subject: How To Deal With Cheating In A Relationship [print this page] To find out that your companion has cheated on you is definitely hurtful. But in order to move on, you do not have a choice but learn how to deal with the cheating in your relationship.
Only when you have confronted the problem head on and put the bitter episode behind you that you can have a happier future, whether with your current partner or someone new. Although the journey towards recovery may be long and hard, there are ways to minimize the impact and shorten the period of unhappiness.
Honest Self-Assessment
In a long term relationship, there are bound to be ups and downs. Over time, we may also take our partners for granted. Therefore, when you look back on your relationship, do not focus only on the wrongs of your partner. You too need to ask yourself if your own weaknesses have contributed to the problems in your relationship.
Can you honestly say that you have been a loving companion? Do you know what your partner wants and if he is truly happy? Have you paid enough attention to his needs? Or have you been too focused on your own feelings that he had to look elsewhere for a more fulfilling relationship? These are questions that only you can answer when analyzing what has gone wrong in your relationship.
Why you need an honest self-assessment when dealing with cheating in a relationship is because you need to tackle the root issues that caused your partner to stray. Even if you think that your current relationship is not worth salvaging, learning your own weaknesses prevents you from repeating the same mistakes in future relationships. It is also a step towards self-discovery and personal development.
Forgiveness
If you are forever feeling angry and bitter, you cannot truly heal. Healing takes place when you acknowledge the betrayal and pain, accept them and then let go through forgiveness.
Once you forgive, you can then put all those destructive feelings away and start anew. If you can free your heart from anger and resentment, half the battle is won because healing is just a step away. When you forgive, you can then work on strengthening your relationship with your partner. Even if you walk away from him, forgiveness ensures you would not be carrying unwanted baggage into a new life.
Develop Self-Confidence
Often, when victims find out that their partners have cheated on them, they develop insecurity and self-esteems issues. Therefore, one of the critical ways on how to deal with cheating in a relationship requires you to redevelop your confidence.
Know your strengths and appreciate them. Do not continuously blame yourself for the cheating that happened. Discover what you want in life and set realistic goals for yourself. Working towards your goals also helps to shift the focus away from all the unhappiness to something more positive and constructive.
Learn To Trust Again
Trust is necessary for a happy and meaningful relationship. So, you have to learn how to trust again even if you find it hard after being betrayed. Naturally, it requires the cooperation of your partner because he has to gradually earn back your trust through his words and actions.
Patience is necessary here because it takes time to reestablish trust. It can be months before you feel completely secure that your partner is not cheating on you again. This might require your partner to settle into a fixed routine that you are comfortable with for a period of time. For instance, what time he goes to work and comes back home may now have a predictable pattern to give you the comfort of knowing his whereabouts. This is one way that trust can be slowly rebuilt once cheating has taken place.
In conclusion, there are various ways on how to deal with cheating in a relationship. But the most important thing is do not focus on the past and the wrong done to you. Look ahead and work towards a happy future.
