SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

The other day, my wife and I had a joint therapy session where we talked about her "why's" for having an affair. She was not able to come out and just explain, so I started asking questions like "why did you choose to flirt with him in the first place", and "why was it okay to cross my boundaries", and similar questions. I was impressed at her ability to answer my questions without breaking down, or blaming me. That shows real progress. Also I don't know if this is real progress or her strong people pleasing in action, but she is much calmer and more reserved in joint therapy. When it's just she and I she is much more volatile.

Her reasons listed are:

- She didn't have healthy boundaries
- She is avoidant by nature and when she is not sure she keeps quiet. After a while it builds up and comes out sideways.
- She has a hard time saying "no", and has strong people pleasing tendencies.
- She felt a distance or disconnect between us, and was faced with the choice to tell me or keep it inside. She chose to keep it inside, which eventually caused more problems.
- Flirting, and later sex with her AP was like a drug, and made her feel better.
- Once she took steps into infidelity she didn't know how to go back, or how get out of it.
- She didn't know what this would to to our relationship so she kept it hidden as long as she could.

I asked her what she is doing to prevent this in the future. She said:

- She is trying to be a better communicator
- She is going to therapy, and doing these joint sessions with me
- She is distancing herself from anyone she feels drawn to
- She is seeking god
- She is being open and honest about things.

I was really glad to finally hear her explain these things WITHOUT blaming me. Thats a new phenomenon in the last month or two. However I confess that something feels missing. Those why's seem like just scratching the surface, and there is a lot more digging to do. Those why's seem like textbook why's that anyone who has done even a little bit of research into infidelity could list. I'm concerned that she is going to be like "okay we talked about my why's, and now lets talk about the relationship before I cheated".

I've spent the last two years being angrily blamed, and accused of things by her nearly every time we had a talk or fight. The first year she DARVOed and resisted me at every turn. It feels like she and our therapist want to move on without me feeling like this stuff is fully resolved. I know if I say something like "that doesn't feel like enough", or "we need to continue talking about the affair and it's why's", she is going to be like "I've done what you asked!", or "I feel like I can't win!", or something similar.

Honestly I feel like I can't win. She has been making positive progress for sure, but it's agonizingly slow, and painful (for me) progress.

I feel like how she acted after the affair did as much or even more damage than the affair itself, and now that damage needs to be dealt with as well.

I honestly don't know what to think about this situation. On the one hand I should be grateful she is making progress, and focus on that. Be more positive myself. On the other I'm worried about letting this slip under the rug, and being one of those people who ten years later return to this site complaining about unresolved issues.

Help me get some perspective. Sometimes I get stuck in my thinking.

It's great to read about this progress, even if it feels like it's been slow. Hopefully the progress continues and the pace picks up, little by little.

You mention feeling like these why's are just scratching the surface. I think you're on to something. In my work, we used a technique called "the five why's." In solving a business problem, the idea was to ask "why" five times to get to the root issue. So in your wife's case, one of her first why's is that she keeps quiet. That's a start, and how would she answer the second why: why do you think you keep quiet? And let's say her answer to that question is something like "because I assume people don't value what I have to say." The third why might be: why do you think you assume this? etc.

I think getting to a true "why" requires deep examination of one's self, which naturally is a process that takes time. Most people can't come up with meaningful insights about themselves quickly. It's a process of discovery that unfolds.

Maybe this gives you something to ponder, but then again, I'm one of those SIers who rugswept and ended up back on this site years later with DD#2. So take my comments for what that's worth! (-:

She is avoidant by nature

Brother, if I had a nickle for every post about someone, wayward or betrayed, having a tendency to avoid conflict, I could comfortably retire.

It makes me wonder what would happen if we started a dedicated thread in the "I can relate" forum "For those who tend to avoid conflict." Would anyone actually post?

People who tend to avoid conflict first and foremost avoid the conflicts within themselves.

Here's where it gets tricky.

In order to unravel whatever issues she wants to resolve, your wife has to take this journey without you. The only reason she will do this is because she wants to it for herself. Not you. Not your marriage or family. Just her.

(and therapy)

Two things, I think, are true about personal growth and change. First, it's a long, slow process. This isn’t going to happen overnight. It takes time. Years, even.

Second, it's a subtle progression, a constant "work-in-progress." It's never holistic. If she's authentically willing and able to own and fix her shit, it begins with recognizing her own issues and how they effect her ability to navigate through life.

The same issues that lead her down Infidelity Lane are the very same issues that caused, for her part, conflicts in your marriage. They're the same issues that have been tripping her up for most of her life.

I honestly believe you’re going to have to step back a little and give her the agency and space she needs to take a very personal journey.

The "whys" are usually something a BS wants to understand. And reasonably so. Unfortunately, no "whys" will ever be good enough nor ever justify infidelity.

The question that I wanted answered (a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away) was "why not."

I thought that question was much more relevant. I'd never accept her "whys" as satisfactory. However, I could (and did) accept her "why nots" to taking another stroll down that road.
I understand what you're going through. I understand the fear and doubt, that "something feels missing." And that's probably answers to "why" that will never satisfy you.