No, cheating doesn't mean your love wasn't real. Whether you believe that someone can love their partner in the moment of infidelity or not, it's difficult to argue that there was never any love in a relationship just because someone cheated. People fall in and out of love all the time.
It is absolutely possible that your partner does love you, did love you before, and will continue to love you in the future. Infidelity does not mean that the love is gone or never existed. The reality is that you can love someone and still cheat on them.
Most times, when a lady loves you, she's fully committed to you. Although it's rare for a lady who truly loves a man to cheat on him, however, the possibility of her cheating can not be totally ruled out — sometimes, a woman may still cheat on a man she loves.
Experts say it's possible for couples to go on to have a happy relationship after infidelity, provided they're willing to put in the work. “The couple can survive and grow after an affair,” says Coleman. “They have to—otherwise the relationship will never be gratifying.”
That's not to say a woman with a history of cheating can't become faithful. But as they say, “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior”. If she has promised to change in the past but has failed to do so, you may feel more doubtful.
The good news for couples who want a rebuild the relationship is that it's still possible. The work involved won't look the same for both partners. As the one whose actions broke the trust, the unfaithful partner will have to take responsibility for their behavior now and in the future.
How does a woman feel after cheating? A woman goes through a whole range of emotions – anger, shame, anxiety, embarrassment, regret – after having cheated in a relationship. If she feels remorse for the pain she has caused to her partner, she starts to blame herself and finds it difficult to fix the situation.
People who cheat are likely impulsive and destructive at decision making. Instead of thinking about you and what happens to the relationship after cheating, they go based on what they want right now. Impulsiveness can be seen in other areas of the relationship, too. So keep an eye out.
Takeaway. There are many potential reasons why a person may cheat. There are eight key reasons and motivations for affairs, including low self-esteem, anger, low commitment, lack of love, neglect, sexual desire, need for variety, and circumstances.
No, cheating doesn't mean your love wasn't real.
People fall in and out of love all the time. Even if something went wrong or someone made a mistake, you could theoretically say that love existed before the infidelity, and after the infidelity, even if it wasn't there in the moment.
Although many people believe in the adage, “Once a cheater, always a cheater,” it is not necessarily true. Not every person who cheats once will cheat again. However, serial cheaters are people who seek out sexual partners on a continual, chronic pattern of infidelity.
According to estimates based on married couples, approximately 25% of men admit to cheating on their spouse at some point, while around 15% of women admit to the same. Another study found that up to 4% of married individuals had cheated on their spouse in the past year.
Ultimately, there is no set formula for whether you should stay together or not. You and your partner will need to decide both individually and together if there are enough positive elements in your relationship to make the difficult work of healing worthwhile.
Cheaters can change because cheating is rooted in a series of thinking and behavior patterns. Anyone who studies psychology or self-help knows that people can change. In fact, if you've ever done something wrong and then stopped doing that thing, your own personal experience proves that change is possible.
Cheating rarely ends well. Only 5% to 7% of affairs result in a marriage—and roughly 75% of the unions that started as affairs end as divorces.
There's no definitive answer as to whether you should forgive someone who has cheated. It's up to you to make that decision. While forgiveness can be a strength, you might ask yourself if you want to take a risk on someone once the trust has been broken. It's not wrong to do.
Does the pain of infidelity ever go away? Although cheating can have a lasting effect on your mental health, it's possible to heal after infidelity, says Babita Spinelli, a psychotherapist licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Spinelli offers couples coaching for partners recovering after infidelity.
An affair means you have little respect for your partner — so little, in fact, that you're happy to be indiscreet with someone else without your partner's knowledge. If you have so little respect for another human being, why are you in a long-term relationship with them?
In surveys of individuals who have cheated, falling out of love, seeking variety, and feeling neglected were the most commonly cited reasons, followed by situational forces, a desire to raise self-esteem, and anger with a partner.
Unfortunately, there are several long-term effects of infidelity that can affect a person long after the cheating has stopped. These can be life-changing, and lead to the development of certain mental health conditions including chronic depression, anxiety, post-infidelity stress disorder, and betrayal trauma.
A person may also try to control or manipulate you, which is toxic behavior. When a partner is constantly cheating: If an intimate partner lies and cheats without even trying to change their behavior, it adds a toxic element to the relationship.
Do you suspect your wife could be having an affair? Noticeable signs your wife is cheating is that she will act like she doesn't see you anymore. A cheating wife doesn't do anything to help you out, doesn't care if you're sick, doesn't want to chat while you're together, and doesn't even offer to cook for you.