Cheating can take on many forms and can happen for many reasons. Although there is no truly acceptable reason to cheat, it happens because nobody is perfect. If you cheated on your partner and they already know, follow my advice on what to do next in order to repair your relationship.
After dealing with infidelity, the person that was cheated on will feel many different emotions to include guilt, sadness, humiliation, anger, and much more. This may cause them to react differently at any moment (in the immediate days after they find out). Be prepared for an emotional roller coast. If you truly want to repair your relationship, you will be supportive and understanding for your partner. You messed up, therefore you must wait for your partner to heal.
It will require a lot of effort on your part to earn back your partner’s trust. At first, be very open with your partner. Do not expect personal space. If you cannot deal with this, you should reevaluate your decision to work it out. You made the mistake and broke your partner’s trust. You must work extremely hard to earn it back. With that said, it should not be like this forever. There is no set time frame but if your partner does not start giving you the chance to earn his/her trust, your relationship will not be able to truly be repaired. Just remember, faith is given and trust is earned.
Be aware that your partner may throw your infidelity in your face. Although this is very likely to happen, it is not okay. It keeps the relationship from moving forward. If you partner does this, you need to calmly talk to them or refer them to “Your relationship after cheating: For the cheated.” People make mistakes. You will have to live with that mistake and do not need to be condemned for it. That is not true forgiveness and that is not healthy for your relationship.
Although there is no acceptable reason for cheating, be honest with your partner when they ask why you cheated. If it was a broken link in your relationship, give your partner the chance to work with you to fix it. The best way to do that is by just being honest. If you cheated due to an issue within yourself, it is your responsibility to be as mentally healthy as possible in order to be the best partner that you can. Therefore, you should seek self help, help from family and friends, or even professional help. Do not feel embarrassed to seek professional help. They deal with this all the time and it is vital for all the relationships of your future.
Cheating on your partner will ultimately make you feel really low. You made a mistake. Do your best to repair your relationship and drive forward. Even if you cheated multiple times, this does not mean your life is destined for failure or that you are a horrible person. We all have our demons. Just do your best to improve yourself for yourself.
Repairing a relationship after infidelity requires great patience and strength from both the cheated and the cheater. It is great that your partner wants to repair the relationship. However, you must be equally as willing to ride out the battle and repair the relationship. This is not something you will be repairing alone. This is a team effort.