Infidelity and Affairs

There is no hurt quite like the hurt the people closest to you can inflict. The people closest to you are the ones you trust, the ones you can be most vulnerable with. The thing about being vulnerable with someone is that they know more about you and your weaknesses. During an argument, for instance, a loved one can deliver a low blow that a stranger couldn’t because they simply don’t know you that well. This is what makes adultery so painful. In a marriage or a committed romantic relationship, the people in that relationship set certain boundaries for their relationship. One of those boundaries is sexual exclusivity, meaning that they are committed to only having sexual relations with one another. While they might share their time, thoughts, and feelings with other people, they decide that they will not share their bodies with anyone else. When this boundary is tinkered with or broken, it can undermine the foundation of the relationship. While infidelity or adultery is one of the leading reasons why people end their marriages or committed relationships, the relationship doesn’t necessarily have to end. With work from both parties and with the help of a couples counselor, a couple can address the issues in their relationship and rebuild their relationship on stronger foundations. What does adultery mean? People typically use the term “adultery” to refer to when a married person has sex with someone other than their spouse. Men and women alike commit adultery, with some research indicating that 20-25 percent of married men and 10-15 percent of married women are unfaithful to their spouses. “Adultery” can also refer to a host of other activities that are adjacent to sexual and other forms of intimacy. A couple might decide that sharing certain emotions and thoughts with another person [...]