Having an affair in a relationship mostly leads to couples’ separation, and lack of communication is the leading cause. The signs must have been lurking around before people cheat or have an external affair. But then, they fail to address the situation until it silently balloons into something bigger.
Next, they resort to an affair to fill that gap until they are caught in the act. The painful part is when the unsuspecting partner finally gets to fix the puzzle. It leaves them with a tidal wave of emotion, which makes them fearful, anxious, and hypervigilant, wondering where they got it all wrong.
Now, the relationship faces the challenge of either forging ahead or ending. The responsibility now lies on the innocent partner to forgive the cheating, which is not easy. Is it possible to recover from an affair? This answer primarily depends on the couple, especially the betrayed party.
There are two things involved when forgiving a cheating partner, and they include:
- It’s possible that they go back to having an affair again. This can be a big blow to the other party.
- On the flip side, if they can forgive each other and put the situation behind them, the relationship will bounce back more robust than it was.
Importantly, such couples must note that healing from such blows takes time. Some people never get to recover at all. So, if you are sure that you can forgive your partner for having an affair and live with it, then by all means, go for it.
However, if you find out you can’t, it’s best to end the relationship. But before you do so, you may need to seek professional assistance from a therapist to enable you to arrive at the best decision for YOU.