SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

For those book-people out there, I am curious what area of infidelity you think either hasn't been adequately covered in a book, or maybe needs a book all of its own? One thought I had was double betrayals, as that happened to me and it doesn't get covered very much. But also, I am finding as we are almost 3 months into this, that I am hungry for some deeper-level material (along the lines of How Can I Forgive You) and I am not finding a lot of it. So, since I am a writer, I thought I might tackle it myself.

Another thought is a book of compiled stories of couples who have successfully reconciled.

I know what you mean. My WS decided that BDSM was a turn on. He found some interesting websites and started some cyber affairs. I apparently found out (I can't remember any of this) and one night I caught him at it and accused him of cheating etc. Then, I conveniently forgot about it. Honestly, I do not remember this at all. He stopped for a few days and then went right back at it. He too was confused that I didn't mention it anymore after that weekend but decided, why not let sleeping dogs lie. Wish I had remembered. Anyway, after a time, he decided why not meet someone. Thus started a 6 mos affair - they ended up going their separate ways - the OW was really F...ed up.

He felt terrible guilt, but not enough as a few weeks later he was at it again and found someone else and they had a 3 year affair. This time, they connected emotionally as well. My WS is not a sex addict - he liked the BDSM aspect of it. When we talk about it, he says he was a runaway train....couldn't be stopped. They only met up every couple of months and they had a 14 mos break as she wanted something permanent and he didn't....though at one time he did try to leave me but decided he really did love me??????? and couldn't/wouldn't leave. Anyway, after 14 mos, I went to NYC and he decided to hook up with her again and it started again...naturally.

After a crisis at his work, he quit his job and ran away to live with her. It lasted 11 weeks. She had 3 kids and he knew even when he left that it wasn't what he wanted. He just was so "in hate" with everything in his life, he wanted to RUN RUN RUN. and that's what he did.

There is nothing that covers this type of thing. I've read books about cyber affairs, sex addicts (he's not) etc, but nothing covers this story. Don't know if it would relate to anyone else though.

He is really working on being a better H and feels so disgusted with himself. It all started with us emotionally detaching from each other during some very difficult times in our lives.

Sucks. I never had a clue. I really believed he was going to poker games etc. I got strange phones calls during the late evenings and a letter once, but knew in my heart that my WS would NEVER do something like that. Would never cheat NEVER.

Foolish Me.

written from the perspective of a WS who believes he/she wants to change but for whatever reason, can't get unstuck from their pattern.

Good question, bionicgal!

Not sure if there is a book written about this but I would read one that centers on how the A effects the family 10+ years post A.

* How the couple, assuming they're still M'd and R'd, has accepted their "new normal" all those years later.

* How the children have progressed into adulthood, what their thoughts are now on what they witnessed back then, are they still bitter, what is their relationships like with their parents, etc.

* Did the BS or the WS regret staying in the M?

* How did their lives change?

I would read a book about that...

"Letters from the fog". I'd read that.

I'd read something on double betrayals. I know as one who is trying to deal with one, I find that overcoming the pain is twice as hard. Thoughts of the OW and the lost friendship are just as painful as the dealing with the damage to the marriage. And I have yet to find something out there that deals with this issue.

Even our MC forgets sometimes that what we are dealing with is different. She has sometimes mentioned that I need to move on and realize that I wasn't a factor in the A. That in most cases the AP doesn't even consider the BS. But then she steps back and realizes that in my case that might not be true. With a double betrayal there is a good chance that the OW is thinking of the BS and there may be more involved psychologically than the fantasy of the affair.

A book addressing the possible motivations of a double betrayer would maybe make easier for someone who has been betrayed to understand.

There aren't a lot of book dealing with your spouse cheating on you with a same sex partner..and HOW to come to terms with ALL that entails..I read one shortly after dday..and it pretty much told me to give up,he is gay. (He says he was curious. I think he is bisexual. But I also know he loves sex with me,so I don't think he is gay.)

My entire situation is more common than people realize(cruise through your local CL,casual encounters,MFM section..many,many,many married men are looking to hook up with other men), but for some reason,no one understands how to handle it..without saying the WH has to be gay..or without saying their BW is a blind fool.

I love my husband..and he loves me. We are trying our best to get through this shit. It would be nice if there were some really GOOD,helpful books that could help me through it.

Like Sportsfan, I've found that there isn't much material for those a few years down the road. What's normal in year 6, for example. Much of it has to do with the immediate triage of the situation, and maybe the first year. I think there could be some thing addressing long term recoveries. Although one would assume that would require some research as I don't know how much is out there.

I'd also like to see a book to STOP people from cheating. Maybe this would be titled, "I love you but I'm not in love with you: Early warning signs you are about to act like a giant doosh." And we would pass a law in every state that people had to read it in high school. lol

I'd also like to see a book to STOP people from cheating. Maybe this would be titled, "I love you but I'm not in love with you: Early warning signs you are about to act like a giant doosh."

I was thinking exactly this. Although I hadn't come up with a clever, LOL-worthy title yet.

I want to see a book with the same title as the Carrie Underwood song: "Before He Cheats." Or she. A book that people can read before they do something incredibly stupid and life-altering.

Chapter 1: DON'T FUCKING CHEAT ASSHOLE!!

Love rebreathers title!

I also like the ideas of memoirs from the fog.

And I also like reading about real examples of couples who have endured adultery...and see where they are at 5, 10, 15 years down the road.

Bionicgal...I like the deeper meaning books too, as well as those with concrete steps and examples on how to navigate this minefield of destruction.

God be with you.

What book needs to be written about infidelity?

Trust yourself!

Things don't have to be "complete shit" before you part ways, gracefully.

If you stay when you need to go, ambivalence and limbo is deadly to you soul. Self-doubts are crippling. Never doubt yourself.

Love the ideas so far! I have always been interested in self deception, so the letters from the fog is right up my alley.

On a more positive note, I think we could all use positive-role- model stories of couples who made it, and how it changed their marriage/family.

[This message edited by bionicgal at 9:38 PM, August 20th (Tuesday)]

There are books written by couples a few years down the line who have been affected by infidelity as I was given a copy of 2 to read in the early days of dday. I gave them back as it was too early in this mess for me but can get the titles if anyone wants them.

We have just discovered a book by Gabor Mate called In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. It's about people with drug addictions in the most poverty-stricken parts of Vancouver, BC, but it's also about how childhood trauma leads to addictive behaviors of all sorts. My WH is identifying very strongly with some of the messages of the book, reluctantly so, but in a healthy way. I haven't started the book yet but I am looking forward to it. I suspect it will be a hard but very helpful read to understand FOO stuff and how my H was able to do some of the things he did. My WH is not a sex addict, but he does struggle with addictive tendencies and had a pretty crappy FOO including a dad with many affairs that the family knew about.

The book is not about infidelity, but it still might be a useful one to add to the library of healing books.

I would read something modern about cyber affairs- dating websites, CL, porn, skype.

I agree with others here, I would love to read something from a WS perspective from the fog.

I'd like to read about the types of people and relationships that are touched by infidelity. Whether it's heterosexual, same sex, transgender, open, poly-amorous, etc. This stuff can happen to anyone in pretty much any type of relationship. Some books touch briefly upon the subject, but I'd like one to really get into the various ways we negotiate relationships with ourselves and with others in order min/max happiness, security, sadness, pain, etc and how there are no really failsafe ways to protect ourselves from infidelity. Sort-of like Mythbusters for human relations.

[This message edited by carnelian at 12:26 PM, August 21st (Wednesday)]

I'd like a book about the true meaning of "friends of the marriage/relationship."

It would include chapters about boundaries in our social circles, respecting your friends commitments to one another, and maintaining professionalism in the workplace.

Another chapter would deal with the resulting double betrayals of having an affair with a friend, family member, coworker, neighbor, etc.

Another chapter dealing with said people who know that the affair is going on and how to be truthful and authentic and friends of the marriage/relationship.

YES This!:

"I love you but I'm not in love with you: Early warning signs you are about to act like a giant doosh."

And my favorite: "I didn't love you enough".

Hopefully, we will be THAT couple, the one who survives. So far, so good, 3 years, 1 day after DD, (but it still sucks!)

[This message edited by fourever at 12:48 PM, August 21st (Wednesday)]

The one that tells you not to have an A. One that tells you that although your secret A is exhilarating, you may/can be found out and that it causes devastation to your spouse.

One that makes you seriously think about your actions before you embark on an A that wrecks multiple lives.

* How the couple, assuming they're still M'd and R'd, has accepted their "new normal" all those years later.

* How the children have progressed into adulthood, what their thoughts are now on what they witnessed back then, are they still bitter, what is their relationships like with their parents, etc.

* Did the BS or the WS regret staying in the M?

* How did their lives change?

100 percent.

Also, I've read the 12 step book and have struggled with alcohol. It would be nice to see a book formatted based on the 12 step book and discussing basic trends and including different true stories form waverly and betrayed spouses.