When you married, if you’re like most couples, you made a vow pledging your faithfulness. But now you’ve discovered your spouse didn’t take that vow seriously. It doesn’t matter whether it was a one-night stand or a long-term affair, the results are the same—your spouse’s action has left in its wake fear, doubt, distrust, betrayal, hurt, and anger.
Ultimately, it’s what you do with these emotions—how you process them—that makes the difference. For you and your marriage’s sake, you need to process these emotions in a positive way. Here’s help.
Healthy versus Unhealthy Responses
Allow the tears to flow. Initially, crying is a healthy response. But your body is limited to how long it can sustain such agony. Allow yourself to cry, but don’t move into a “poor me” attitude. That will do no one any good.
Tell your spouse how you feel. Verbally expressing your feelings is also a healthy way to process anger—as long as you use “I” statements rather than “you” statements. When you say, “You betrayed me. You took advantage of me. You don’t love me,” you only incite negative reactions. And we know that negative reactions don’t lead to positive outcomes.
Statements such as, “I feel betrayed. I feel hurt. I feel like you don’t love me” simply reveal your emotions. They’re honest and communicate the depth of your pain.
Control your behavior. Negative responses to anger can complicate the problem. If you start throwing dishes or speaking obscenities, your out-of-control behavior will only alleviate your spouse’s guilt. Now he can blame you rather than himself because your behavior has demonstrated that you’re an unreasonable, uncontrolled person.
Don’t retaliate. Retaliation is a common but negative response. Vengeful tactics include having an affair yourself to show your unfaithful spouse what it feels like to be betrayed or going to her workplace to cause a scene. Any effort at revenge is doomed to failure. Returning wrong for wrong simply makes the other person feel less guilty and stimulates him or her to return fire for fire.
Seek outside help. After the initial wave of shock, hurt, and anger, the most productive step you can take is to seek the wisdom of a Christian counselor. If your spouse isn’t willing to go, then go alone. You’re more likely to make wise decisions if you get the help of someone who isn’t emotionally involved in the situation.