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I've read the description of Plan A and i read other great posts on here about it but do have questions....Does Plan A happen AFTER you find out about an affair? Again, I have no proof - only suspicions. And, another question - does Plan A mean that I can't ask him wher he's been for so long or why he lies? I mean, if you are in Plan A and you are being the most wonderful spouse anyone could ask for and in my case Hubby continues to lie or come home late what does that do for me and/or our marriage? Are some people just prone to affairs or ONS's no matter how great their spouse is?

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Sacrificing radical honesty in the name of not lovebusting is not part of Plan A. You can call H on his lies and not coming home. You are his wife and he is accountable to you. It's HOW you ask about his lies and late homecoming that makes asking a lovebuster or not. No screaming, no accusing, just matter of fact asking and pointing out where his explanations are inconsistent. That's part of exposing an affair and bringing it into the light of day so it can die it's natural death. As long as an A is undiscovered the fantasy and excitement prevail and the addiction runs strong.

Yes, there are people who no matter how good they have it at home have affairs. This is why you must do some cold hard evaluation on how long it is appropriate to stay in Plan A. If there's not much to change and you simply have a self centered, selfish spouse who is seeking lots of ego building through an affair, then there's not much Plan A will accomplish for you but enabling the affair to go on and on. You must be radically honest with yourself however in evaluating what your H's ENs are or even asking him to fill out the questionaire together with you. Likely, if he's in an active affair he'll balk at trying to do anything to build up the marriage right now, but at least then you've asked and tried to do something to meet his needs better. None of us are perfect and it's very likely that there are some important needs that have at least been neglected due to a failure to properly prioritize what's important and needed to keep the marriage healthy and on track.

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Well, I suck at this LB thing and I admit it!

I start to point out matter of factly how his stories are inconsistent and he just shuts up more. He has to know he's lying and then I get p....d off and ask him how he can lie to me.

It seems as though if I point out the inconsistencies and then just let it go then he is more free to do whatever he pleases. Does that make sense?

RedHat pointed out to me that I am enabling him to lie if Idon't set boundaries but I'm not sure how to do that or what to say...

Help!

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Oh, and one more thing.. I'm sure even without him completing the questionnaire that I can say I've negleted at least one of his EN's because I get so angry at his lying and his hiding the phone, etc that I have a hard time acting like he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. My ego-stroking abilities are not what they used to be because he angers me so much - I don't know how you stroke the ego of someone you disrespect at least in one area.

Gosh, I feel like a mess! I just want to be honest - I'm not totally innocent in this whole thing but I do not believe I drove him to someone else because he's an adult and even with all his lies, etc I havven't slept with anyone else. Nor do I want to.So, that's how I feel right now.

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angelia,

A side from your LB since you have soo much anger toward your H, you did the right thing pointing out his story. You don't need to "punish" H to feel like you are doing something. You are !. You did not shut up when you know that H is lying ... those are the first step in establishing boundry. Let it go. H now knows that if he lied again you will pointed out to him (knowing that you did not take it is counted as accountability). Many BS doesn't do that and that is enabling. Keep down your LB, you are doing good.

Focus, focus on plan A. Admirations is one of the easiest to fill in ... talk is cheap !. Hey, learn how to blow hot air onto him even become cheesezy. It takes practice. As simple as saying thank you for even small thing that H did is a start.

NO LB !!!!, keep your anger down and learn to bite your tounge. Don't nag on H story again, let it go for now. You have made your point.

-RH-

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Redhat...how did you get to be so wise?

I work in HR and to me accountability means consequences. If you mess up at work you get a verbal counseling, then written, then termination, you get the drift. So, when I question his story and get no response and I don't feel that I have any recourse or no other way to hold him accountable. that is why I ask about the boundary setting and isn't there consequences? I don't know why I feel the need to beat some sort of answer out of him. Maybe that's a control issue?

Thanks for the advice on blowing hot air....hahahah! I loved that. Yes, you are so right. I will make a sincere effort to find his good qualities again - he does have a lot of them. I have been concentrating on the ones that I hate instead of the reversal. Something else I should know better.

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angelia,

Zorweb posted the following on my thread.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> Have you read BrambleRose’s post on Plan A… it’s a must read. How to be a doormat in Plan A. It may surprise many BS as to what this means… Being a doormat in Plan A does not mean that the BS has no boundaries and allows the WS to walk all over them.

COMMON MISCONCEPTION ABOUT LOVE BUSTERS

Many BS believe that insisting on no contact would be viewed as a love buster by their WS. Technically, it's not. A lot of posters talk about a LBer as anything that the WS finds unpleasant. That's not the case. If it were, then honesty, especially radical honesty, would become impossible.

A Love Buster falls into one of these categories:

1. Demands. Insisting that your spouse do something for you regardless of how it would make him or her feel to do it. Refusing to accept "No," to your request, graciously. Either overtly or insinuating some threat if your wish is not complied with.

There's a whole layer of subtleties around Demands. And it is defined by the one being asked to do whatever. I tend to be VERY sensitive to demands. My H saying something like, we need to change the oil this weekend, or I need you to come and look at (whatever his current project might be) will almost always fall into the demand category for me.

Also, we cannot insist that our spouse NOT do something. Although technically this is not a Demand but a notification that they are in violation of POJA, unless you are both on the same page about that policy, it will be a love buster.

The way to avoid making demands is to state what it is you would like, and then to ASK, "How would you feel about doing______?" This statement forces you to take your spouse's feelings into account, and to accept,"No," courteously.

2. Disrespect. This is anything that imposes your value judgment on your spouse. It can be as small as rolling your eyes at something he/she says, or as large as name calling, put-downs. One that is common for BS's is to question the WS's morals, standards, ethics, care of children.

While we may all agree with those assessments, to state them to your spouse is disrespectful. You can THINK whatever you want, but you need to monitor what comes out of your mouth.

3. Angry Outburst. Losing ones' temper and having a screeching tantrum is easy to recognize.

But an AO can be quiet and just as cutting. It's an action that is punishing in some way. (This does not include removing oneself from abuse or pain or neglect.... unless you hurl a rolling pin at his head on your way out the door.)

Threats are included in this category. So if you are planning to go to Plan B, then you need to make the plan and do it. Threatening would be an AO.

4. Annoying Habits. Things like slurping coffee, snoring, leaving your shoes all over the house, and collecting junk. All these are annoying habits. Things you do that make your spouse insane with irritation.

5. Independent Behavior. Monday night football, affairs, shopping with the girls, hunting, your religious practices. Lifestyle choices that are planned and executed without the enthusiastic agreement of both parties. Business travel falls into this category.

6. Dishonesty. Leaving your spouse in the dark on any of these subjects: 1. Past history 2. Present activities 3. Daily plans and schedule 4. Future plans, hopes, dreams, 5. Feelings and reactions... particularly to your spouse's behavior 6. Anything else you know to be true about yourself

Now, no contact in order to protect yourself from further pain does not fall into one of those categories. Will the WS be unhappy with that? Duh!!! Of course he/she will. But his/her unhappiness will be the direct consequence of his/her betrayal of you and his/her vows.

You are not hurting the WS. He/she has chosen to hurt themself by hurting you. No one, and least of all Harley, believes that you should be in pain in order to save your marriage. If you ever get a chance to hear him, he speaks about this all the time. That his concern is with YOU, the BS. He does not want you to suffer any more than you already are.

If your spouse is unhappy with n/c, then it's up to him/her to do the things HE/SHE needs to do in order to have you in his life.

PLAN A

The major mistakes I see in Plan A are:

1) The BS doing nothing to interfere or attempt to break up the affair in acceptable ways.

2) Plan A’ing for too long, to the point that it becomes a lifestyle with great payoff for the WS and little for the BS.

3) Tip toeing around the WS by not telling them how the affair is hurting the BS. Basically acting as though the BS is afraid to upset the WS in any matter. This can lead to great emotional abuse of the BS.

4) The BS does not do Plan A for the WS or for themselves. It is done to break up the affair and begin marital recovery.

5) Totally misunderstanding what is and what is not a love buster and thereby never setting proper boundaries.

While becoming a better, more patient, more loving spouse can be a side affect of plan A, that is not it’s purpose. Plan A is a strategy to separate the spouse from the lover. (Or perhaps to pull a spouse out of deep withdrawal, but that's not your issue right now.) Nothing more, nothing less. Plan A will not save or restore your marriage. It is simply a tool to show your spouse that you recognize the contribution you've made to the deterioration of your M, and that you are willing, able, and determined to change those things.

Plan A is also about meeting needs as much as you feel you can. If you can make love with your H and not go away angry and resentful... go for it!! But if not, then Be pleasant, courteous, thoughtful, respectful. No demands, no disrespect, no losing your temper, no dishonesty, and no doing things that annoy or offend your spouse. (annoying behavior does have a qualifier when there is an A, and we will talk about that too.) Plan A is not about being perfect, being a doormat, or being a perfect doormat!

Plan A can be done in a letter if that is all you can muster. Plan A should have a deadline, as it's not an indefinite lifestyle choice. Most women cannot do Plan A as long as men. Some cannot even do it for a day, the pain of knowing their H is with OW is too great. Most women plan A for about 2-3 weeks, most men for about 6 months. Plan A is not a life style.

When it is said that the BS should do nothing to break up the affair, it’s a bit of a misleading statement. Plan A and Plan B are attempts to break up the affair. Acceptable and unacceptable ways to break up an affair.

It is unacceptable to try breaking up the affair using tactics such as threatening or using violence, stalking either the WS or the OP.

Acceptable ways to put pressure on the affair in Plan A/B:

1) Plan A and then if necessary Plan B.
2) Tell everyone: your parents, his parents, your religious leader, your other loved ones and close friends. Ask for their support in ending the A and saving your marriage.

3) Tell the WS that they are hurting you (the BS) every time there is contact. Do not give the WS the impression that you can get by.

4) Tell the WS that they are offending you grievously, that you are hurt beyond belief and that you are in pain. All of this helps break the shroud of secrecy and protection around the affair. It puts pressure on the affair.

5) Confront the OP. Tell OP that you love your WS and that you want your marriage to survive. Tell OP that he/she is contributing to the destruction of your home and your family. Beyond this do not contact the OP. Do not set up a relationship with them. They are incidental to the problems in your marriage. Given time the affair will almost always end whether or not you and you WS remain together. Affairs are based on fantasy. Tell the OP’s spouse.

6) Tell your children. Yes... tell them. They already know, so give them the gift of honesty.

7) Now, in the interim, there are things you can do. Confront the OW.

8) If your spouse is in the military talk to the Chaplin, their commander, family support and anyone else you can to get support. Their commander can put a lot of pressure on them, change their assignment to interfere with the affair, and so forth. Criminal charges can be filed. And so forth.

This will make the WS angry. The Policy of Joint Agreement does not apply. The marriage has already been breached. Telling is a way of stopping the bleeding so to speak. A way to end the A, to pick of the pieces of the destruction he is wreaking.

Affairs do not survive in the light of day. Doing everything you can to end it is encouraged. Once again, this is against every instinct we have, but it works.

Affairs do not last long when the OP is meeting limited needs and the WS is just having a wonderful time having their cake and eating it too. All the while the BS is.

Plan B is risky. At first it will certainly push the WS into the arms of the lover. But almost all affairs die a natural death. And that is hastened by being exposed to the light of day. Affairs exist and thrive only in secret and in fantasy. Once the harsh realities of life... kids, schedules, finances, laundry (!!) intrude, they lose their appeal.

Soon the arguments set in, withdrawals to the LBnk are made and the A comes to an end.

The time to go to Plan B is when: You are LBing more? Not sleeping well? Poor appetite? Losing your ability to concentrate? These are things that you need to take into account. Plan A is not sustainable indefinitely, and the more your love bank drains, the harder it will be to continue.

The 2 biggest mistakes with Plan B are not going to Plan B in time, and not insisting on the conditions for recovery. NO ONE wants to do Plan B. It goes against every instinct we have. But MB is about going against instincts. Harley says it over and over again on every topic he covers. Doing what our instincts tell us to do only gets us into trouble.

A Plan B letter should be short and to the point. It must include these

1. I love you

2. I married you for life. I want to stay married to you.

3. This thing you are doing is too painful for me to bear; it is destroying the love I have for you.

4. As long as you have contact with this person, I cannot see or speak to you.

5. When this affair ends, I would love to discuss reconciliation and recovery with you.

6. Until then I ask that you not contact me. All issues relating to children/finances/etc should go through____ who is acting as intermediary.

There is so much emphasis on ending the A and plan A, that people lose sight of the fact that ending the A is just one of two equally important parts in rebuilding the M. The second, and probably toughest part, is recovery. If the BS has very little love left for the WS, the recovery part may already be doomed because the BS will not put the sufficient effort to work his/her part and may use the WS's equally lukewarm response as enough proof to jettison the M and head straight to divorce. This is why plan B is an important component to the goal of rebuilding the M. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Hope it helps you too.

Sol

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Where can I find the post by BrambleRose? i read and liked the one Redhat suggested by Distressed. It was great. Please let me know and I'd be happy to read it. Like to understand and do my best!

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Is there any way you can find out the truth if it is completely obvious that he is lying? It's difficult to set boundaries if you can't prove where it is that he's stepping over the line.

My H denied and denied for a couple of years that he was involved with someone else. His behavior finally got so out of control ( angry and irritable, coming home late due to being on the phone with her while at work)when OW started pressuring him to visit her (she lived 300 miles away)that he gave himself away with the anger he was directing at me. I called his bluff and told him if he didn't tell me the truth I was going to see an attorney about a legal separation. He caved when I grabbed his arm and took his pulse (I'm a nurse) and asked why his heart was beating so fast if he wasn't lying. He knew I was dead serious about seeing an attorney and he finally told the truth. The whole encounter was a huge lovebuster on my part, as I was furious, but it had to be done to get to the bottom of all the lying that had been going on. I was fed up living the way we were living, so desperate times called for desperate measures.

Plan A alone is not going to get your H to tell you the truth or end an affair that's in progress if he's so brazen and unaffected by the lying he's doing. You need to find out the truth one way or another. Good luck!

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</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by angelia:
<strong>Redhat...how did you get to be so wise?
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">From 5.5 years of lies and betrayal including 2 years of going cracy trying to find out. I was in denial and love blind sided me.

About boundry ... Yeap, you draw the lines and set the consequences ... however you say what you mean and do what you say otherwise don't set it at all. The key in here it is not a threat but a ground rule and make H responsible for his actions. You lay it out w/ no LB and learn to talk to the fog. "If You were in my position ... I came back home late and a smell of male perfume ... what would you do ?" Use his answer and tell him that you will give H his own word the next time he did it again.

However let this one go unless he does it again ... focus on plan A and at the same time you start snooping. I think I learn from my experience w/ WW ... the truth will come out sooner or later ... WS usually will make mistake.

-rh-


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