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 1 of 2 1 2
#2636891 06/18/12 09:40 AM
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
S
smj
Offline
Junior Member
Junior Member
S Offline
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
Hello- I am at a place in my life where I am growing weary of disrespectful judgments,fights, and screaming matches...to make a long story short- 5 years ago I had an affair- mainly emotional- and my spouse can't seem to forget it. My infidelity has come up repeatedly in arguments, and I feel like I will be forever judged, unable to move forward and freed from my past sin. There have been disrespectful judgments and name-calling most of my married life....I feel like I have been verbally abused repeatedly..I have been considering divorce...I am so tired of being the "bad" person in our relationship- forever walking on eggshells and avoiding confrontation with my spouse...does anyone have any suggestions?

smj #2636892 06/18/12 09:41 AM
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
S
smj
Offline
Junior Member
Junior Member
S Offline
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
smj

smj #2636899 06/18/12 09:47 AM
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6
Originally Posted by smj
Hello- I am at a place in my life where I am growing weary of disrespectful judgments,fights, and screaming matches...to make a long story short- 5 years ago I had an affair- mainly emotional- and my spouse can't seem to forget it. My infidelity has come up repeatedly in arguments, and I feel like I will be forever judged, unable to move forward and freed from my past sin. There have been disrespectful judgments and name-calling most of my married life....I feel like I have been verbally abused repeatedly..I have been considering divorce...I am so tired of being the "bad" person in our relationship- forever walking on eggshells and avoiding confrontation with my spouse...does anyone have any suggestions?
Welcome to Marriage Builders.

It sounds like you haven't followed the path of recovering from you affair.

Was your A exposed? Do you have EPs in place?
Have you answered allnhis questions


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: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
S
smj
Offline
Junior Member
Junior Member
S Offline
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
We started reading Dr. Harleys materials about 2 years ago..we have about 4 of his books...when it came to the chapters on Love Bisters, my spose stopped reading...doesn't want to take blame for any of MY mistakes...very one-sided...I shared my A with him 8 months after it occurred

Can u remind me what EP's are?
And the allnhis questions?

Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6
Who was your OM?


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: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
S
smj
Offline
Junior Member
Junior Member
S Offline
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
Not sure what OM stands for either...sorry..

smj #2636909 06/18/12 09:55 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
How long married?

Any children?

Who was the affair with? How did it end?

Do you ever see the affair partner again?


"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: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
S
smj
Offline
Junior Member
Junior Member
S Offline
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
Married 23 years. Two children 22 and 19. I called the affair partner and ended it. Have never seen person again...nor have I wanted to...I knwe the whole time I was selfishly getting my needs met in the wrong way- was disgusted with myself for a long time...

smj #2636916 06/18/12 10:01 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by smj
Married 23 years. Two children 22 and 19. I called the affair partner and ended it. Have never seen person again...nor have I wanted to...I knwe the whole time I was selfishly getting my needs met in the wrong way- was disgusted with myself for a long time...

And have you given your husband all the facts about the affair? Answered all of his questions truthfully and fully? I am trying to understand what is keeping him so triggered.


"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


smj #2636918 06/18/12 10:02 AM
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6


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: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
S
smj
Offline
Junior Member
Junior Member
S Offline
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
Yes, I have...I think what is keeping him triggered is that he suspects I will have an affair with every man I know...I was biking at our club with a male trainer and my husband walked in. He was very angry..I have tried to explain that nothing inappropriate was going on..other people were in the room... my husband just doesnt trust me.

smj #2636925 06/18/12 10:07 AM
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6
Originally Posted by smj
Yes, I have...I think what is keeping him triggered is that he suspects I will have an affair with every man I know...I was biking at our club with a male trainer and my husband walked in. He was very angry..I have tried to explain that nothing inappropriate was going on..other people were in the room... my husband just doesnt trust me.
Here Recovery After An Affair

Also I would notify MODS and have this moved to SAA.
Do you have the book Surviving an Affair?


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: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
S
smj
Offline
Junior Member
Junior Member
S Offline
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
Thanks for abbreviations.
My husband and I have a very dysfunctional relationship. Ive never been able to share an opinion that is different from his...scared of him.

smj #2636930 06/18/12 10:11 AM
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,481
Likes: 6
Originally Posted by smj
Thanks for abbreviations.
My husband and I have a very dysfunctional relationship. Ive never been able to share an opinion that is different from his...scared of him.

Do you have the book Surviving An Affair?


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: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
S
smj
Offline
Junior Member
Junior Member
S Offline
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
Yes..thanks for the help. I need to go now.

smj #2636935 06/18/12 10:16 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by smj
Yes, I have...I think what is keeping him triggered is that he suspects I will have an affair with every man I know...I was biking at our club with a male trainer and my husband walked in. He was very angry..I have tried to explain that nothing inappropriate was going on..other people were in the room... my husband just doesnt trust me.

That seems pretty normal to me. The solution is stop putting yourself in positions that cause him anxiety. You could have got a female trainer or not gone at all. If your husband does not trust you, then you can surely understand why getting a male trainer would upset him, can't you?

Trust is an instinct that people have and your husband rightly has an instinct not to trust you. If you want him to trust you more, then you have to practice trustworthy behavior and not do things that upset him. Its really not that difficult to figure out.


"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


smj #2636936 06/18/12 10:17 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by smj
Thanks for abbreviations.
My husband and I have a very dysfunctional relationship. Ive never been able to share an opinion that is different from his...scared of him.

smj, we can help you turn your marriage around if he is willing to use this program. Would he be willing to go through this program?


"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


smj #2636995 06/18/12 12:11 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,554
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,554
Originally Posted by smj
doesn't want to take blame for any of MY mistakes

Why should your BH take the blame for YOUR mistakes? I can't remember seeing that suggestion anywhere in the Harley books I've read.

From the rest of your messages, I get the impression that perhaps your H is acting that way because you are not taking steps to earn his trust again. In fact, that incident with the male trainer suggests entirely the opposite.

This is something my FWW and I struggled with a lot post-A, and it did incredible damage to our recovey. She thought that she was doing what she need to do, and I didn't agree. And to top it all off, we both were not sure what had to be done until I started reading here. The end result was incredible damage was done to our recovery.



ManInMotion
===========
(see "MiM's Story" for more details)
smj #2637207 06/18/12 09:04 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 12,357
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 12,357
Originally Posted by smj
Thanks for abbreviations.
My husband and I have a very dysfunctional relationship. Ive never been able to share an opinion that is different from his...scared of him.
smj, has your husband physically abused you? Why are you 'scared of him'?


D-Day 2-10-2009
Fully Recovered and Better Than Ever!
Thank you Marriage Builders!

Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
S
smj
Offline
Junior Member
Junior Member
S Offline
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14
Hello again,

I need to know whether I should abide by my husbands request... About a month ago I was (very innocently in my mind) biking next to my trainer at an exercise studio and my husband walked in the room (others were also present). My husband immediately became suspicious due to my past EA ( 5 years ago) and he banned me from going to any exercise classes from this trainer.
I feel I am being held in bondage by my past, not forgiven, and held to over the top expectations even though I have promised that I have determined to remain faithful.
I have even invited my husband to attend classes with me- but he is unable due to work schedules.

What should I do?
thank you.

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Search
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 232 guests, and 22 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Countfunkula, mollye14, Pansu, sakyt, George Mixflicke
72,372 Registered Users
Latest Posts
Forum Statistics
Forums67
Topics133,659
Posts2,323,613
Members72,372
Most Online9,682
May 13th, 2026
deneme bonusu
Building Marriages That Last A Lifetime
Copyright © 2025, Marriage Builders, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Site Navigation
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 8.0.0