The thing about counseling is that in order for it to work, both people have to try and truly commit to the work of counseling. It is rare that both people want to work on the problem. Often counseling is used as an opportunity to have someone co-sign your position, which worsens rhe problem. Other times there are just crappy counselors that give crappy advice, which makes you have a crappy outcome, and you feel affirmed that the marriage is over. Last, individual issues From childhood are deeply rooted and comfortable to most people. It is very hard for someone to risk breaking into their foundation and vulnerably reconstruct that with a partner that they already feel distrust with. It isn’t all that easy. I’m better off, I have a better relationship post-divorce, I’ve grown. But this didn’t help my marriage because my ex was unwilling to choose to do any work. Signed, Someone that invest years in personal and marital counseling before I learned those lessons |
No, they’re everywhere. Just isn’t worth having to argue or defend your belief and explain how you reconcile that with very liberal attitudes or political positions. |
It is literal abandonment. I left, and even not having sex and being alone didn’t leave me coping with rejection. |
If unwilling to be treated. Perhaps other, serious lifelong medical conditions that are disruptive to family life (again, paired with an unwillingness to participate in treatment). |
Get back to me after you discover your spouse is having an affair. Reality is much different than conceptually. It is total devastation and causes PTSD that can last for years in betrayed spouse. |
Same. We recently reconnected and have had sex 6 times in the last 3 days. We are wrapped in each others arms again. We were lost and not connecting and I felt like we were on a thin thread for 4 years prior (have been together 24 years). I can’t believe the 180. DH has confronted a lot of childhood issues in therapy and group. |
| Aspergers which equals abadonment. |
+100 You will feel much differently when it’s a reality. |
Wrong. I am divorced. And I told him he could cheat and I would not divorce for that reason in year #2 but I would divorce for other reasons. There are many things worse than cheating. Go back and read my list. |
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^ wtf you told him he could cheat in year two and then he did start cheating and stopped f@cking you. Hence, the sexless marriage.
See a therapist. You don’t value yourself and you got what you asked for—somebody that treated you with disrespect all across the board. Hey- honey go cheat it’s fine with me...in year TWO?!?!! |
Wrong again. Low Testosterone. There was no cheating. The marriage was a mistake to begin with and was never happy. |
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I had a perfect marriage. Sexy husband who screwed me 3-4 times per week. No fights. Great friends. He was a good father and we went out and had fun all of the time together. He surprised me throughout our 22 year marriage—-surprise trips, dinners —and the guy did laundry and didn’t mind cleaning. He coached the kids’ sports teams. He was a good father.
He had an affair years 19-22. Devastating. Even more so because I was completely blind sided. F@cked me up. I don’t know who would ever say “hey I don’t mind if you cheat on me”. That’s insane. That’s not even an open marriage where you know. Honesty. Trust. Without those: deal breaker |
I would take your great marriage years 1-18 with 3 years of cheating any day of the week. At least you did not waste a decade of your life in misery because of a quasi-forced accidental pregnancy and “trying to make it work.” Get over it. You had a great marriage. Either forgive him and get it back or get over it. |
I agree with you, PP. The four items are far worse than my spouse having sex with someone else. That is normal but selfish behavior. The other 4 are cruelty to me. Granted, I know there are some people on here who see affairs as a the same as a captured and tortured soldier returning from war with PTSD. I am not discounting their experience but I don't think that is common. No doubt affairs suck though. |
| DH and I are each divorced before. We’d leave each other for abuse, addiction, or ongoing adultery for sure. Beyond that, it’s hard to say. If I found out he slept with another woman once more than 6 months ago, I think I’d try to save the marriage. |