Cookies are required for login or registration. Please read and agree to our cookie policy to continue.

Newest Member: LonelyandUnsure

Reconciliation :
when I feel hurt, he gets frustrated

This Topic is Archived
default

bionicgal ( member #39803) posted at 4:34 PM on Wednesday, December 4th, 2013

Brokensmile,

I see what you are saying, 100%. I think I may have jumped on another part of what was being said here that more closely related with what I am going through (as we are all wont to do sometimes! ) Sorry!

me - BS (45) - DDay - June 2013
A was 2+ months, EA/PA
In MC & Reconciling
"Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point to move forward." -- C.S. Lewis.

posts: 3521   ·   registered: Jul. 11th, 2013   ·   location: USA
id 6583931
default

hopingforhappy ( member #29288) posted at 5:12 PM on Wednesday, December 4th, 2013

It is great to have an instantly remorseful WS, but I don't know the percentages on how many do that. My FWH took a while to get to real remorse. I think he did feel bad for what he did, but it took him a while to learn to put his own guilt and shame aside and deal with my hurt when I was triggering. At first, he allowed himself to be overwhelmed with his own bad feelings. I did not stop sharing my triggers with him though and with time (and a good IC) he got better at listening to my feelings and validating them.

I also think that at first, he was in "fixer" mode and since he didn't know how to undo what he had done, he got frustrated. I really had to explain to him that what I needed for him to do was listen to what I was saying and just be there for me--apologize, reassure me, etc. Again, it took him a while to learn that skill. Sometimes he got impatient and wanted to know how many times he needed to apologize. The answer was "As many times as I need." He has worked at it and has come a long way. Now, he sometimes apologizes to me out of the blue--and that feels really good.

There is hope for a WS who is not instantly remorseful. But he does have to be willing to do the work. I would say it took my FWH at least a year, maybe two, to get to the point where he could handle my triggers effectively. It was worth the work and the wait, for both of us.

Me--BW (57)
Him--FWH (54)--5yr. LTA--OW probably BPD
Married 21 years
DS-19, DD-16
Reconciling--but boy is it hard!

posts: 1655   ·   registered: Aug. 11th, 2010
id 6583994
This Topic is Archived
Cookies on SurvivingInfidelity.com®

SurvivingInfidelity.com® uses cookies to enhance your visit to our website. This is a requirement for participants to login, post and use other features. Visitors may opt out, but the website will be less functional for you.

v.1.001.20250404a 2002-2025 SurvivingInfidelity.com® All Rights Reserved. • Privacy Policy