Welcome to the
Marriage Builders® Discussion Forum

This is a community where people come in search of marriage related support, answers, or encouragement. Also, information about the Marriage Builders principles can be found in the books available for sale in the Marriage Builders® Bookstore.
If you would like to join our guidance forum, please read the Announcement Forum for instructions, rules, & guidelines.
The members of this community are peers and not professionals. Professional coaching is available by clicking on the link titled Coaching Center at the top of this page.
We trust that you will find the Marriage Builders® Discussion Forum to be a helpful resource for you. We look forward to your participation.
Once you have reviewed all the FAQ, tech support and announcement information, if you still have problems that are not addressed, please e-mail the administrators at mbrestored@gmail.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 5 of 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,589
A
Member
Offline
Member
A
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,589
Originally Posted by BrainHurts
Originally Posted by BrainHurts
Good job on giving the poly.

Has your WW set up EPs?
Maybe this was missed because of all the focus on the poly, but could you please answer?

What EPs have your WW given you?

Good question. What has your wife done to change the environment that allowed her to conduct her affair?

As a note, many extraordinary precautions apply to both of you. It addresses the avoidance of risky situations - before sliding down the slippery slope.

AM


BW - 70
WH - 65
M - 35 years
D-day - 17 Apr 08
H broke contact 11/1/09
Back in love after the worst thing that every happened to us.
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 106
D
Member
Offline
Member
D
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 106
It is a little concerning to me that he refers to his wife as "FWW" ... I don't think she's anywhere near earning her F. But his willingness to believe she is may have some very sad consequences down the road.

Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
L
Member
OP Offline
Member
L
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues
It is a little concerning to me that he refers to his wife as "FWW" ... I don't think she's anywhere near earning her F. But his willingness to believe she is may have some very sad consequences down the road.

Using FWW is my best honest opinion. I am struggling with where to go from that place. If it is WW, then game over.

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Offline
Member
M
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
I know where we should go: recovery!


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
L
Member
OP Offline
Member
L
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by MelodyLane
I know where we should go: recovery!

That's where I thought we were for almost a year. Going to MC this morning...we'll see how that shakes out.

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,709
P
Member
Offline
Member
P
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,709
MB has given you the plan.



Eliminate all the conditions that made a secret second life possible.

Set up EP's to protect your marriage.

Spend at least 20 hrs UA time meeting each others needs and rebuilding the romantic love.

Look forward and create new happy loving memories.


It is up to your WW to make a complete change in her lifestyle and live in a way that makes you feel loved and protected. This is when she EARNS her "F"...when you can look at her and see in her actions that you are safe.

It is a long road but well worth it. smile


ME: BW
HIM: FWH
Married 18 yrs
DDay 09/2008 and 12/2008

Recovered

Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
L
Member
OP Offline
Member
L
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by pokerface
MB has given you the plan.



Eliminate all the conditions that made a secret second life possible.

Set up EP's to protect your marriage.

Spend at least 20 hrs UA time meeting each others needs and rebuilding the romantic love.

Look forward and create new happy loving memories.


It is up to your WW to make a complete change in her lifestyle and live in a way that makes you feel loved and protected. This is when she earns her "F"...when you can look at her and see in her actions that you are safe.

It is a long road but well worth it. smile

We'll see. I know she's a lot tougher than me in this arena. I am damaged goods, Trying not to jump the gun on this roller coaster.

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Offline
Member
M
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by LatefortheSky
Originally Posted by MelodyLane
I know where we should go: recovery!

That's where I thought we were for almost a year. Going to MC this morning...we'll see how that shakes out.


yikes!! Just so you know, marriage counselors are destructive to marriages. There is a very narrow path to a recovered marriage and I would be shocked if a traditional MC knew what it was. [they have an 84% failure rate and a higher personal divorce rate than the general population] I would ask the MC what his plan is to restore the romantic love to your marriage. Chances are that he/she has no earthly idea how to do that.


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Offline
Member
M
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
LatefortheSky, here is what it will take to recover your marriage below. If the "counselor' gives you any advice outside of this, then he/she doesn't know what he is doing. [and most do not]

And secondly, if the counselor counsels you together and allows you to air grievances, you will both leave worse off than when you came in. It is for this reason that the Harleys never counsel couples together. It causes massive lovebank withdrawals at a very vulnerable time. It is a very destructive practice. I would not agree to do that if I were you.

Originally Posted by Dr Bill Harley, clinical psychologist and founder of Marriage Builders
"The plan I recommend for recovery after an affair is very specific. That's because I've found that even small deviations from that plan are usually disastrous. But when it's followed, it always works. The plan has two parts that must be implemented sequentially. The first part of the plan is for the unfaithful spouse to completely separate from the lover and eliminate the conditions that made the affair possible. The second part is for the couple to create a romantic relationship, using my Basic Concepts as a guide.

I'll describe these two parts to you in a little more detail.

The first step, complete separation from the lover and eliminating the conditions that made the affair possible, requires a complete understanding of the affair. All information regarding the affair must be revealed to the betrayed spouse, including the name of the lover, the conditions that made the affair possible (travel, internet, etc.), the details of what took place during the affair, all correspondence, and anything else that would shed light on the tragedy.

This information is important for two reasons: (1) it creates accountability and transparency, making it essentially impossible for the unfaithful spouse to continue the affair or begin a new one unnoticed, and (2) it creates trust for the betrayed spouse, providing evidence that the affair is over and a new one is unlikely to take its place. The nightmares you experience are likely to continue until you have the facts that
will lead to your assurance that your husband can be trusted.

An analysis of the wayward spouse's childhood or emotional state of mind in an effort to discover why he or she would have an affair is distracting and unnecessary. It takes precious time away from finding the real solutions. I know why people have affairs: We are all wired for it. Given certain conditions, we would all do it. Given other conditions, however, none of us would do it. So the goal of the first step is to discover the conditions that made the affair possible and eliminate them.

After the first step is completed, the second step is to create a romantic relationship between you and your husband using my 10 Basic Concepts here
as your guide. While your relationship may be improving, it won't lead to a romantic relationship because you are not being transparent toward each other. Unspoken issues in a marital relationship lead to a superficiality that ruins romance.

<snip unrelated>

Infidelity is not something that can be swept under the rug. While those who have affairs want to forget about it and move on, those who are betrayed must take very specific steps before they can fully recover. In your case, those steps have not been taken, and as a result, your fear persists. I will send you a complimentary copy of my book, "Surviving an Affair," if you send me your address. It will describe these two steps to you and provide you with a roadmap toward full recovery. But the path will require full disclosure of all details.
here


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,440
Likes: 4
B
Member
Offline
Member
B
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,440
Likes: 4
What EPs has your Wife set up?


FWW/BW (me)
WH
2nd M for both
Blended Family with 7 kids between us
Too much hurt and pain on both sides that my brain hurts just thinking about it all.



Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
L
Member
OP Offline
Member
L
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by armymama
Originally Posted by BrainHurts
Originally Posted by BrainHurts
Good job on giving the poly.

Has your WW set up EPs?
Maybe this was missed because of all the focus on the poly, but could you please answer?

What EPs have your WW given you?

Good question. What has your wife done to change the environment that allowed her to conduct her affair?

As a note, many extraordinary precautions apply to both of you. It addresses the avoidance of risky situations - before sliding down the slippery slope.

AM

Just so I understand, would you be more specific.

Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,440
Likes: 4
B
Member
Offline
Member
B
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,440
Likes: 4
What EPs have your WW put in place?


FWW/BW (me)
WH
2nd M for both
Blended Family with 7 kids between us
Too much hurt and pain on both sides that my brain hurts just thinking about it all.



Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
L
Member
OP Offline
Member
L
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by BrainHurts
What EPs have your WW put in place?

Change cell phone number and give password & account access to your spouse.

Change email account.

Eliminate all social networking accounts.

Take a polygraph.

Give my spouse access to any banking/financial accounts, business and personal.

I will protect my spouse and their feelings above all else.

I will not participate in any one-on-one meetings with anyone of the opposite sex.

I will not discuss my personal marriage issues with anyone of the opposite sex.

I agree to use POJA as a basis for all decisions.

I will be open and honest with my spouse at all times about the past and present.

I will provide my spouse a daily schedule of all appointments and contact information.

If I need to make an adjustment to my schedule, I will notify my spouse of the change immediately.

I will make my spouse�s phone calls my highest priority by answering them or returning them immediately.

I will avoid all chat rooms, member sites, etc.

I will trade phones with my spouse at any time they request, NO questions asked.

I will leave my phone accessible to my spouse at night/or anytime I�m home.

I will commit to at least 15 hours of undivided attention with my spouse to meet each other�s ENs every week (time working together does not count toward those 15 hours).

If OM finds a way to make contact, I will immediately end the contact and notify my spouse about it immediately after.

I will install a keylogger, GPS, or any other tracking system my spouse may request.

Anytime I have the thought, �I don�t want my spouse to know about��.�, I will call my spouse immediately and tell them my thoughts.

Anything else my spouse wants as a boundary.

Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,650
D
Member
Offline
Member
D
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,650
Might want to add that she post on the site or commit to a Marriage Builders program for recovery. Looks solid IMO

Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
L
Member
OP Offline
Member
L
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by TranquilDark
Might want to add that she post on the site or commit to a Marriage Builders program for recovery. Looks solid IMO

I believe she is committed. I was the one who was balking after some things came out a couple weeks ago. I don't want to do this for show. I needed to get to a place where I believed she was doing it because she really wanted to be here, not because there was no place else to go.

Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
L
Member
OP Offline
Member
L
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
Should I ask to have this thread over to the Recovery board?

Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 6,352
N
Member
Offline
Member
N
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 6,352
Suggestion? Start a new thread there. Having the "issues" from SAA tag along may weigh on the new outlook you and she will be attempting there. You can put a link back to this thread in your epilogue for folks who need the back-story.

Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
L
Member
OP Offline
Member
L
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by NeverGuessed
Suggestion? Start a new thread there. Having the "issues" from SAA tag along may weigh on the new outlook you and she will be attempting there. You can put a link back to this thread in your epilogue for folks who need the back-story.

I'm trying not to get ahead of myself on this stuff. I'm in a worse place today, in many ways, than I was six months ago. I do have a question, what is considered Just Compensation in these situations?

Is it just NC and a list of EP,s?

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Offline
Member
M
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by LatefortheSky
I'm trying not to get ahead of myself on this stuff. I'm in a worse place today, in many ways, than I was six months ago. I do have a question, what is considered Just Compensation in these situations?

Is it just NC and a list of EP,s?

Lateforthesky, here is the just compensation article that explains what we mean by JC. And yes, a big part of it is NC and implementing EPs. Can't We Just Forgive and Forget?

How are you doing?


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 6,352
N
Member
Offline
Member
N
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 6,352
NC and EPs are JC, certainly.

The remainder is whatever you think is needed to make you feel that FWW has "gone the distance" to put the burden for recovery on herself, removing it from you.

Some recovering BHs request higher levels (frequency, if not intensity) of sexual activity. This is NOT trivial, or immature, in many cases. If there HAD been a decreases in SF in the period leading to the affair, it contributed to HIS feeling of dissatisfaction, driving HER feelings of disconnectedness, etc, spiraling ever downward.

Some BSs demand a post-nup agreement. Dr. H speaks against this, as compelling affection and fidelity is much less effective than facilitating and fostering it.

Absent anything immoral, illegal, or abusive, most things are on the table.

What would you WANT?

Page 5 of 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Search
Who's Online Now
1 members (1 invisible), 494 guests, and 68 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Bibbyryan860, Ian T, SadNewYorker, Jay Handlooms, GrenHeil
71,838 Registered Users
Building Marriages That Last A Lifetime
Copyright © 1995-2019, Marriage Builders®. All Rights Reserved.
Site Navigation
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5