Infidelity can rock your relationship.
Some couples can work through it after one person cheats. But if your relationship has been compromised by cheating, you should get ready for something totally different from what came before.
Here are some of the ways your relationship can change after someone cheats.
You might need some time apart.
If a couple does decide their relationship is worth saving, love and relationship psychologist Madeleine Mason has noticed that this often comes after an intense cooling-off period.
"If the relationship is to return," she told INSIDER, "it usually happens after a long period of time apart where the couple was considered broken up."
You and your partner might not agree on how bad the cheating was.
Different people often have a different idea of how bad a cheater’s actions were. One partner might believe that a kiss is not a big deal, while the other might think it’s a deal-breaker.
This is why it’s important to outline boundaries beforehand. And if a cheater feels like what they did wasn’t so bad while their partner is devastated by it, things might be difficult moving forward.
Negative emotions will be running high.
If you do decide to try and work things out, get ready for a bumpy ride.
"If the relationship is going to work going forward," Mason said, "it is usually marked with heightened suspicion, anger, hurt, and upset."
A person who cheats should expect that their partner will be unhappy with them for a while after the incident.
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