Infidelity, adultery, or cheating is a form of betrayal. It can occur as sexual infidelity, emotional infidelity or a combination of both.
It does not signal an end of love in marriage but certainly causes a lot of heartbreak to the betrayed spouse. If couples are willing to work on the infidelity issues, their relationship can be restored.
What constitutes infidelity in a marriage?
The definition of infidelity in marriage is very subjective based on a person’s beliefs, values, and expectations from the relationship. Viewing pornography, unfaithful behavior, sex outside the relationship, and emotional affairs, in different degrees, can be termed infidelity by a spouse and may not be considered as forms of cheating in a relationship by the other partner. Here’s a quick guide for you to learn What Constitutes Infidelity in a Marriage?
How to avoid infidelity
Prevention is better than cure and avoiding infidelity in marriage by working on your relationship can save both of you from a lot of heartbreak. There are different ways you can intentionally avoid the situation and it takes effort from both partners. In studies conducted on 233 couples by researchers at the Florida State University, it was found that biases related to attractive relationship alternatives can help avoid infidelity in relationships.
Is it possible to avoid infidelity?
The simple answer is yes. By being intentional, being available and defending your marriage from different negative influences, it is possible to avoid affairs, says Counselor Greg Griffin. Here’s a quick guide that explains the Three ‘Bs’ of Avoiding Infidelity.
.How to prevent your partner from cheating on you?
.How to protect your marriage from infidelity?
.How to recover from infidelity
Infidelity does not mean that the relationship has to end. Recovering from infidelity can seem very difficult, but it’s possible. It takes two to manage the relationship and also to get it back on track.
Following certain steps in the recovery process for coping with infidelity can help, but professional help from an infidelity therapist is also necessary in many cases to work through infidelity.
How to recover from infidelity
To recover from infidelity in marriage, cheating must end immediately. Recovery takes time but establishing accountability and boundaries is one of the essential stages of coping with infidelity.
Managing negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions is also important for working through an affair, says Counselor Lesley A Cross.
Here’s an insightful piece of advice from her where she explains in detail How to Recover from Infidelity.