Cheating. The ultimate deal-breaker? Not necessarily.
New lovers may view infidelity as the ultimate deal-breaker, but as relationships mature and bonds grow deeper, the subject becomes less clear-cut. After years or even decades of building a life together, couples may wonder whether breaking it off is the only option.
The truth is, infidelity doesn't always have to mean the end of a relationship. In fact, partners who move beyond the pain and stigma of an affair often find they learn things about themselves and each other that ultimately make their relationship stronger.
Dr. Shirley Glass, a Baltimore psychologist, has been doing research on the subject for more than 20 years. In an article in the New York Daily News, Glass estimated that about 25 percent of wives and 45 percent of husbands have full-fledged affairs, with another 15 percent engaging in emotional affairs without sex involved.
To learn about some of the most common factors that lead to infidelity, signs that can help you determine if an affair is taking place and ways to possibly work through it, read Must a Cheating Heart Unravel Your Marriage.
