A Rough Timeline. People need to understand that it takes at least two years for the shock waves of the infidelity to subside. That doesn't mean it's all bad for two years. In fact, couples may find they're doing better than ever during that period, but, at any given moment, reminders and triggers can still occur.
There is no set time for affair recovery.
However, there can be a period of healing. During this time, you and your spouse will take specific steps towards healing. Even better, this period is not even that long. Most of it can take anywhere between 8-10 weeks.
It's absolutely possible to heal from infidelity. Although the pain and grief can be intense, it's also possible to work on the relationship so that you and your partner are able to move on.
When you discover the sexual betrayal of your spouse, it plunges you into pain, loss, and grief. Some women express that it shakes the very foundation of trust for everyone and everything. In 1969, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross identified five stages of grief that include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
“Couples do and can stay together after an affair, but it takes a lot of work to repair broken trust.” Klow says most couples don't recover when one cheats but “those that do can emerge stronger from having gone through the process of recovering from the affair.” It takes time, however.
PISD is similar to PTSD in many ways. While its effects only tend to last about a week to a few months, during this period, a person can experience flashbacks similar to those experienced among people with PTSD. You may replay the sequence of events that led up to you finding out about your partner's infidelity.
Recovering from betrayal trauma is not something that can be done in a day or two. On average, it usually takes between eighteen months to three years to absolutely recover, especially with a lot of help and moral support.
Grief, brain changes, behaviors down the road, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, chronic stress, and depression can result. Some families have been able to move past infidelity with time and therapy. To move on, this takes active work on both partners to work on the root cause of the infidelity.
A partner betrayed by infidelity may experience symptoms similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder. Intrusive thoughts and an inability to stop scanning for new data that could cause distress are two symptoms characteristic of being cheated on.
Things that can trigger flashbacks include spending time with your partner who cheated, romantic sounds, love stories, not hearing from your partner and sometimes they can just come out of the blue when you least expect it. Being betrayed by a loved one can often be traumatic.
Some people, but not all, do struggle with the pain and betrayal for years. For the partner who has been hurt, expect at least two years of recovery and growth to feel somewhat “normal” again. There is a general affair recovery timeline both people in a relationship can follow and depend upon.
Affair recovery is the process of healing a relationship mentally, emotionally, and physically after it has experienced infidelity. Affair recovery usually takes anywhere from six months to two years and is often a painful process yet a possible one for couples who possess humility, compassion, and tenacity.
When your partner's infidelity is uncovered, you can't help but experience that as a powerful form of emotional and psychological trauma. It feels like you've been hit by a truck – but emotionally rather than physically. You feel battered, bruised, and broken by the betrayal.
Cheating can cause a person to feel guilt, shame, and fear. It can lead to feelings of self-doubt and insecurity. All of these emotions can be incredibly overpowering and damaging.
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.
Be patient with yourself
Healing from betrayal is a process that you can't rush. It might consume your life for a while, but you'll feel better each day if you keep trying to overcome it. Try to give it time.
Betrayal trauma is a type of psychological trauma that can occur after experiencing a betrayal by a person you trust. If you've been betrayed, you may feel like you're going through the stages of grief: shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
They include shock, denial, obsession, anger, bargaining, mourning, acceptance and recovery. Betrayal trauma parallels the sudden loss of a loved one. While going through the stages of grief is part of the healing journey, the stages are not linear. They can overlap, repeat, and occasionally coincide.
One of the most effective ways to treat a persistent fear of cheating is by doing exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. NOCD has over 300 therapists who specialize in treating OCD, and we'll work to match you with someone skilled and experienced in treating Relationship OCD.
Among men, 68% feel guilty after having an affair. Even if they haven't confessed the affair, most cheating husbands will feel guilty and express that guilt in their behavior. You may notice subtle changes in their behavior that make you wonder if your spouse is displaying cheating husband guilt.
Be honest, use full disclosure about the affair, and find a way to atone or express remorse. Deal with the traumatic feelings after the discovery and be willing to ask and answer questions. Must end the affair. Be willing to apologize for cheating in a sincere way and promise not to repeat it.