How To Forgive Yourself For Cheating In Your Relationship
No one is perfect, and you cannot erase a past mistake. However, there are strategies to move forward from infidelity with self-forgiveness. According to the Berkeley Well-Being Institute, this involves a combination of accepting responsibility, empathizing with those you’ve hurt, restoring relationships, and growing through new perspective and compassion. This can be difficult to achieve on your own, and it’s recommended that you consider reaching out to a licensed therapist after engaging in infidelity.
According to psychiatrist Dr. Scott Haltzman, while 40% of marriages experience infidelity, more than 50% of those marriages will survive it. And, for some couples, successfully restoring the relationship after cheating can make it stronger than before the transgression.
Possible keys to protecting your relationship from cheating
Perhaps infidelity has not entered your relationship, but you’re wondering how you can reduce the risk of it occurring in the future. In a study of married couples who successfully maintained monogamy, researchers identified several protective factors that seemed to reduce the likelihood of cheating, including:
- Healthy boundaries (behavioral, relationship, and cognitive)
- Romantic intimacy
- Compatibility
- Values and beliefs in support of monogamy
- Healthy individual and joint coping skills
If these do not exist in your relationship, you may want to consider whether couples therapy may be helpful. Identifying challenges in your relationship proactively can enable you to address them before cheating occurs.
Why do people cheat?
To quote the famous psychologist, Esther Perel, “Sometimes, when we seek the gaze of another, it isn’t our partner we are turning away from, but the person we have become. We are not looking for another lover so much as another version of ourselves.” Understanding the reasons you cheated will likely require substantial internal reflection.
One study of nearly 500 people who admitted to cheating asked them to explain why they did it. According to the results, the primary motivation for cheating is often centered on one or several of the following reasons:
- Anger or revenge
- Low self-esteem
- Low commitment to the relationship
- Lack of love in the relationship
- Desire for variety
- Neglect
- Feeling stressed
- Sexual desire
- Situation or circumstance
Understanding the primary drivers of your infidelity can help you address those feelings and move forward with your partner.
How to forgive yourself after cheating
Self-forgiveness is not the same thing as giving yourself a “pass,” or deeming the behavior acceptable. However, it can be seen as the first step of moving past the guilt and pain caused by your action.
The following steps may help you forgive yourself:
Accept responsibility for your actions
Take the time to reflect on what happened in your relationship that drove your infidelity. Acknowledging where you’ve made mistakes and what you should have done differently is an important part of becoming accountable for your actions and growing from them.
However, despite making a poor choice, remember that you are worthy of self-forgiveness and that you can grow from your mistakes.
Apologize
A sincere apology will:
- Accept responsibility for your actions without placing blame on your partner.
- Acknowledge that what you did was wrong and hurtful.
- Not minimize your actions.
- Briefly explain what happened, or simply let them know that your actions are inexcusable.
- Tell them that you will answer any questions they may have.
- Give them the space they need.
- Not place pressure on forgiveness.
Research supports that apologies can promote forgiveness in your relationship, however, even if your partnership ends, you still owe them a genuine apology.
Embrace remorse
Cheating hurts your partner, and you should try to empathize with their experience. By acknowledging how you were both hurt by your actions, you may be less likely to cheat in the future. Here are some indicators that you’re experiencing remorse:
- You apologize frequently and sincerely.
- You take actions to reduce the suffering of your partner.
- You are willing to do what they need to heal your relationship.
- You do not blame them for your mistakes.
Research shows that accepting how your actions have impacted others is essential for growth.
Be completely honest
Cheating almost always results in a loss of trust. A 2018 study found that prior infidelity is a strong predictor of future infidelity, meaning that those who cheat are more likely to do it again.
Stopping this behavior may require reflection and stronger communication. To move forward with your partner, you will need to answer difficult questions, such as why you were motivated to cheat in the first place. Other questions you will likely need to answer honestly include the following:
- How long did you cheat for, and how often?
- Who did you tell about your infidelity?
- Do you, or did you ever, have romantic feelings for them?
- Are you still communicating with them? Have you ended things with them?
The shame and guilt often associated with cheating can make it difficult to talk about. But it’s important that you do not shut your partner out or avoid their questions. Your honesty in answering them may help you both gain a better understanding of what happened and why, and it can help forge a stronger relationship in the future.
Make some changes
If you and your partner are going to continue your relationship, you’ll want to take some steps to reduce your interactions with the person you cheated with. For example, you can remove contact information, block numbers, and block social media accounts.
Discuss your relationship going forward
Work to understand what caused your infidelity, and then come up with a strategy together to stop it from happening in the future. For example, going forward you might decide to do the following:
- Create a list of both of your needs and desires
- Schedule routine check-ins to discuss the relationship
- Make a plan to attend couples therapy
- Set aside time each day to do activities together, like walking, gardening, or cooking
- Make time for date nights without kids, phones, or videogames present
- Say “I love you” more often
- Take a communications skills class together
Understand that your relationship will never be the same
If you and your partner decide to stay together, your relationship will never go back to being the way it once was. But that’s okay, and many relationships that continue after infidelity become stronger than they were before the transgression. According to marital therapist Andrew Marshall, infidelity allows couples to closely examine all aspects of their relationship honestly, which can act as a sort of “spring cleaning” for the couple.
Forgiveness enables growth
Though it can be difficult to forgive yourself after you’ve cheated, it can significantly impact your potential for growth. A 2014 study on couples who continued their relationships after infidelity found that forgiveness was the strongest predictor of posttraumatic growth.
Getting professional help
If you’re having a hard time forgiving yourself, or if you’re experiencing lasting trauma from infidelity, you may want to try cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of talk therapy that works by helping you recognize and change unhealthy automatic thoughts, which in turn can reduce the occurrence of emotional distress and unhelpful behaviors.
If you and your partner have decided to stay together after infidelity, you should seriously consider attending couple’s therapy. A 2022 study from Frontiers in Psychology found that online couples therapy can effectively improve relationship satisfaction and mental health. Additionally, a 2021 study on the perception of online couples therapy determined that some couples find it easier to open up to a therapist when not physically in the same room as them.
Online platforms like Regain offer both individual and couples counseling services, so you can make the choice that’s best for you. Either way, most people are matched with a licensed therapist within 48 hours.
Takeaway
Forgiving yourself for cheating may be a long and challenging process. However, it’s an essential part of recovering and growing from your mistake. Accepting accountability for your actions, apologizing sincerely, allowing yourself to feel remorse, and prioritizing honesty can help you in your journey towards self-forgiveness.
If you and your partner decide to continue your relationship after infidelity, a therapist can be a helpful resource. Research demonstrates that online couples therapy can improve relationship satisfaction and mental health, and it’s often more approachable than in-person therapy for couples.
FAQs (Frequently asked questions)
How do I stop feeling guilty after cheating?
Understandably, you feel guilty after cheating. You may believe that you’re a bad person. You’re not a terrible human being because you cheated. You made a mistake, and you feel guilty because of it. That makes you human. Even if your partner called you a bad person, that doesn’t make it true. It’s important to confront what you did, and take ownership of it. Calling yourself a bad person doesn’t help. It will likely make you feel more guilty. It’s important to start the healing process with honesty. You cheated, there are consequences to your relationship, and now it’s time to figure out the next steps to move forward.
How do I forgive myself for infidelity?
Forgiving yourself for infidelity can be challenging. Maybe you cheated on your partner on a business trip, or on the road touring with your band. Perhaps it was a once time thing or an ongoing affair. Maybe it was emotional cheating, rather than a physical connection. Sometimes vulnerable verbal exchanges are more of a betrayal than sex. Physical cheating may be a one night stand or something that didn’t have an emotional significance. Regardless of the type of infidelity, you made a mistake, and it’s crucial to forgive yourself. One way to work through these complex feelings is by seeing a therapist. A mental health professional can support you while you gather insight into why you cheated.
Can you still love someone after cheating on them?
You can love someone after cheating on them. Just because you had an affair doesn’t mean you don’t love your partner. There could be problems in your relationship, but you still love that person. It’s a matter of asking yourself why you cheated. Maybe there was a lack of physical intimacy. Perhaps you felt unappreciated in the relationship. It could be that the relationship became boring, and you wanted to find something different. Cheating was exciting to you because it’s forbidden. It’s crucial to figure out if you want to repair the relationship with your partner after you cheated. It may be a sign that it’s time to move on, or perhaps you can work through these issues in couple’s counseling.
Can you live with yourself after cheating?
You will feel many different emotions after cheating. It’s crucial to process these feelings and understand that you’re human. It’s tempting to punish yourself for making a mistake. Maybe you feel you don’t deserve to be happy. Perhaps you’re ashamed of your behavior. You didn’t want to cheat but couldn’t control yourself. You have to go on and live with the consequences of your actions. It’s important, to be honest with yourself and admit what you did. Your partner deserves to know the truth. You want to be in a relationship where there are honesty and trust. Think about how you would feel if your partner cheated on you. Remember that just because you made a mistake, doesn’t mean you should punish yourself. It’s time to do some soul-searching and determine what you want out of a relationship. Recognize what you did, figure out the reasons you did it, and learn from the mistake.
How do you know a cheater is really sorry?
If a cheater is remorseful, they care about what they did. They want to repair the relationship, or they have regret how they made their partner feel. If you’re considering forgiving someone who cheated on you, remember that you were wronged. It’s crucial for your partner to admit what they did, and acknowledge how it made you feel. It’s okay to be angry, sad or hurt. You deserve an apology and to feel loved and appreciated by your partner.
Do cheaters feel guilty?
Some cheaters feel guilty for what they did. Other people rationalize why they cheated and didn’t feel bad. No matter what, cheating doesn’t solve the problems in a relationship. It exacerbates them. It’s okay to feel guilty after being unfaithful, but it’s important to do something about that guilt. Maybe you go to counseling alone, or with your partner. Guilt isn’t enough to remedy the situation. What matters more than feeling bad is making an effort to work through the problems. You can feel a significant sense of guilt, but without taking action, you’re wallowing in that emotion. It’s crucial to process the guilty feelings and try to make amends for what you did.
Does infidelity pain ever go away?
It’s painful when your partner cheats on you. It also hurts when you cheat. The pain of infidelity may seem like it will last forever. But, with time, that hurt will get less and less. What seems dire right now won’t feel that way in the future. With time that pain will get better. A therapist can help you process the emotional betrayal. You’re entitled to your feelings. What you went through is a traumatic experience. It’s okay to be angry or sad. It will take time, but be real with yourself and let yourself feel your feelings. There’s no wrong way to feel after you’ve been cheated on. There are a variety of emotions you experience after cheating. It’s crucial to take some time to acknowledge what happened and learn from these experiences. The pain will get less and less as you work through it.
Should you forgive a cheater?
There’s no right answer as to whether you should forgive a cheater. You could decide to work through infidelity with your partner in therapy or go your separate ways. It’s up to you what you choose to do. There is a chance that if you stay with a cheater, they will betray your trust again. That’s why going to couples therapy is a good idea. That way, you can talk through what caused the cheating, understand what to do about it, and decide if the relationship is worth saving.
Why do I feel so guilty after cheating?
You probably feel guilty after cheating because you hurt your partner, and possibly ended a relationship. You may feel bad because you lied to the person you’re with, and that’s not a good feeling. There are many reasons you could feel guilty, and the only way to know is to be honest with yourself. It might help to journal about cheating. Write down what was going through your mind when you cheated. After gaining that clarity, you can discuss these issues in therapy. You might be able to have a conversation with your partner about your actions after you realize the reasons for what you did. Cheating can cause severe damage to a relationship. But you can get help. Consider online couples counseling to help you and your partner through a rough patch after infidelity.
Should you admit to cheating?
What are things you can do to heal yourself after you have cheated?
How hard is it to build trust again after one of you has cheated?
Why is self-forgiveness so difficult to do?
How can you keep yourself from being aggressive after being cheated upon?
Are there forms of infidelity that are a little easier to forgive?
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