Quite possibly one of the worst things to experience in a relationship is to be cheated on. Whether together for a few months or married for more than a decade, when you’ve been betrayed by someone that you love, it becomes a defining moment between you and your significant other. And, in some cases, it’s something that cannot be overcome.
Of course, it’s known that being cheated on can produce heartbreak, the dismantling of marriages and long-term relationships as well as long-term self-esteem issues, but what about the things that happen to you after being cheated on that aren’t discussed as much? How do you recognize them? How do you deal with them?
Although everyone deals with this form of devastation in different ways, here are nine unexpected ways that being cheated on can affect your life.
It will affect your self-esteem and self-perception.
Though we often think that being cheated on only makes us the victim, Dr. Julie Gurner told INSIDER that in the long-run, others can be affected by it, too.
“This can impact a wide range of variables in your life — but a tangible one is that it can impact your partner choice in the future,” she said. “You may end up settling for less than you deserve or putting up with more than you should.
Likewise, it will make you question your self-worth.
Being cheated on can definitely make you think the worst of yourself as an initial reaction. According to Saba Harouni Lurie– licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Take Root Therapy – however, it can do more damage than you think.
“It's not unusual for people to wonder what they did to make their partner cheat, or why they weren't enough for their partner,” she said. “It can also make you doubt your intuition, and make it difficult for you to trust yourself, especially if you had no misgivings about your partner before the truth came out.”
On the other hand, it can produce an unexpected opportunity for you.
Although negative impacts – whether expected or unexpected – are usually the main results of being cheated on, Lurie told INSIDER that it can also provide some positives, too.
“For individuals that did suspect their partners were cheating and had it confirmed, being cheated on can create an unexpected opportunity,” she said. “Though it's still a disorienting experience, these individuals can choose to use it to affirm themselves and the validity of their own perception.”
See the rest of the story at Business Insider