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Healing after Cheating and Narcissism Print E-mail

 

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The goal of this website is to give support to people who are facing problems in their relationship related to cheating, abuse and narcissism. I am living in Europe and English is not my native language, I wish you will excuse me if I make some grammatical errors. I have a background in neuroscience and behavioral sciences and I am currently doing brain research related to these topics in university in my home country. I decided to write in English because I wish to reach as many people as I can around the world. 

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Learn to Control Your Emotions

You have navigated to these pages because you are experiencing negative emotions related to narcissism or cheating in your relationship. Your husband or wife may have left you after cheating occurred, you may have left your spouse after you found out about cheating or you may have made the decision to try to save your relationship but you are having hard time forgetting the negative memories. You may feel extreme anger and pain when you think about the matters related to cheating. Painful memories may come to your mind at unexpected times, causing you emotional suffering, anxiety and depression. There is a biological basis for the painful emotions related to narcissism, cheating and other tragedies in life. If you understand why you feel the way you do it will be easier for you to control your emotions and get over the pain. 

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The Amazing Brain - Understanding the Emotional Pain  

I am currently doing brain research in university in my home country. Few years ago I became interested in the mechanisms of the mind and the brain which are responsible of the feelings of depression, anxiety and sadness related to tragedies in life such as cheating or living with a narcissistic spouse.

Think of the pain from an evolutionary point of view. If you accidentally place your hand on a hot stove, you feel the pain. The pain serves as a biological warning mechanism, informing you that something in your environment is harmful for you. The pain is forcing you to act: You quickly remove your hand from the stove. Mental pain also serves as a warning mechanism. For example, you feel the pain after finding out about cheating because one of the basic elements in your life has changed: You thought you could trust your spouse fully but that turned out to be a false belief. The pain you feel forces you to act: You will either try to stay together with your spouse, regain the trust and mend the relationship or you will leave your spouse (you remove the element that is causing you pain). 

Human brain is more flexible than one would think. We have the power to influence the way our brain is working in certain situations, in same fashion as it is possible to teach the brain for example to get rid of various phobias. A good example of the mind control is the ability to block the sensation of physical pain from entering the brain. In same fashion one can learn to suppress the mental pain related to the emotional withdrawal symptoms after ending the relationship with a narcissistic partner or to suppress the pain related to the memory of cheating. We do not have to go with the flow, we can control the way we feel and the way our life will evolve.

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How to Suppress the Emotional Pain

There is a physiological basis for the mechanism of the voluntary control of the brain and the mind. It is possible to teach the muscles in our body to move in new ways while learning to ride a bicycle, to dance etc. In same fashion it is possible to "train" the brain to react in certain ways in certain situations. It takes time for the brain to change, for better or worse. Your behavior will determine how fast or slowly you will recover after cheating or relationship with a narcissist.

If you dwell on negative memories and try to drown your grief into alcohol or isolate yourself from the world, you can be sure that the neuronal networks in your brain related to negative thoughts will be strengthened and your recovery will take longer. But if you decide to "force" your brain to adapt different kind of approach by using simple mental and physical exercises you can significantly speed up your recovery and learn to deal with the emotions related to negative memories. 

The most important thing for you to do right now is to get rid of the mental pain caused by the memory of cheating or unhappy events related to your narcissistic spouse. After that you can decide what you wish to do regarding your relationship. You may wish to stay with your husband or wife or you may wish to go your separate ways. Whatever you decide it is best that you make your decision with a clear mind, not when your thoughts are clouded by pain, anger and depression.

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Survival Package after Cheating or Mental Abuse

During my period of healing after experiencing dishonesty and narcissism in my relationship I wrote a book about the recovery process after mental tragedies in life. The goal of the book is to give factual scientific insights regarding the mental pain and to introduce ways to help the mind and the brain to heal faster. The book includes practical tips and information regarding what one can do to speed up the recovery after experiencing cheating or narcissism in a relationship.

The most important thing for you to do right now is not to let the actions of your spouse influence the quality of your life any further. The aim of this book is to help you to get over the negative feelings and gain control of your emotions. Once this has been achieved you can decide what you wish to do with your relationship. If your husband or wife has left you and is not willing to continue the relationship, this book will help you to get over your grief and move on with your life.

If you wish to read the book you find download instructions at the end of this page (the book is in pdf format which makes it convenient to read). In the end of the book you find section "Survival Package After Cheating" with instructions of what you can do to ease the pain after you found out about cheating or betrayal. The book is easy to read and emphasis is on practicality. You can start the recovery process right now by downloading the book. Tomorrow you will have a whole new view of your situation and a clear idea of what to do to help yourself to get better as soon as possible.

The download fee for the book is 15 USD. You will receive your copy of the book immediately after making the download payment. Secure Payloadz service is used to send the book to those who request it. If you wish to find out more about Payloadz go to the home page of the service at www.payloadz.com. Payments are processed through a secure Paypal service. If you are not familiar with Paypal visit www.paypal.com to learn more about the service. Payment can be made either with your existing Paypal account or with all major credit cards or via bank transfer (if this service is available in your country). For more details of the download process, please read the download instructions below.

In addition to getting help for your own situation, by downloading this book you are helping me to maintain and further develop this website so that more people can find help from here. 

- Maria

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Download instructions

You can download the book by clicking the download link below to go to secure Paypal service page where you can make the download payment. The download fee for the book is 15 USD. The payment can be made with your existing Paypal account or with all major credit cards or via bank transfer (if this service is available in your country). Immediately after your payment has been received you will receive an email with a link to secure Payloadz service page where you can download your copy of the book (the book is in pdf format). You should receive this email within minutes after completing the payment. Should you encounter any problems at any stage of the download process, please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Comments (54)
  • JohnX  - Healing, slowly...
    Thanks Maria for creating this website and writing your book. You have helped me to deal with my depression after I found out my wife cheated on me. I am finally getting out of the dark cave... Thanks. J
  • Elle  - fighter
    I have tried to forget and forgive cheating but the memories wont leave me alone... Your book gave me new hope. I will try my best to let go of all these painful memories. It is as you say, we create our own destiny. I can control my feelings, I will not let negative thoughts dominate my thinking. I refuse to become bitter and depressed over this, I will follow the instructions of the survival package in your book. I WILL SURVIVE!!!!!!
  • Eternity  - Freedom
    Thanks for a great website!! My wife cheated on me with her colleague. I am trying to forgive her, she wants to stay together. We have no kids. I love her and I want to give us a chance. But it's hard to forget. All I can do is try....
  • Kerri
    I am also trying to get over cheating.... This website is very helpful. Thank you, Maria.
  • Nina
    My fiance had an affair with his colleague. I have been trying to deal with it. He asks me to forgive him but I am having hard time doing it. Your book has improved my mood a lot, it was very encouraging. You really understand how this pain feels like.
  • bluebird
    I read your book and I love it! I am trying to separate from my narcissistic husband. I read all I can about this topic. Your website has been very helpful.
  • Marcel
    Maria, I just downloaded your book, am about to start to read it now. I have been betrayed by my wife and I am trying to get over it, this site has been a source of energy. Thank you.
  • Anna  - Small steps to happiness...
    dear maria, thank you for this excellent website. I downloaded your book and liked it very much. I now have better understanding about many things. I understand that it is ME who decides how my life will go, no one else. I have the power to control my feelings and decide whether I let my boyfriend's bad behavior crush me or not. I have felt so depressed since he lied to me about other women... I was not able to concentrate on anything in my life, I just felt so sad, thinking about him with those women... Now I feel so much stronger. I have been able to silence the negative thoughts, I feel I am in peace, whatever will happen. I understand my happiness is NOT dependent on him. Your book has helped me to get over my depression. Thank you!!!!
  • sad
    I am also trying to get over cheating. Thank you for this website, Maria.
  • Rayna  - Recovering from an Cheating Narcississtic Boyfrien
    :) Aloha Maria, Mahalo for your website and for sharing what you have experienced and gone through in your life. I felt I had no one to turn to for help or advise because no one that I knew could relate or even understand what I was going through. So I turned to the internet and found your website and realized I wasn't alone. Just knowing that made me feel a whole lot better.
    I've had a boyfriend of 6 years who I thought was my soulmate until I caught him cheating on me. Women have not only been the problem but the ups and downs and the erratic mood swings along with the emotional abuse and constant attacks to my character made me realize I had even a bigger problem I was dealing with. Being with a cheating Narcississtic boyfriend almost brought me to the end of my rope but somehow I managed to find the strength to help myself out of the 6ft deep hole and slowly rebuild my life. I realized that I was allowing him to kill my soul by staying with him and that I needed to get out. It's been so hard to seperate from him but I did it with the help and inspiration from your website. Thank you and good luck to all of you out there reading this. You are not alone and trust your instincts! Listen to whatever it is telling yo to do because usually that is the best advise. Aloha Rayna
  • Gret
    Only the weak cheat.... Cheating destroys everything. There is no excuse for it. I am trying to let go of my anger... I once loved so much, now I only seem to hate... Cheating sucks.
  • Ashley  - I Cheated
    I know that there is no excuse for cheating and cheating is for the weak, but does anybody ever think about both sides of the situation? My fiance ignored me, never called me pretty, never said nice things to me and hardly wanted to spend any time with me. He decided to starting flirting with other girls online and when I confronted him he went to stay at his mom's house. Of course, me being absolutely devastated, fell for our room mate when he told me how pretty I was and that my fiance was stupid if he left me. He said and did all the things that I wanted my fiance to do and it is so hard to say no when you are in such a weak state. My fiance walked in on us but he has decided to forgive me. The room mate on the other hand, well, he's homeless now.

    So to all you who have been cheated on, think about something; did I pay enough attention to my partner, did I give them enough affection, did we have sex often enough? Ask yourself those things because in a lot of cases, it's not just the cheater's fault. There are many factors that go along with cheating.
  • Julia
    Ashley,

    I am sorry to hear that you have created such a painful experience in your life. However, I felt the need to reply as this is a mistake many people make when they try to justify their cheating.

    I do believe that both people in a relationship are responsible for the health of the relationship. However, one can never put the blame on another person for their actions. I have never understood why when a person cheats, it is "okay" to state that their partner was partly to blame because they did not give enough attention, love, etc. to the one who cheated. Here are a few questions for you to ponder:

    1. You are 100% responsible for communicating your needs to your partner. No one is a mind reader and so often people expect their partner to be one. Instead of stating that your partner did not give enough affection, why not ask yourself if and how you communicated your needs to him? You may have stated your needs to him, but did you do so with respect, love, and an open heart?

    2. Why is it that cheating can be made part fault of the person cheated on, but if you had physically or emotionally abused your partner, been an alcoholic, or used drugs in a way that greatly caused your partner deep pain, then you would take (maybe) full responsibility? The only reason someone engages in any behavior/activity that causes pain in their lives and the lives of others is because they are hiding from a deep, dark shadow(s) that they do not want to deal with. What is the shadow you are actually hiding from?

    3. If you can identify what it is that you are hiding from (instead of pointing fingers outside of yourself) then you will actually transform your life in ways that you cannot imagine at the moment. I challenge you to use this experience you have created to take responsibility for your life, your happiness, and your well-being at a much higher level. The only thing that will change those things in your life outside of you is if you shift the things inside of you. Yes, it is the scarier and more difficult way because you have to face things about yourself, I know firsthand, but you will be amazed at the life (and happiness) you can create yourself without relying on others (including your partner) to ground you in joy no matter what happens in your life.

    I wish you many blessings and deep personal transformation in the coming year.

    Take care,
    Julia
  • rob
    I left my girlfriend when she cheated on me. She betrayed my trust, I knew I would never forget it. Why do I still miss her, its beyond me.
  • BrokenAngel
    Maria, thank you for this website. I wish I knew how to create websites, I have so many things to say about narcissism and abuse... I read your book, it has motivated me to reclaim my life, after being mentally abused and cheated on for years. I wish I could help others to get out... I keep coming back here. Thanks.
  • Maria
    Thank you all for the positive feedback regarding my book! That is the best reward i can get. Dear BrokenAngel, if you are interested in building your own website, visit the page http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/use-your-experience-of-narcissism-and-cheating-to-help-people.html Nowadays it is as easy to build your own website as it is to open a gmail account. No html coding skills are needed, nor any prior experience of building websites. I have built this website without using any html coding.

    It helped me to recover when I was able to help others who are struggling in a toxic relationship. You can help yourself by helping others. Visit the above link to read more about how you can get your own website up and running!

    Warm hug,
    Maria
  • Michael
    Your book has helped me to get over the anger and bitterness. My wife cheated on me with her male friend. Nothing is certain in this life. Glad I found this website.
  • ChellaBlue  - Early On...
    I'm still VERY early in the recovery process (less than a week) & new to this site and I have this overwhelming feeling of dread & panic, like "what am I going to do?" I will never contact him again as he just called the police on me for calling him & crying about how much I loved him. He is truly evil and although I know I am better off without him but I feel like a giant piece of myself is missing. If anyone can offer any words of wisdom I would so appreciate it! Thank you :D
  • Lola
    Keep going on, look for the good (but also being cautious, of course), and keep and collect the good

    Little steps, little bits

    Protect your positives (keep them to yourself or only share with truly good people)
  • been there, am there
    The pain of being cheated on is incomparable to anything. I left my boyfriend 7 months ago, after having started to see the clues of his cheating 6 months before that. I simply could not deal with anything at the time, I ignored it, knowing that I would have to leave him eventually but not being in the right time or frame of mind to do it. He was my best friend, my soulmate, my love. He yelled and screamed and denied everything, anything to shift focus off him, I was blamed and called every name in the book. Finally, when I did leave, the grief was overwhelming. I was replaced almost instantly. The anger carried me through the first months, and now I am here now..still feeling very much alone, heart aching, unable to trust or even be around anyone, and missing him. He still contacts me now, wanting to be with me, even though he is going through strings of people involved in meaningless physical relationships (now cheating on them too, of course). I wonder if the pain will ever go away? I know from experience the strength that we have inside, so I am giving it time, and just trying to get through the days....what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...
  • Maria
    Dear Friend,

    I am so sorry you are in that situation. Based on your story, I believe you made the right decision. It will be hard to let go of the memories, but eventually you will recover. I know you feel the pain now, but in a long run the depression and anxiety would have been so much worse had you stayed with a person who you know you cannot trust. My thoughts are with you. One day, perhaps sooner than you now think, you are able to feel happiness again! Warm hug, Maria
  • Lola
    Usually Im angry at such people, here I feel strong empathy with you

    One has to look inside oneself and rediscover all the joyful things

    one step at a time


  • Marti Capps  - Finally free from my Narcissis' boyfriend Chad
    I've been dating what I thought was my soul mate for the past 15 months and over the past 6 months I've had that gut feeling that he was cheating on me and 3 days ago all of my fears came true. To make matters worse the girl he was cheating on me with worked with me and neither of us had a clue about the other. She just found out she is pregnant and is having an abortion because she has already been through this same situation with her ex-husband and can't face raising another child on her own (can you blame her?) He has screwed up so many lives and needs serious help. He is addicted to porn, sex and women. He has few emotions and is always defensive and blaming me for being insecure and needy. I see now the emotional abuse he has put me through. Now it's time for me to heal and re-build my life. I'm not going to lie it hurts like hell and I can hardly eat but each day is getting easier. Your website has helped me to see that it's not me with the problem it's him.
  • Maria
    Dear Friend,

    Thank you for your message. I am sorry for what you have been through. The pain will go away with time, the day will come when you can smile again. Please feel free to write to me privately if you feel like it, you find my email above. I wish to support you any way I can.

    Hug,
    Maria
  • Godinme  - I do not feel loved by my husband
    Have been married for 6 years 11/09. In 06 he stared changing. He has verbally abused me and put me down. Since then he act as though he does not like me, let alone love at all... At the same time he shows he cares every now and then. I now know he is a narcissist and this is why i am now emotionally drained.. trying to love him has become hard but i do try. I have come across evidence he is cheating, her pic was on our computer in recent doc. I truly hurts deep but i can not get to him even though we live and sleep together. We had a romantic time on our 6th anniversary getaway and as we were walking down a set of stairs from dinner i took his hand. He stopped and picked a flower, he let go of my hand, put the flower in and said "here now you are holding something". I was stunned. He walked fast to the car and i thew the flower at his back, it was so degrading, I had a hard time pulling myself together. We went back to our cabin. He stared the fire place. I walked to him and said "i will not let what you just did spoil my evening" and he patted my but and said something nice and said "oh, you" and we had a nice evening. He is very cold-hearted, i have lots of stories. I realize he does not love me. When i try to talk to him he says that i am too sensitive and i have nothing to worry about. Need some advise.
  • Maria
    Dear Friend,

    I am sorry to hear about your situation. From this website you find help and support for your situation. It sounds you are dealing with a man who has problems committing himself to an equal, honest relationship. You are not alone in your situation. You do not have to go through this alone. Please write to me to discussion forum

    http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/phpbb/

    or directly to my email, I would be happy to give you support and feedback regarding your situation.

    Warm hug,
    Maria
  • SheenRe  - Porn Cheater
    I have been trying to forgive my H for his hidden porn and icky activities. Two years has passed and I am not able to do that. I think that it's time to cut bait, I've fished too long. He isn't worth the work!
  • aki
    The main thing in a relationship is happiness... otherwise it is pointless to be together. If you are not happy, that relationship is not worth staying in. Two years is a long time to try to make things work... Let that guy go, you can find someone who can really make you happy!!
  • Rising from the ashes  - Almost broken
    My husband and I seperated 6 months ago after being married for 11 years. His first betrayal was about 1 year after we got married. I have tried for 10 years to "make things better". Now, after reading all about Narcissism I can not believe I have been so stupid! The profile described my husband to the letter, you could just as well have placed a picture of him next to the profile. The lies, the cheating, the bank accounts, the porn, the moods, the name calling it's all him! I was always trying to find out what I was doing wrong..Now I understand and I feel stronger after reading the articles on the website. I would have loved to never see him again but we have a wonderful little boy (5) who does not know all about this stuff and just wants to see his Dad. How do I deal with this????
  • Maria
    Dear Friend,

    I am sorry to hear about your situation. Even though you may feel you have "wasted time" staying with him for so long, please try to think that you could not have done anything differently. You tried your best to make things work. You were in love with this man and you did not want to give up until you tried all you could. Now you do not have to look back and wonder if you could have done something differently: You could not have, because you were not the one with the problem to begin with.

    As to your son, I understand how difficult your situation is. If your narcissistic ex has legal right to see his son, there is not much you can do... When you see your ex, try to look at him with new eyes. Remind yourself that the person you are looking at is mentally disabled and was never worthy of you. Also remind yourself that you are the one who has won, not him. His life will continue as it has been until now, dishonest and unfulfilled. He is forever stuck with himself, unlike you who are now free!

    Based on your message he sounds pretty unpleasant person to say the least. Think how wonderful your life will be now when he is out of it! Remind yourself of this fact when you wake up in the morning and when you go to sleep at night, and little by little this way of thinking gets implemented into your system. Eventually you realize that you do not have any emotions towards this individual anymore. That is the point when you can deal better with the fact that he is sometimes spending time with your son. Your son has the right to get to know his father, but no one can force you to spend any time with that guy, let alone like him. You are now a free woman! Try to enjoy every day of your life with your son and leave bad memories behind!

    Warm hug,
    Maria

  • Lea  - I'm so messed up.
    OMG This can't be real, although I know it is! I found myself in another bad relationship my current pulled me out of my last nightmare of a relationship and now I am 8 years down the track with him I can only conclude that this guys behaviour can only be that of a narcissist. I feel I have failed my self my children. I have poured everything of myself, my life all my hopes and wishes and dreams into this relationship only to wake up and find that not only am I alone and broke but I am worse off now than when we met. I quit my job, my selfesteem is so low I don;t even now who i am and I now am a drug addict. I wasn't before I met my current. We live together and currently we have apparently split I want to run but I know as soon as he starts being "nice" again I'll roll straight back in, until the next time he decides I am such an intolerable person. I'm so messed up. Thankyoud for this site it might just keep me alive.
  • Maria
    Dear Lea,

    I am so sorry to hear what you have been going through. I know what you mean when you say that you want to run, but when he is behaving well you always get pulled back. All of us who have been together with a narcissistic person know how difficult it is to break free. It usually takes several attempts until one is strong enough to leave. So please do not blame yourself or feel that you are "weak" if you keep going back to your narcissistic partner. You are no different from the rest of us, we have all been there. Eventually you will find the strength in you to break free!

    You say you feel you have lost your self-esteem and that you have let yourself and your children down. Dear Friend, it is not your fault that these things have happened to you. You were in love with this man and you followed your heart. That is the right thing to do in life. Now you have realized that this man is not good for you, and that he is actually making you more depressed. This is the turning point for you. Forget everything that has happened before, those are the things of past, they no longer matter. What matters is the future. Dear Friend, you are much stronger than you think. You have taken the first step on this road by writing to me. This is the beginning. Now your life will start to improve. I will help you every way I can. You do not have to go through this alone.

    The most important thing you should do now is to remove the element that is keeping you in a depressed state of mind, meaning your narcissistic spouse. If you stay near him, the bad memories will stay alive and as new bad things happen, you will slowly sink deeper into depression. Dear Friend, I know it is hard to stay away from someone who one loves... But try to teach yourself to think in such a way that this man is not good for you, he does not make you happy, instead he is making you sick and is keeping you sick (these are facts). Only when he is out of your sight and out of your life your brain and your mind are able to start the recovery process. I really wish you were somehow able to move out, even though I can understand it might be difficult due to financial reasons.

    Dear Friend, I am happy you found my website. Please feel free to send me email and tell more about your situation (you find the address above). I would be happy to help you get through this. You are not alone! Please do not hesitate to write.

    Warm hug,
    Maria
  • Lola
    Pull yourself up and by your bootstraps

    For your children and you

    Find the Power
  • Sharese  - I need help putting things together in my mind
    I just broke up with my narcissistic boyfriend of 9 years on and off. There has been mental and physical abuse and cheating. I have never been able to really catch him red handed but a few times the rest was me suspecting he was cheating and it was driving me nuts. Recently he started being kinda of cold, more into himself, distant, angry, short tempered, sneaky and more of a liar and when I held him at night I did not feel as much love coming from him as I did before. So I finally left him because my mental health was at stake, I was worried crazy he was cheating on me again. I looked like I was using drugs due to stress and losing weight,I did not look healthy. Now that I'm out of the relationship he is still calling me and wants me back. Now that i left I feel spiritually better but I still miss him a lot. How do i imagine my world without him and move on and never go back this time? I feel that everything I ever known about him or that he's ever told me was a lie. I feel like my relationship with him was a mirage, it was not even real. How do I put together in my mind 9 years was for nothing?
  • Maria
    Dear Friend,

    I am sorry to hear what you have been through, but I am glad you are already on the winning side, you have left him and can now start to heal yourself. Please do not think that last 9 years were "nothing". They are part of your unique life history. You would not be the person you are today without those years. Do not think that those years have somehow made you worse person than you otherwise would be. If you think that way, then you let your narcissistic spouse influence your life in a negative way even after you have been able to remove him from your immediate surroundings.

    You have learned so much about life during those 9 years. I also was in a relationship with a narcissistic man, however I do not look back with regret. There is no point in that. I am glad that I can now use my experiences to help others. Also my understanding about the different "layers" of life and human mind has increased... I now understand so much better why people end up staying in a bad relationship, even though from outside it is clear it is not going to work. Before I experienced a relationship with a narcissist, it was more difficult for me to understand those things.

    So, Dear Friend, do not think you have "lost" 9 years. Those 9 years have thought you a lot. The main thing is that you are now free, and can start to enjoy your life again. If you feel like you miss your narcissistic ex, remind yourself of all the bad things he has done to you. You would not want to go back to that life, would you? I did not think so.

    Warm hug,
    Maria
  • KALY  - cheating
    i am facing a situation where my boyfriend kept on meeting his ex and cheating on me as long as we were together. Our relationship lasted 4months, and his old relationship lasted 5 years...
    he kept on pretending he is in love and lying..finally i broke up even if this totally broke my heart! he didnt try to convince me for the opposite, he refused to stop seeing her and he refused to tell her about us. This showed me how much he didnt care about our relationship after all! i broke up and he just accepted it...
    i keep on thinking and crying..and beeing so sad and depressed..6days now! the worst part..he lives exactly upstairs in the same building (he rents my familly's appartment) so i can hear his moves and i cant stop checking him! i really need to stop i cant stand this situation anymore, it drives me crazy!
    i have started going out more, im avoiding him! we havent met since..what am i gonna do??
    please help me with some advice...
    thank u so much!
  • Maria  - re: cheating
    Dear Kaly,

    I am sorry to hear you are hurting. The break up happened very recently and you are at the very early stages of processing, that is why you feel so bad right now. I know you feel the pain, but trust me when I say this: You WILL feel better after a while. When you feel you are missing your boyfriend, please return to this site and read the message you sent to me (above). Look at your own message: Clearly this man was not capable of making you happy. Staying together with him would only have made your life miserable. He shows no respect towards you with his behavior. When we love someone, we cannot treat that person the way this man has treated you. There is no excuse for his betrayal.

    I know you were hoping that he would come to you, try to make you to change your mind and try to convince you of his love. Dear Friend, based on your message it seems that this man never loved you as strongly as you loved him. I am not saying this to make you feel bad. I believe it will help you to heal when you understand that the way he behaved towards you was not the way a person who is in love behaves. He did things that I am sure you could never have done to him (he hid your existence from his ex girlfriend, cheated on you with her etc).

    I wish there was a way you could move somewhere else at list for a while, or alternatively that he could move. That would help your healing tremendously. But if you must stay at that apartment, try to ignore him the best you can. Do other things, go out with friends, try to avoid him as you have been doing until now. Make yourself understand that you were actually lucky to get away from a person who did not respect you enough, and who was dishonest. Think if you had been married to him for ten years before this would have happened. There are many people who have experienced that. You were lucky to get out of bad relationship sooner than later. When you realize this, it will help you to heal.

    Dear Friend, you are not alone. I am happy you found my website. Warm hug and lots of strength!
    Maria
  • Audrey  - Grief lasts forever.
    My husband cheated on me 2 years ago (we were married for a little over a year). I have spent a lot of money-going to marriage counseling (sometimes he is present also). The bottom line is I cannot get over this. I don't understand why. I have dreams nightly about his cheating. I know in my heart I will never trust him again. Asisde from his cheating, I know he is a really great guy-unfortuantely the kind of guy every other woman wants. He doesn't think I should still be having issues after 2 years and is starting to make comments lightly of what happend 2 years ago. My inability to "let-go" has probably pushed him into beginning another relationship with another woman. The worst part of everything is that this has destroyed my soul-and I am not a happy person anymore because I can't let go -even subconsciously.
  • Maria
    Dear Audrey,

    I am sorry to hear you are still feeling so hurt. You said the cheating took place 2 years ago. It takes on average 1-2 years to get over the memory of cheating, so your are still within totally normal range. However, "to get over" does not mean "to forget". Cheating will never be forgotten. That is why it is so sad that some people end up cheating in a relationship: They simply do not realize they are changing their own life and the life of their partner forever. As I said, cheating will never be forgotten. However, it is possible to get over the pain caused by cheating and even to learn to trust again. Have you read this article: http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/cheating-and-infidelity/how-to-get-over-cheating.html I also recommend you to read the stories of other people who have experienced cheating in their relationship from here: http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/personal-stories-cheating-and-infidelity.html The stories there are from people who have experienced cheating but are not dealing with a narcissistic person. To read stories of people who are in a relationship with a narcissist, one can visit this page: http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/personal-stories-narcissistic-spouse.html

    Dear Friend, you must be patient. It is natural you are hurting after cheating, even after 2 years. These things will not be forgotten easily. It will help you to read the stories of others who have been through what you are now going through. Lots of strength for you!

    Warm thoughts,
    Maria
  • Anonymous
    I have been with my boyfriend for 7 years and he has been living with me for 6 of these years. When we met he had a good job and worked hard. The job consisted of some traveling and he was missing ballgames and things with his two boys and their step dad was taking them and he was jealous so he quit that job and began a new job. He was fired from that job after about a year and began a different job. He quit that job and just worked for a friend for cash with no taxes taken out and got behind in child support. He stole money from me getting cash advances from my credit card without my knowledge. I forgave him for that because I loved him.

    A year ago a woman called and said she was having an affair with him and that he had been to her house three times in the middle of the night. I was devastated by that and wanted to break up but I had such unconditional love for him that I couldnt imagine living without him. He promised he would never cheat again and was so good to me for about a year. He said he loved me enough that he would make it up to me for the rest of his life if he had to.

    He lost his job again a few months ago. He didnt seem to be looking hard enough for a job and I told him he needed to work anywhere even a grocery store or convenient store to bring in money and he was upset with me that I wasnt more compassionate towards him. He did not have good credit and had begged me to get him a truck in my name that he would pay for and this payment was getting behind. He began working for a friend of his and acting very different. I asked him if he had met a woman since beginning the job because he showed me less attention and was acting so distant. He promised me he had not and that he loved me and we were going to get our finances straight and get married.

    When I got our cellular phone bill I saw that he had been texting and calling a number many times and I called the number. He had been dating a woman that worked next door to where he was working and had not told her about me. He said he was not dating anyone and living with a friend. He was saving his money and not paying our bills so that he could leave.

    He left two months ago and is renting a house and she stays with him most of the time. He says they are already in love and his feelings for her are so deep it is scary. He texted me and told me I was replaced.

    I loved him and treated him with kindness and respect and did everything I could for him for 7 years. I helped him pay child support and by his children things and opened my home that I was buying to him and his children and called it our home. He has hurt me so badly I dont know if I will ever be okay.

    I have cried for two months day and night. I cry at work and at home and even in the mall. I cannot be a good mother to my children because I am so depressed. I know our relationship is over but I don't know how to live without him. I am miserable. Why do I miss him so much and he doesnt miss me? How can he be in love with someone else in just two months? I cant even go out with anyone, not even as a friend. I stay home and can barely function.

    I have been to a dr but I cannot take the medication they prescribed. I have wanted to die but I didn't want to take my own life I just didnt want to wake up the next day. The pain is too much for me I cant live like this. I feel like I am losing my mind. The medication made me dizzy with blurred vision and suicidal thoughts. I dont know how to get better. My family and friends are worried that I will lose my job and my home if I continue to be this way. I have had to turn in the truck because he would not pay for it and it has ruined my credit.

    If he would call or come by and ask me to forgive him I would. I think that is pathetic because if I had a friend or family member that would forgive such a mean unsympathetic man I would be angry with that person. So how could I even think of forgiving him? I have hoped and prayed that he will realize he made a mistake but it has been so long now I know he is happy and has moved on.

    How can I heal my heart and get my life back? My children need me and I need to be able to function again. I miss myself. I dont know who I am acting this way over a man. One man has destroyed my life.
  • Maria
    Dear Anonymous,

    I felt so angry on your behalf when I read one sentence in your story. You wrote that he sent you a txt message saying "You have been replaced". That is an incredibly cruel thing to say to a person after sharing 7 years together. Of course the rest of your story also made me feel angry towards a person who can treat other people this way. He has not only been lying to you, but also to that woman he now has a relationship with (he lied to her about you, denying your existence). It is clearly in his nature to lie and to be dishonest. I feel sorry for his new partner. She will never be able to trust him fully, knowing his past.

    You say you feel your life has been destroyed, and that if he would come back to you, you would forgive him. Dear Friend, I understand so well how you are feeling. You know this man is not good for you, and you know you should stay as far away from him as possible, but in the same time you feel your life without him is sad, empty and gray.

    The only way for you to pull yourself out of this pit and back to life is to realize that you are suffering of severe addiction. You are not on drugs, but your addiction is just as strong. You feel strong physical withdrawal symptoms when you are thinking of the prospect of the life without this man (you say you cannot stop crying). It will help you tremendously if you teach yourself to think that what you are feeling is just as natural as the pain after snake bite or stepping on a nail. You would not be human if you did not feel the way you do now, after being treated so badly. Please read this article of how to get mentally over a narcissist: http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/narcissism/how-to-leave-narcissist.html I also recommend you to read this article of addiction to a narcissist: http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/narcissism/detaching-from-narcissist.html and this article of how cheating affects the brain: http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/cheating-and-infidelity/cheating-and-brain.html

    Even though it is painful, you must live through this period during which you feel the withdrawal symptoms. It is the same for the people who are addicted to drugs. It is painful at first, but is gets easier as the time goes by. The most important thing for you to do is to understand that if he would come back to you, the pain you are feeling now would be permanent in your life.

    You may feel now that you would be happy if he only would return to you. But that is not true. Please believe me on this one, Dear Friend. If he would return to you, you would feel better for a while, as a drug addict does when he or she is getting a small dose of drug after long deprivation. But after a while you start to feel worse, a lot worse. If you would continue your life with him, you would end up being permanently depressed.

    Dear Friend, please teach yourself to see that it was actually a GOOD thing that you have gotten rid of the element in your life that would have made you miserable for years to come. You still have so many good things in your life, and you will have many more. The pain you feel now it the result of the physiological addiction. It will go away with time. You need to be patient. Dear Friend, whatever you do, DO NOT GET BACK WITH HIM, even if he would suggest that. He would destroy your life. You could never forget what he has done to you. You would have to swallow your pride, and you could not feel good about yourself. Trust me, you WILL feel better, sooner than you think.

    Please feel free to write to me anytime you feel like it. You can send me email of you can write to discussion forum (http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/phpbb/)

    You are not alone. Together we WILL get you through this!

    Warm hug,
    Maria
  • Pat VanAlstyne
    I have been married for 27 years, with what I thought the best marriage anyone could have. My husband lost his job, took on part-time job and ended up having an affair with a co-worker. It has been two years, I can not stop asking myself what happened, and why? I think I get more angry as time goes on. I still feel so hurt. I had a horrible year 2009, which hasn't helped. Lost my brother w/cancer, and then my job after 8 years of managing a doctors office. I need to stop.
  • Maria
    Dear Pat,

    You have been going through very though times. It is not wonder you still feel hurt and angry. You have faced not only one tragedy (losing your husband) but three (losing your brother and your job). You have been under a huge mental stress. I am so glad you found my website. The aim of this site is to help people who are in your situation. You are not alone. Please feel free to write to me, you find my email address above. I wish to support you any way I can.

    It sounds like your husband might have been depressed due to losing his job, and he tried to medicate his depression by doing exciting, new things to feel "alive" again (having an affair). Unfortunately by doing so he only shifted the depression from himself to you by cheating on you.

    Dear Friend, the only way for you to survive this is to let go of the negative memories related to your husband's betrayal. Your husband did wrong by cheating on you and you should not accept what he has done. But you must think of yourself and your own happiness. Clearly those tormenting thoughts are not good for you. Think of your husband as a weak person, who gave in to temptation. You thought he was stronger than that, but he was not. You shared 27 years with your husband, no one can take those years from you. No woman is ever going to be as significant to your husband as you have been in terms of his life. You have shared half of your life with him and he with you. No one can ever change that fact.

    In the end your husband was weak, but that does not take away the value of those 27 years. Please allow yourself to think of your past with warmth instead of anger and bitterness (I know this is very hard during first couple years). In a way your husband has now "died", he has disappeared from your life, and you are facing the loss. It takes time to recover from any kind of loss. Remember that you are not alone. Dear Friend, stay strong, it may take a while but eventually you will get through this! Please write to me anytime you want.

    Warm hug,
    Maria
  • Michael
    There are so many books I tried already... Still nothing came of it (anyway I don't lose hope. I have not yet read your book, but am really eager to do that. Thanks so much for helping people find peace.
  • Ned
    Maria, thank you for this great website. I have been cheated by my wife and I am trying to deal with my anger and depression the best I can. I read your book and found it to be very helpful. Just wanted to say thank you. When I feel depressed I come here, it always helps. All the best, Ned
  • Rachel  - Where do i begin
    I am so worn out. I can't make any decisions. I use to be a independent person. However after reading material about narcissism. I now realize i live with one. I don't understand how i am still here. Not sure how to leave.
  • Maria
    Dear Rachel,

    I am sorry to hear you are in a relationship that is not making you happy. You say you are not sure how to leave. It is very difficult to leave a narcissist, but all those who have done so are very happy about their decision after several years have passed and the withdrawal symptoms have ceased. Be strong! You are not alone. The purpose of this website is to support people who are in your situation. Please feel free to write to me any time you want. I wish to help you to get through this difficult phase in your life.

    Warm hug,
    Maria
  • Lola  - re:
    You begin by finding places (even if in your head) and things that give you a sense of freedom/peace

    Do not talk about or share these places with the Narcissist

    Strengthbuilding

    Making way for focus

  • Portia  - Portia
    Hello Maria,

    Thank you for your resourceful site. I have been with my husband for 4 years, married for 4 months.

    Prior to our marriage my husband displayed signs of online infidelity. I never actually caught him connecting with anyone, just going onto sites such as plentyoffish, black planet, etc...the excuses were the same boredom, curiosity, & the i saw a text message from a girl saying hey sexy back in aug of 08. I contacted her & she said that they just talk that's it. After confronting him & going thru his phone convo's his story collaborated. I still caught him on the sites & he even called his friend & put him on speaker claiming that they were doing a dating site together.

    After we got married the my husband became short tempered, throwing things when we argued & even threw his wedding ring back at me & said he wanted a divorce. He then barracated himself in a room for 2 week period. I had an anxiety attack & he ran to my side & we went to emergency..only to find out I was pregnant.

    I stayed at my mother's house for a few days after repeated texted that he missed me & to come home. I came home we talked through things & then one night about a week later I felt a strong instinct to go through his phone. Sure enough, I found a sexually explicit message between him and another woman. It basically stated what he liked doing with her. I flipped & called her & she was really rude & uncooperative. she claimed she slept with him once & doesn't want him...& said it was months ago. she lied about contacting him a week ago at that time. He said that it was sex texting & he was gratifying himself. I couldn't take the stress, so i packed my things & went to my mothers for about 2-3 weeks. He texted me everyday, mesg me....to come home...i did...he is going thru extensive counselling for addiction, anger management, etc...his shrink stated that he uses this online stuff as an outlet for the frustration he is going theu. he attends his sessions regularly & is serious about getting help. However, I got a facebook convo from a woman who he was planning to meet up with which was after the last cheating incident. He admitted to it, but claims that it took place at the time I left home not when i came back as se claims. There are inconsistencies with both cases & i don't know what to believe.

    I love my husband & I am committed to this marriage & want it to work. I know that there are different levels of infidelity but I don't want to excuse his behaviour. I feel rage, sadness, depression , etc...& I miscarried. My husband has actually taken the steps to get serious help for the first time in 35 years. We have cried and he has shared a lot about why he has been cheating in every relationship. He is open with his computer, phone, ipod, as before he wasn't.

    Am I a fool to stay? Can my marriage get to a good place, that is honest & faithful?

    Please give it to me straight.

    Thanks Maria,

    Portia
  • Maria
    Dear Portia,

    Thank you for sending your story. I am so sorry to hear what you have been going through. It is not easy to make the decision in a situation like that. On the other hand you feel you love your husband strongly and he also seems to have strong feelings towards you. It seems your husband is really trying to make the relationship work: He is open about his computer and cell phone, is going to therapy etc. But even after all his efforts, you keep discovering things that make you feel pain, like the latest incident with the woman he was planning to meet, according to him during the time you were apart.

    You say you do not know what to believe. That is completely understandable in this situation. You would be quite simple-minded if you would believe your husband's explanations without any reservations (especially with the inconsistencies you mentioned) after the lies you have discovered in past. A human being is a creature that learns from experience. That is the secret of our "evolutionary success" when compared to many other species on this planet. Monkeys exhibit similar behavior. They keep on experimenting on unfamiliar new things in their environment, and constantly learn from their experience. You are reacting in a very normal way in this situation: Your husband has been deceitful before, and you have difficulties trusting him now due to your past experience. Often past behavior predicts future behavior, that is why you cannot fool yourself to believe that it is absolutely certain that your husband will never cheat on you again or lie to you again. On the other hand you wish to stay together with your husband. You are experiencing a conflict in your mind and that is causing you pain.

    The only way you can stay together with your husband happily, without the constant feeling of insecurity, is if you can bring yourself to trust him again. But based on the history of lies, you cannot achieve that state easily. It takes time for the trust to return after a series of lies. Have you read this article of the different phases of the recovery process after cheating and lying? http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/cheating-and-infidelity/how-to-get-over-cheating.html Unfortunately your husband lied to you again before you were able to recover fully from his past lies. That makes it more difficult for you to regain the trust.

    However, it is not impossible to make the relationship work. As I said, your husband seems to be really trying hard. But in the same time it seems your husband has a "weakness" to do these things he has been doing (regarding other women). The only way you can live a mentally balanced life with him is if you accept the possibility that he might lie to you again in the future. You cannot deny that possibility, if you try to do it, it creates a conflict in your mind, because you are a smart woman and you know you are only trying to fool yourself if you try to make yourself to believe he will never, ever lie again with 100% certainty.

    The fact is that even the most trustworthy person can end up lying. We can never be 100% certain of another human being, even the most reliable person can have a weak moment and can let us down. That is the nature of life. It is all about statistics. If someone has never lied before, it is very likely that person will not do it in the future, but it is not guaranteed it will never happen. The probability of lying is higher in case of a person who has a history of lying.

    If you wish to stay with your husband, you must forgive him his past lies, and give him a chance to prove himself to you. If you do not forgive, you can never be happy with him. I can feel from your letter that you really wish to stay with your husband. You are still not ready to give up on this relationship. Therefore I recommend you to stay with your husband, at list for a while, and see how you feel. If you feel you are not able to get rid of these doubts in your mind, you should seriously consider leaving, otherwise you are in danger of wasting your precious life feeling constantly stressed and unhappy.

    If your husband gets caught of lying again, I think it shows he is not strong enough to remain truthful in this relationship and unfortunately in that situation I feel the best thing for you is to leave. But at this point it seems to me you still have such strong feelings towards your husband, and he is trying very hard to make the relationship work. It can be that your husband is strong enough to overcome his weaknesses. It is clear that your husband cares for you, otherwise he would not go through all the trouble to save the relationship. But if you see that he is not strong enough to stay truthful to you and also if you feel your inner doubts and unhappiness prevail regardless of his attempts to make the relationship work, I recommend you to end the relationship for the sake of your happiness and mental well-being.

    Warm thoughts,
    Maria
  • yorkie  - Cheating Husband after 29 years together
    My husband was and hopefully still is my soul mate...we had the perfect relationship until approx. 6 months ago when a younger woman 46 yrs walked up to him (they work together) and told him he was the most handsome man she has ever seen. My husband is 61 and I'm 65. This 'other woman' is also married. The affair ended, I hope on Dec. 27 when I confronted him with the evidence that I had been gathering. I suspected him in Nov. when I returned home from visiting my daughter and found evidence in the house that something had gone on. I confronted him then and he denied everything so I got his cell bill and well with reverse phone number found her name. He had her at my home on several occasions in our spare bedroom and rec room and now I'm having trouble being in those rooms. He tells me he loves me and always did and that none of what happened was my fault...but I can't get past the lying, deceit...broken heart that he has caused me. I think of it every day...some days worse then others. I try to put it out of my mind but then I get a visual and the pain starts all over again. We have talked this out in great detail and I even went so far as to meeting her. But it hurts so much. How does one get past this and get over the hurt when you trusted someone so much for 29 years. Like I said, I love my husband and I truly believe he loves me...he even told 'her' this but she kept coming back for more. Any suggestions as to what I can do. In a couple of weeks we are privately renewing our vows as I figure these were broken and no longer meaningful...maybe this is a start... Thanks for whatever info you can offer.
  • Maria
    Dear Friend,

    I am sorry to hear about your situation. Based on your message I feel there is a good chance that you and your husband will get over this. I am saying this because this was the first time (based on your message) when you caught your husband cheating on you and it seems he is truly regretting what happened and seems to love you very much. He has seen the pain this has caused you. He has faced the possibility of losing you and has faced the shame and embarrassment of getting caught of something like this. It is so unfortunate that this (cheating) happened, because now you both must suffer because of it. However, if you want to stay together with your husband, I believe you have a good chance of getting over this, because your husband clearly seems remorseful and seems to love you very much.

    In order to overcome this, you must be able to forgive your husband. You must think of him as someone who had a moment of weakness and made a mistake, but is not an evil person who wanted to harm you. Your husband is 61 and a younger woman approached him. What happened is as much the fault of that other woman as it is the fault of your husband. She chose to start a secret relationship with a person who was married, knowing the pain it will cause you if you find out. She risked your happiness for the sake of her own pleasure, without even knowing you. That is a pretty selfish act. It was flattering for your husband that younger woman was interested in him. He experienced a hormonal rush when this woman showed her interest towards him but that hormonal rush has nothing to do with love. It was a transient excitement, nothing more. It seems clear that your husband loves you.

    It is unfortunate that this had to happen, but if you feel there is strong love between the two of you, you can overcome this. I believe that after seeing the pain this has caused you, the threshold for cheating has increased hugely for your husband and it is not very likely he will do this again, knowing he might lose you as a consequence. Make it clear to him that you will not forgive second mistake like this. It takes time, but eventually you will get over this. Please read this article of different stages of recovery process after cheating: http://www.cheating-infidelity.com/Home/cheating-and-infidelity/how-to-get-over-cheating.html

    Warm hug,
    Maria
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