Infidelity can involve sexual or emotional affairs with someone outside of a relationship with a partner or spouse. Whether you’ve been cheated on or stepped outside of your relationship with your partner, the consequences and feelings that come with it can be devastating.
The pain you may feel is inevitable, and the effects on your emotional health in the short and long term can take a toll on your emotional well-being. In many respects, you are likely feeling grief from the loss of trust, the loss of a relationship, or the loss of your sense of self.
Like grieving the loss of a loved one, the grief you feel over what has been lost in a relationship is no different.
Trauma may also be a byproduct of infidelity, as the shock to your system can trigger similar effects relating to PTSD.
But like any physical pain you may experience, you can also heal, and the first step in the healing process is getting help.
how an affair can impact you
When your partner cheats, the pain you may experience can have a profound effect on your mental health, especially if you had no idea about what was happening.
Common experiences from women who have been cheated on include:
- Blaming yourself: Did I cause him to cheat? What’s wrong with me? What did she offer him that I couldn’t? The list of questions can go on, but the reality is your partner made a decision that was out of your control. What you do now to take care of yourself is all that matters.
- Grief: Like the shock of suddenly losing a loved one, the relationship you thought you had is gone, at least in the way you once knew it. Whether you try to mend things or move on, things will never be the same, and that feeling of loss is very real.
- Anxiety: Things can feel unstable and out of balance. If kids are part of the equation, your future as a family may suddenly be on a completely different path. Your partner may not be the person you thought they were. Can things be reconciled? There are many reasons to feel anxious and even experience panic attacks, and how you manage that anxiety can tremendously impact how you move on with your recovery.
- Low self-esteem: How you feel about yourself may begin to impact how you react. You may find yourself drinking more, eating poorly, or lashing out in retaliation in ways that may surprise you.
- Mood disorders: The trauma you experience may unmask a pre-existing or cause a mental health issue that may have been masked by being in a committed relationship. Depression, substance abuse, loss of interest in caring for yourself and others, and even suicidal thoughts can occur. Click here to learn more.
Regardless of your circumstances or how you may feel, it’s how you begin to pick up the pieces and move forward that can make all the difference. At Certus, we have medical and therapeutic expertise to help you address the emotional toll infertility can cause. The first step is scheduling an appointment by calling 833-701-3111.
