I sometimes hear from women who feel as if they have been dealt a double blow. Just as they are trying to process the fact that their husband has been cheating, they have found out that this isn't the first time that he has cheated. Even worse, it is clear that their husband has been cheating LovingFeel.com Reviews throughout the entire length of their marriage.
I might hear a comment like:
"I found out that my husband had been cheating on me with someone who he
went to high school with and with whom he has recently reconnected. I demanded
that we go to counseling immediately and my husband has complied with this. The
counselor suggested that we both go to counseling individually also. My husband
hated this idea, but he agreed because he knew that he didn't have any choice.
We have been sticking to this schedule for about five weeks. The other day we
had our couple counseling session right after his individual session. The
counselor told me that something had come out during that session that my
husband now wanted to share with me. At that point, my husband proceeded to
tell me that this was not his first affair. I braced myself thinking he was
going to tell me that there was another woman before this one. But it was so
much LovingFeel worse than that. Instead, he told me that he has
cheated off and on during our whole marriage. This means for ten years, he has
cheated with multiple women who he has met on business trips and at the gym or
at the dentist or wherever he goes. He said that none of these affairs lasted
very long and that none meant anything to him. Although the counselor asked me
not to make any immediate decisions, this matters a great deal to me. It tells
me that my husband has a serious problem that is going to be difficult, if not
impossible, to overcome. And I feel like the betrayal level has just gone up
dramatically. I thought that he cheated with this other woman because she was
special to him when he was young. But that's not true at all. Because he will
cheat with anyone who is breathing, apparently. This makes me feel as if our
entire marriage has been a lie. I can not even fathom staying now. The
counselor is urging me to give him a chance to get treatment, but can this
really work?"
Before I try to answer, please know
that I am not a mental health counselor. I can tell you my opinion from
experience and research, but it's just an opinion. I'd certainly think that
your counselor is more qualified to advise you. With that said, I tend to agree
with your assessment that this kind of repeat cheating does show an issue that
is obviously one that has never gone away for this husband. Some people will
actually tell you LovingFeel.com that this
is good news because once you are able to address and solve this issue, then
you can move on. And they think it is positive that it is not an issue with our
marriage but rather, an issue with him. Some wives would actually rather have
this type of situation than one in which the husband has fallen in love with someone
else and who is hesitant to let the other woman go. The thinking behind this is
that it is good news that none of these women really mattered to him.
I am not sure which train of
thought that I agree most with. I do know that I have heard of marriages in
which repeat cheaters were rehabilitated very successfully. However, it can't
be an easy process. You need to have a husband who is extremely committed to
figuring out what is wrong and then who is willing to work for a long time in
fixing it. You also need a wife who is both willing and able to stand by him as
he is going through this rehabilitation. Not every one can or is willing to do
this. And I can not make that decision for you. I ultimately did choose to stay
with my husband after his affair and I have never regretted that decision. But,
there was only one infidelity. I am not sure what I would have decided if there
had been repeat infidelities. I suspect that the process of recovery would have
been similar, but it likely would have spanned and a longer period of time and
required more intense professional help. If my husband had been willing to seek
that help, then I might have been willing to consider just waiting to see what
would happen without making any guarantees or promises. But that is just my own
opinion for my own situation. I know that this is very painful. And that is why
I'm very glad that you are in the good hands of a counselor.
Regardless of what you decide, I
would encourage you to keep seeing a counselor of your own choosing. Regardless
of what you end up doing with your marriage, a good counselor can support you
through the process and help you navigate each step. And this is true even if
you decide not to save your marriage after all. I can't make that decision for
you. I can only say that I have seen marriages return to healthy and happy
places in this situation. And I have also seen people end their marriages over
this but then, with help, go onto to live their lives in a good and happy
place. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here. I just think the
question is what is the right answer for you. And that might not be immediately
obvious. Which is why I agree with the counselor and think that it is a good
idea not to make rash decisions.
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