight for something I believed was there because  evidently it wasnt there for him or he wouldnt have done what he did. So confused, so hurt, so sad!!

"I don't have the strength"

Just curious if things have changed. I am feeling the same way.

Dont have the strength

Jlouisa7
Have you found your strength? Really find it does go up and down when in the beginnings of healing.

I dont have the strength.

Your story is very much like mine. Right now I'm trying to hang in there. But everyday that goes by is another day wondering (is it worth it). I know she loves me. But I knew she loved me when it happened. So that fact alone makes me think that I'll never be able to trust her ever again. I realize that if I do come to the decision to leave, it won't be easy. But it will be right for me. Love or not.

Did you find the strength?

Hi there,
You have spoken so well in your comment and this also reflects my experience almost exactly, I would just like to know how things worked out for you? I’m still in the early stages of trying to figure the whole thing out, what a life changing experience it has sadly been

Truly loving and safety

Rick, you and AR have been the guiding stars on our journey forward. We took your 13-class almost three years ago now, and it laid the foundation for much of our work since, opening our eyes to the concept of truly loving as opposed to Disney's version of "true love."

We often encounter resistance to that idea with too many saying, "ah, but you are encouraging the betrayed to stay for the sake of "love," even when it is not safe." We know that is not at all what you are saying, it is not we are saying, but somehow it still gets misconstrued. We just wrote about this, but I thought I would share it here as well because the distinction is important and too often not understood and I hope that your readers will find it useful in helping understand that distinction.

"Before we had children, while living overseas, we took in an abused dog. She was beautiful, so loving to us and instinctively protective. She had it in her genes to be a guard dog, although all we wanted was her to be a member of our family and a running companion. She could only hang out with people who themselves had dogs. She LOVED other dogs and was therefore loving and friendly to their people. For those without dogs, she did not like them AT ALL.

When we had our first child, I was nervous. But, she was very loving and gentle near the baby. When our oldest was a toddler he ran up to our girl, falling into a big hug with her. She snapped at him and barely broke the skin, but did break the skin. We tried to find her a new home, but couldn’t. We called animal rescue organizations back in the US, telling them we would fly her to them, if they would take her. They wouldn’t. Finally, we decided to take her to the vet to put her down. We loved her so very much, but we thought she wasn’t safe for our child at that point.

Do you see where this is going? Just because you love someone doesn’t mean they are safe for you and that you can keep them in your life. So, while the definition of love is very important to our reconciliation, so is the idea of safety. Love is one thing. Safety is another.

Now, just so you know the end of the dog story. . .

We got our girl to the vet and he found she was infested with something similar to yet-to-be hatched from her skin botflies. No wonder the girl was cranky at being hugged. We got her all fixed-up and she came home to us to live a long and happy life with our growing family, never to snap at our family again. She died a few months before d-day. We still miss her."

Really interesting story

Really interesting story Tigerlily. I like the viewpoint you share about safety and love...

The dog story

Momof2 Thank you! My husband, who goes by MindlessCraft in our online recovery world, also talks about our dog in terms of fear and courage. He, like our dog, lacked courage in his life. As a result of this lack of courage, he failed himself and our family terribly, and sought solace and validity of his masculinity in some very dark ways. He is learning about courage, why not hiding and slinking away from it is so important.

I think our experience with AR really did set the groundwork for so much of the work he has done, I have done, we have done.

Some recent thoughts on courage for whatever it is worth:

Courage isn’t protecting yourself from consequences, courage is facing the consequences, even when painful and/or scary. Courage isn’t arrogance, courage is knowing when you need help and asking for it. Courage isn’t telling others what they want to hear and then doing what you want anyway, courage is matching your actions to your words. Courage isn’t going along with what others want because it is easier, courage is voicing your opinion and then working together to find solutions. Courage isn’t agreeing to do things because you are afraid of people thinking poorly of you, courage is being able to say “no” when you need to do so.

Great point but..

It sure is a rough journey while marching towards this enlightenment. Requires almost a superhuman strength to get through the trauma of infidelity. It's been almost four years and the experience still crosses my mind in some form every day. Sure the sharpest cuts are fading but I sure do live each day with the relization that my partner lied to my face while having a secret life. I bet every betrayed spouse wishes their partner had directed the passion, pursuit and dedication that they spent on the affair towards them. I was starving for the attention and desire and made that known so imagine the pain when the man who could barely remember our anniversary was pouring out love poems to his new soul mate that would make Shakespeare jealous. Yes I am still a work in progress for forgiveness and some days that work really sucks.

Exactly

This is exactly what God enabled me to do in the face of my husband's betrayal and brutal words to me about his love for his affair partner. Ironically, a year earlier I asked God to give men His heart for my husband,and he did "inspires," revealing to me the depth of the childhood injury and pain he had been carrying for 60 years. Sadly, he has a completely hardened heart, and despite going to counseling together, he continued to pursue other women, ultimately rejecting my unconditional love and divorcing me. I cannot let my heart, the heart Jesus paid for with his blood, to live in bitterness. God is still good, and I want to give Him glory and a victory out of this human tragedy.

Here is my issue.

My husband has stopped his affair. Did so pretty much after discovery. However he continues to be very Ambivalent about any recovery work. We did EMSO and are in married for life. We see a councilor but that is it. The article says "They can however, display brokenness, contrition and humility in their approach to recovery and possibly moving forward. They can also take charge of their own recovery and mental health, which speaks volumes of empathy to the betrayed spouse. Without such action, a wayward spouse will be hard pressed to make a case that they are truly sorry for their choices and impact upon their lives."

I feel like he does not care about my pain because he is so wishy washy on his recovery. He is not willing to do the painful
Work of looking at himself and discovering what allowed him to act in such a way. His actions make it very difficult for me to trust this won't happen again and that he is actually sorry for the pain I have endured.

This is Exactly What My Husband Did for US

Your description of the betrayed carrying the pain is the exact description of what my husband did for us. An excruciating betrayal on my part with his best friend. My husband worked through the bitterness and chose to forgive me, offering a true and unconditional love that I could have never have experienced from the affair partner. The miracle part was the shock of the affair woke my husband up. He sees new things in our relationship that he never could have seen before. He is truly becoming the man of my dreams. He is-- for the first time in our 30+ year marriage-- now completely "in." He has stepped up to be our family's spiritual leader, becoming both stronger and more humble every day. We are four years out from D-day. We had a lot of ups and downs and ambivalence for the first 3.5 years, but now are starting to actually fall in love with each other again.

Thanks for the Long View

Thanks, StillHis, for sharing your experience of recovery. It's encouraging. The new shame is to stay with the person who has cheated on you. I often wonder if I'm just a sucker for feeling empathy for my husband who betrayed me and is now deeply ashamed of his actions.

Question

What did you do to help your husband to commit like that and what did he do to enable this sort of recovery and commitment?

What if he says he will do

What if he says he will do whatever it takes to help me heal but doesn't do the work? So tired of telling him what I need or want and he does nothing to help. Lip service is getting old.

re: Denise

Same here. I’ve told him this makes him unsafe to me. He’s broken no contact twice yet I’m supposed to believe his white knuckling it is going to prevent it happening again?! He refuses to do what he promised and then wonders why we’re broken. I continue to try to heal myself, though we can’t afford a therapist. I read AR articles and others, watch AR videos and just tty to recover on my own. It’s been 2+ years. He’s spends more time and money on hunting down craft beer and sharing music with his friends than with me or for us. I’ve told him how this makes me feel - 3rd fiddle, they’re more important than us or me.

My health has suffered these last 2 years, I’ve gained weight, and since June last year, when he flat out refused to anything for recovery, my depression has deepened. I canmt leave because Inhave nomjob or money and have nonone to stay with until Incould back on my feet, and we have a young teen son. I figure if we can remain at least friendly, I can stick it out until out son is getting his life going on his own. My husband keeps talking about what he hopes WE will be doing in the future. It just makes me sad. How can I can I plan for a future of US when he has refused any healing and recovery work?!

Still in recovery

This is a great article.
My d.day was September 2013 when I found out,3 weeks before going on a holiday of a life time to Europe with my sister for 5 weeks.2014 found out again still seeing AP,we separated for 11 weeks.
Again had him back after convincing me again it's over between him and his AP who worked with him.
And her ringing me to say it's over and that she resigned.
2015 still with AP lots his job after 25years service due to the affair actually taking place at work previously.
2016 found out again still with AP this is due to him slipping up with information and dates I had documented.
And again kick him out.
All along I find out she also was in a relationship from 2013.
I thought I will let her partner know which I did by text.Unfortunately she was pretending to be him texting back which I knew and let her know.
To cover up so she doesnt get caught she rang the police on me for harrassment.
This actually devasted my husband of 34 years and he rang her and ended it with her.
Shortly after she got married to the same partner she was with while with my husband.
My husband has changed and is so remorseful for what he has done.
We read every article and watch all the videos and talk about them.
Thankyou for what you provide and it has helped both of us moving forward constantly.

Surviving the affairs

After suffering through a 30 year marriage of countless affairs, one night stands and numerous attempts to work through them with counseling only to find myself again back at square one I have decided to separate from my husband. It’s decision grieves me but over the years I have lost myself, fallen into depression and feel hopeless. I just don’t know what else to do!

Affair

I so admire your courage to start over. I think that is what most of us would do if we were not so entangled emotionally and financially. We muddle along and make it work because of family and money pressures. A few will fall in love with their spouse again but most of us just settle.

Most of us just settle.

Most of us just settle.
There is a LOT of feeling packed in that sentence alone. It resonates.

Affair

Sometimes settling is ok if you see a pattern of growth in yourself and in your spouse. You settle now with the understanding that things can improve. Real remorse and sincere apologies set the stage for better days ahead.
Divorce is traumatic and often over used to excuse ourselves from looking within. I truly believe taking a couple of years to sort through this trauma is better than divorce. Most of us will take our baggage with us to the next relationship. So may be better to sort out with the one you are with as long as there is true remorse and sincere repeated apologies. So in some ways settling is the less traumatic of the options.

Forgiveness

There are good days and bad days but with time, it improves. When my spouse says "how are you doing today" I usually smile and say I am ok. The pain is something I live with but like all chronic pain, one learns to deal with it.

Guilty

I agree! I feel so torn. I have heard this so many times. I used to think I was strong and resilient, but I too find myself weighing emotions and practicalities. It feels like another betrayal by staying when my husband claims to love me and wants to "start anew", but I no longer feel anything for him. I'm trying so so hard to see the good and changes he's making, but I just feel nothing. It's been 9 months since D day. If I didn't have small kids and financial fears....I'd leave and never look back.

Thank you for sharing your

Thank you for sharing your story. It has been 2.5 years since I discovered my husband's 2nd affair (first one was 14 years ago...an emotional affair but it was just as devistating as the physical affair). We are back in counseling with a very challenging therapist. It's very difficult. Although he was remorseful about 2-3 months after D-day, he has "cooled off" and I am now feeling the weight of "healing quickly" so we can be happy. I avoid any deep, heavy conversations with him. Instead, I now feel nothing for him, except actually anger. Our children are still struggling with his affair and prefer it when he's not at home. I wanted to reconcile because it felt like the "right thing to do" for our kids. Now I am wondering if it was the best thing to do. Our 19 year old son wants to move out, he has no respect for his dad. I am struggling with the exact same thing. I don't respect him, I"m not attracted to him, I prefer when he's not home. I actually feel like I'm drowning emotionally. I have been in individual counseling for 2 years. He won't do individual counseling, which saddens me. I'm so confused. I want to be like Jesus and forgive and love, but I just don't know how. I don't understand why after 2.5 years, I'm doing worse than I was after only 6-8 months after the affair. I do think the first affair that we never dealt with (I took the blame for that one...cuz I wasn't a "good enough" wife.) has something to do with my struggles. One affair is so hard. Two affairs...devestating.

What did you decide to do?

Did you leave? Are you still together?

This site and the resources

This site and the resources here will help. I’m sorry for your pain.

Numb

Its been a little over six months and he's done everything right from D-day on. I went thru the daily breakdowns to being able to not think about his infidelity at times. I thought I was recovering well, but the past couple of months I'm finding I don't feel anything but anger, pain...or just emptiness. I look at him and feel nothing, where before the affair, I would feel great love and emotion towards him. I don't want to divorce but I don't want to pretend for the rest of my life either. We live hours away from therapists, so that's out but we did the boot camp within a month of D-day. Amd it helped, for a bit. But now I feel like I've completely lost my faith and interest in everything. It feels like nothing is solid or real to me anymore. But i just keep pretending everything is good because he is really doing his best to be a faithful, loving partner again. Now I am the one who is possibly destroying the relationship, unbeknownst to him. I haven't told him how I've been feeling for fear of losing him. I don't know how to feel love in our marriage again.

Numb

You have described exactly the same trajectory as my experience since d-day 5 months ago. Husband had a 4+ year affair with a married family friend, right under my nose. I truly had no idea he was as unhappy and unhealthy as he was (and capable of such horrific deceit and pathetic behaviour) and we've been together 18 years! He is disgusted with himself, remorseful, seeking counselling and working so hard on himself and showing me so much love and support. I had started feeling optimistic about a better future with him (after the first months of feeling the horrible devastation and us living separately, which we still do) but now I feel so beaten down by it all. I can't imagine going through this without his support, but at the same time am feeling hopeless for a happy future where I will feel any joy again and be able to love him unconditionally and not feel sadness and disgust when I look at him. He is "doing everything right", we had a good relationship and a close, loving family with our 2 young children. I've been in counselling since d-day as well, have read everything I can get my hands on, but what will it take for me to accept the past and be vulnerable enough to let myself believe in anything good again? Right now I simply hate this life that he has forced upon me and feel like I'm drowning.

Numb

I feel this too. HOw are you and where are you at now?

Moral?

After reading this article regarding Jesus' love it has brought up a question in my mind. I am not an extremely religious person, but didn't Jesus forgive a woman for adultery? In John? And he leads with love against those who persecute him. So then, why is infidelity presented as a death sentence to marriage? I'm a bit confused. My husband has been caught cheating for the first time and I am trying to "lead with love" but am struggling with the outside people offering moral advice based on religion. Since I do not have a strong background in this I was hoping this website could offer some insight. Thanks

Humility

This has really impacted my walk as the hurt spouse. To remember how Jesus walked to the cross in complete humility, reminds me that I must also behave in similar way despite my pain. I am blessed that my husband is so remorseful and doing all that he can to rebuild my trust in him. We are 14 months past D-day and I must say that our marriage has grown and changed in such a miraculous way. We have achieved a new closeness and intimacy that we have never experienced before in our 31 yr marriage. I'm thankful for this site, and all it's helpful information as we walk this new road together.

Double Betrayal

I've watched several of your videos. I'm having a hard time finding anything on healing from a double betrayal. My husband had an ongoing online sexual affair with my cousin. She lives close by. We were a very close family. Are there any resources for me to help me through this?

Still Painful

It’s been 6 years since my wife was forced to confess. Not sure why I’m still here. One of the most hurtful parts is knowing she didn’t want the affair to end. These AR emails ( found in a forgotten email account ) have been helpful thanks. I will never actually recover from her selfish act!!

Emails

Emails, text messages and Facebook flattery are all part of the affair fantasy. After finding my husband's trough of emails, I realized that he used the affair to escape life. He lives life with me just as your wife lives life with you. For some emotional reason our spouses acted out on a fantasy that is not real life. That is their issue to deal with.

Love

I found this week's presentation very enlightening and very conflicting. Conflicting because, I am in the middle of the exact negative reaction to my situation. It's been 5 months since disclosure and every day I work on me. The amount of distaste and intolerance it's still Paramount in my thought process. Probably has a lot to do with childhood trauma is my conclusion. I have severe attachment distress and the infidelity along with a blind sighted dissolution of marriage proposition, has devastated my role as a human being. So that's where I am at. The idea of forgiving is in the Forefront of my thought process and it is a hurdle which is unbelievably High still at this particular time. I thought I had it and then it vanished. I work on it every day I cannot seem to grasp it. Your definition of Love touched me. I can do better. I just have to attempt to want it more and be willing to go further. This experience is priceless, but I would sell it to anyone else for the price of one penny.

Forgiving verbal and emotional abuse with affair

We attended AR retreat three years ago. We were in Rick’s small group. Husband did not reveal any info of his affair—nothing. We have since been to a four day private retreat, 7 counselors. He has taken two polygraphs. I don’t believe for valid reasons truth is still known. Asking questions angers him and he curses and is very mean. I suffered awful verbal and emotional abuse during his affair to where I denied it, lost all self-esteem, and lost my person. Been married 51 years. We love one another still living apart. Forgiving and getting over the abuse is as hard as forgiving affair. I want to but I need him owning the abuse and realizing what pain and distrust it has caused. I feel if he owned it and had some empathy and truly was remorseful, I coukd better move forward. I’m stuck- still after over four years of trying to reconcile. Please help. - Rick or Wayne I need help!

Been there.

Hi Shirlyann. I’ve walked in your shoes. You see his lack of empathy BUT he went to AR with you, right? So your relationship must mean something to him, right? Sigh. Maybe not as much as you might hope? I might suggest that you go to YouTube and watch Dr Les Carter on narcissism and covert narcissism. Go back a year and a half to where he started his program - it’s been progressive, so I believe you’ll get more right now from his older stuff- then work your way forward. Sometimes people who cheat and lie also do what is necessary to keep you around, not out of love, but more out of codependency. My spouse and I spent over 5 years going to church together, taking ministry studies because he professed regret and became a new man. Years later I discovered he never gave up his sexual acting out, he just hid it deeper- and became angry if I tried to discuss it.
Everyone has to walk their own path, and at our age, it’s tough to make serious life changes. I am proud you are making boundaries and I am proud I am too. I am suing for separation, but he’s dragging his feet so it may take a year to finalize. I now understand he’ll do whatever it takes to stay with me, not out of love, but because he cannot love, and I’m his safe place. I don’t want a spouse who sticks with me so the neighbors think he’s okay. There’s no intimacy nor empathy in our marriage- never has been, and if God only gives me a few more years of life, I want to embrace it with joy.

I’ll put you in my prayers that God has your back as you continue to move forward

Reply to Shirleyann

Dear Shirleyann, reading your comment right now (in Australia and its 3am), and my heart breaking for you.. i hope the guys can give you some encouragement. But take heart, you are not alone, women across the world unite. you are beautiful & beloved and entrusted with so much grace and love and wisdom. I hope & pray your world reconciles, and where it doesnt, that you will be brave and strong and know your worth, because of what was paid for you!
I want to rage and tell you to do all the wrong things, because that is what I have. All the wrong things. But the wrong things dont work.
Im sure that there is a better way, and it sounds like your grace and humility is where to start, however having self worth and placing value on yourself, as God does, will also command respect.
Saying a prayer for you now. X

Forgiving emotional abuse and affair

I too have been in this boat! I also have been have a husband who has been controlling and emotionally abusive towards me, screamed at me about where to eat for my birthday dinner and ended up unable to be seated outside because that’s what he wanted that he drove me and our 4 kids home without dinner! It was the worst birthday ever!! I found out about a 2 weeks later he was having an affair with his former employee, she is 18 years younger! That fall he had threatened a separation because he knew I was on to him. It sent me into the county hospital for emergency mental help!! It took me about a year to confront him which he denied at first until he found out I had gone to get a divorce lawyer!! That was Friday by Sunday night he was so shocked about my revelation that he finally admitted to the affair . He told me it was emotional which was a lie as I had pictures,didn’t show him. He never said he was sorry nor that he had stopped. He had just lost our business due to his tyrant attitude towards employees and had problems keeping them and finally couldn’t get workers.
We are still together but I haven’t gotten over what he has done to our marriage. The trust is gone and I don’t feel it’s coming back without serious help. He is a veteran with ptsd and moral injury and lacks empathy. Marriage of 21 years and I feel as if I never had been more of a stranger than now. What should I do??

Trying to Live Again

Thanks rick and Dwayne for a great video.
Almost 3 years out and still struggling to feel that “love”. The video really helped me understand that I may never feel that same feeling I had for my husband before the affair and other infidelities. Probably my other blockage is his own recovery...I know I should not dictate his recovery work yet I have yet to see him dig deep into his own wounds that may have contributed to long term anger, control, lack of intimacy and ultimately affair, porn , and other infidelities such as secret masturbation our entire dating and marriage totaling about 35 years or so.
Feel like I don’t even know my husband anymore. I so want to know him But I don’t really see us progressing ...seem stuck. He does take responsibilities for his action and is trying now to be a better man: just hard for me to move forward without roots getting dug up, observed, and learning from them so he can re-enter the marriage union with much more awareness of himself.
Any helpful words of wisdom from rick, Dwayne, anyone?

Love

I think I’m one who cannot recover from the devastation of betrayal. My husbands second life is just too much to bare. I can’t believe this is my life.

Pages

What type of affair was it?

Our free Affair Analyzer provides you with insights about your unique situation and gives you a personalized plan of action.
Take the Affair Analyzer

Free Surviving Infidelity Bootcamp

Our experts designed this step-by-step guide to help you survive infidelity. Be intentional with your healing with this free 7-day bootcamp.
head-silhouette
 
I would highly recommend giving this a try.
 
-D, Texas