Early this week, Dr. Dana paid a visit to RadioMD to discuss one of the toughest challenges a couple can face: surviving an affair. With host Melanie Cole, MS, Dr. Dana touches on forgiveness, explanations, and taking responsibility in the wake of an extramarital affair as part of the Staying Well radio show.
Part of dealing with the pain of an affair, for both the faithful and unfaithful party, is understanding the factors that lead them to the point of infidelity, and this requires some examination of the series of events that lead up to the affair. This does not mean, however, sharing all the gory details of what actually happened (this can lead to painful mental images and fixations on the physical acts that may have happened).
She also recommends keeping the affair relatively quiet, and not going out of your way to tell your friends and family. Because loved ones will often come to the defense of someone who has been cheated on, they may harbor a grudge against the cheating spouse long after the betrayed party has forgiven them. This can lead to more effort spent repairing damaged relationships, and cause further tension in the marriage.
Above all, she urges those struggling with an affair’s aftermath to remain hopeful – if you can make it through this, your marriage will be stronger than ever!
You can listen to Dr. Dana’s interview on the RadioMD site by clicking here.
For more expert advice on surviving affairs, strategies to overcome other marital problem, and methods to make your relationship the strongest it’s ever been, check out the StrongMarriageNow System today!
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Dr. Dana Fillmore and Amy Barnhart, co-Founders, StrongMarriageNow.com
