When Your Husband Has Feelings for Another Woman...
Affairs don’t necessarily mean your marriage is over! But, rebuilding relationships is tricky when cheating spouses (the husband, in this case) needs time to get over his affair.
Here’s one reader’s dilemma:
“My husband of 9 years cheated on me,” says M on Is Your Marriage Over? 7 Signs Your Spouse is Ending the Relationship. “He says he doesn’t want to lose me and loves me, but has feelings for the other person. He ended it with her, but she keeps texting him. He says he needs time to get over the affair. I want to work it out with him, and he says he does too. How long should I wait for him to get over his feelings for her? Is the marriage saveable if he loves two people? Any help would be appreciated.”
First, get free online marriage help from Mort Fertel. What have you got to lose?
Second, read as much as you can about surviving affairs. One of the bestselling books for healing after an affair is Not “Just Friends”: Rebuilding Trust and Recovering Your Sanity After Infidelity.
Here are a few thoughts on waiting for husbands to overcome affairs…
How Long Do You Wait for Your Husband to Get Over His Affair?
Of course, there is no cut-and-dried answer. Maybe it’ll take him two weeks to get over his feelings for the woman he had the affair with; maybe it’ll take two years. Maybe he’ll always love her (O daggers in your heart!).
More importantly, you need to figure out why you want to save your marriage. Why do you want to work it out with him? How badly do you want to stay married? Answering those questions may help you determine how long you should wait for him to get over the affair.
Make sure your husband has cut off communication with his bed buddy
M’s husband is still connected to the woman he had an affair with. It doesn’t matter that he said he ended things; the fact is, he’s still receiving text messages from her.
That is not acceptable. If he really wants to rebuild his marriage after an affair. He needs to change his phone number, get a new email address, find a different job – do whatever it takes to end the relationship.
If your husband is still communicating with the other woman, then you’ll be waiting for a long time for him to get over it. If he’s still in love with the woman he had an affair with, you’ll be waiting a long, long time.
Do you know why he had the affair? Understanding your husband’s motivation may help both of you heal. Read Why Men Cheat on Women – How to Stop a Man From Cheating for a marriage counselor’s perspective.
Assess your husband’s level of remorse and willingness to work on the marriage
“The ability to forgive [your husband for having an affair] makes you a better and stronger human being,” says Anne Bercht, author of My Husband’s Affair Became the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me. “It takes greater strength of character to rebuild a marriage after an affair, than to just give up and quit. If you really love your spouse, and your spouse expresses genuine remorse and is willing to do their part in rebuilding the marriage, there are greater rewards in staying than there are in giving up.”
Does your husband express genuine remorse for the affair? Is he willing to do his part to rebuild your relationship? Answering the “how long do I wait for my husband to get over his affair” question depends on his attitude.
Decide if you can live with a man who has feelings for another woman
Sure, a man can love two women at the same time. Love is boundless, limitless, timeless. A more important question is whether you want to be married to a husband who has feelings for another woman. And, it’s important to remember that feelings of love and intimacy don’t disappear overnight. Sometimes we never stop loving people.
Do you want to rebuild your marriage even if your husband is in love with the woman he had an affair with? It’s okay if you do – I judge not! This is a question only you can answer.
Links for Reconnecting and Love
- He Doesn’t Love You Back? 12 Secrets to Melting His Heart
- Captivate Him – Be the Woman He Never Wants to Leave
- Even If It Seems Hopeless – The Magic of Making Up
If you know in your heart it's time to move on, read How to Let Go of Someone You Love.
What do you think – how long would you wait for your husband to get over his affair? Comments welcome below…
Ive been with my partner for 3 years nd just found out he had cheated wen i was away for two months it was a one night thing nd a friend of his told me it happened its jusy he told me a total diffrent story to wat my partner eventualy told me i then found out he was going on dateing sites about a year ago hes always had insecurity issues with himself nd realy bad trust nd jelousy issues ive had 3 crazy years but now i feel like i love him so much more nd i would neva let him go he always says hes sorry fir wat he did nd we hvnt beeen hapier so dnt giv up if u truly love him atleast if he dsnt cum bak u can wlk away with ur head held high knowing that u wer faithful nd tryed
We been together for18 years and I know him to be cheatiing for a year now and he don’t know I know I hear the message she leave him and read some the text age sent him and I not allowed on face book. But I know
That’s a great post Laurie !
Something we women can relate to so easily ! I totally agree that there is no accepting the fact that your husband says ‘he needs more time’. Once you are married, there is no reason, whatsoever to keep any kind of contact with your previous partner. Once you start with a new relationship, a new partner, such affairs should take a back seat. Your husband now has to make the sincere efforts to let go of his past affairs and turn faithful to you.
I have also just recently posted a post on how you can make your spouse your best friend, on the link with my name, maybe it would help out.
Thanks for sharing!