Finding out that a partner has cheated, can be heartbreaking. Can the relationship survive or is it time to walk away? Can forgiveness be found or will it lead to a nasty breakup with emotional damage caused to the person cheated on?

When it comes to a relationship where infidelity has occurred, there are a number of ways to deal with it. 

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How many people cheat during a relationship?

A 2021 survey by Health Testing Centers polled 411 people and found that a little over 46% of the respondents in a monogamous relationship said they had affairs. This is a pretty large amount, which gets close to being half of the people polled in the survey.

Infidelity is often more common than we think, so it’s something that many people have gone through or will likely go through at some stage in their lifetime of relationships.

Five steps to take after infidelity occurs in a relationship

In order to tackle the issue at hand, here are five steps to take after infidelity has occurred in the relationship.

Talk it out.

Talking (or shouting) in some cases, is a good way of getting out the emotions. Being able to vent, scream and talk through the heartbreak of being cheated on is therapeutic. Not that it often feels that way at the time but talking is better than keeping it all bottled up.

First and foremost, talk it out so that the person can get all the details on what went on.

Decide if the relationship is worth saving.

In order to move forward, it’s important for both parties to talk through whether or not the relationship is worth saving. Some relationships that have put in a lot of time and years, may not want to simply throw it all away and some may do just that. Shorter relationships may result in walking away whereas others might be willing to see if it can work.

Speak to a therapist or get counselling.

Infidelity is something that can be hard to discuss, especially when it’s just two people together. With that in mind, it’s good to approach a therapist. Getting infidelity counselling can be helpful to understand what has been done, why it happened, and how it can move forward.

Sometimes, a professional opinion can really help to resolve the issues at hand.

Invest more time into the relationship.

Where possible, try to invest more time into the relationship. It’s important that after such a traumatic and emotional event, there needs to be a shift in how much time and attention is given to the relationship.

Seek forgiveness whether the relationship lasts or doesn’t.

Finally, forgiveness is important. Not forgiving the person or at least forgiving the relationship or oneself is going to continue the weight that is often felt in these relationships. Try to encourage forgiveness but only when the time is right to do so.

Dealing with infidelity is tough and not everyone is willing to deal with it properly. Hopefully, using these tips can bring clarity to what can be an awful situation.