How to Forgive an Unfaithful Husband

Finding out your husband was unfaithful can affect you physically, mentally and emotionally. You may feel lost and have no hope for the future. With time and strategies to heal, you can move forward and have a new relationship with your spouse.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Don't immediately consider divorce as the only alternative. Make a personal commitment that you are willing to try to forgive him.

2. Seek counseling. If he is unwilling, then do it yourself. Consider alternatives to face to face counseling. Online services offer guidance, articles and personalized advice for less money that frequent trips to a professional counselor.

3. Read books on the subject. The more knowledge you have on how to move forward, the more likely you'll be able to achieve it.

4. Find support through family members or very close friends. Be careful who you discuss his unfaithfulness with and make sure that they are willing to support you in your choice to forgive.

5. Write down your thoughts in a personal journal. This will help you understand and work through your feelings. It may also help to look back on your initial feelings to realize how far you've come after a period of time.

6. Realize that many marriages survive infidelity and continue in a healthy relationship. You both can work towards a greater marriage than you had previously.

7. Understand the stages of grieving over your husband being unfaithful follow the same as the stages of death and dying. You may go through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance as a part of your forgiveness process. If you are able to understand these steps, you are more likely to get through them.

Tips & Warnings

• Any type of professional advice is a positive step to help find the underlying reason for your husband's infidelity.

[mariaknowshow]

on 4/17/2009 Thank you for this article. It is very helpful.