Ahhhh one of the pro-ENM know it alls has arrived. |
Better a straightforward and frank divorce than cheating. Cheating is all lies and any happiness in it is sullied by being rooted in lies and constant, sustained deception. |
My father left my mother for his AP. They have been happily married for more than 25 years.
My apologies for disappointing those betrayed spouses who want so desperately to believe that all legit-after-the-affair relationships end in disaster. They don't. |
NP. I think I recognize your style, or maybe it's the style used by all the pro-open-marriage posters here: "Just declare the marriage open." No, no one can unilaterally declare a marriage is open. That is a mutual decision by both people in the marriage. By definition. You'll whine, of course, that "The spouse declared the marriage sexless so I can declare it open!" Lack of sex doesn't introduce another person into the mix. An affair does. "Unilateral open marriage" is nonexistent and is a weak way to say "an affair." Get off your lazy backside and either work at the marriage and find out why the spouse is not interested in sex (or in sex with you), or work at effecting a divorce. Making up ridiculous labels doesn't help. Open marriage is a real thing for some people but it is not unilateral. Those of you just wanting an affair try to co-opt the term to paper over your infidelity to someone who is not in any open marriage--your spouse. |
Not the OP, but my DH has very low testosterone and a low drive to match. I wish he cared more about treating it. I suspect he is asexual, and am not sure if it’s a chicken or the egg thing. What I do know it’s that I feel lonely and unloved on some level, even though we are like best friends. I have initiated every single conversation about our sex life and about counseling. I have considered cheating. I’d rather have a husband who wants me than to cheat. |
I have been in an affair for about 9.5 years. It's great, gets my desires met. I am married, he is not. Neither of us want to be each other's primary partners, but we do enjoy each other's company both in and out of bed. Both smart, caring, professionally successful. If you can be discreet, it can work. |
This for sure is possible. But in the equation remember the others… How did your mother fair? The partner of the AP? You? Your siblings? AP’s kids? That’s a more full picture. And, maybe it is for the better for all, but a important to recognize the impact beyond the two affair partners. |
Suggest opening up the marriage and see what your spouse says. It's totally understandable that you want sex and no one thinks you deserve to have a dead bedroom, but "solving" that with an affair is just playing with fire. We don't want to see you or innocent parties burned. The fun from the affair is very short lived, but the scars can last a lifetime. |
An affair absolutely obliterated our family. Our marriage, our kids. 5+ years of therapy and counting. Our extended families. Some friendships.
Would 100000% would have rather died. |
Your mother was cool with this? She wasn’t negatively impacted? |
No. We are doing somewhat better now. |
My friend met the love of her life through an affair. Both were in unhappy marriages. He was a Big Law partner and she was a non-lawyer director at the same firm. It almost blew up his career but he was a rainmaker so they looked the other way.
Super bumpy in the beginning. He agreed to alimony for life for his ex. His kids were kind of screwed up but more from the dysfunction of the marriage and his crazy ex. They have been happily married for about 25 years at this point. |
Similar. Implosion |
Unless you are actually in a sexless marriage, why does the fact bother you that a sexless marriage is (effectively) an open marriage? Certainly this is much better for you than secret affairs or divorce, which are the only other 2 possibilities. |
DP. The safest part of this is that you gave “no regrets.” Most mature, self-aware adults grow to regret their bad decisions and lack of integrity with a little self-reflection. |