“I Cheated and Now
My Husband Has Emotionally
Checked Out On Our Marriage”
BY: DR. SHERRY
You’ve seen celebrity clinical psychologist Dr. Sherry Blake, author of The Single Married Woman: True Stories of Why Women Feel Alone in Their Marriages keep the
Braxton sisters calm on the hit show, Braxton Family Values. Now it’s your turn to sit in
her chair
Hi Dr. Sherry,
My husband and I have been together since we were 16 years old, now we are 37
now, and have a beautiful 18-year-old. A few years ago, we were at an ugly place
in our marriage and I ended up cheating with someone at work because I felt like
my husband and I lost our connection. There is definitely no excuse for what I did
but I told my husband and since then I have changed jobs.
He and I decided to stay together but obviously, our relationship has major strain.
We both have been working on the marriage and the insecurities that I have
caused. We have good moments but there are also bad ones.
Triggers are a hard one for my husband and I can’t help but feel responsible. I’m
at the point that I don’t know if letting him go is easier then dealing with the
damage I’ve caused. Will our marriage ever be ok or is the relationship a done
deal because I cheated? I really need direction.
Hey Sis,
Cheating creates a deep emotional wound that is very hard to heal. It is really not about
you letting your husband go because that is not your choice to make. You relinquished
your choice when you decided to go outside of the marriage. That is true for anyone
who decides to cheat because you have to accept the other person’s decision. It
appears to be that your husband may have already let you go, at least emotionally.
While you have remained together physically, emotionally you have been and remain
separated. When someone cheats in a marriage, it is hard work rebuilding trust and
moving forward. It is often harder for men who have been cheated on than women to
forgive and move forward in a relationship. It is not impossible to rebuild the relationship
if both want to. But, it takes both people wanting and willing to work through issues.
I highly recommend that you and your husband seek marital therapy to process issues
and try to heal the wounds. The fact that you have been with your husband since you
were 16 years old may give some insight into the depth of some of your marital
problems.
Cheating is not the cause of your marital problems, it is only the symptom. If you choose
to focus and treat the symptoms, nothing changes because the problem remains.
Anything worth having is worth fighting for. Your marriage is no different. However, you
also must know and accept when the fight is over. —Dr. Sherry