How To Overcome Depression After Infidelity

Overcoming infidelity is not an easy task, but it is possible. Today, we’ll give you some tips so you can learn to manage what you’re living through and become stronger than ever.

Overcoming depression caused by infidelity is difficult. In the face of a betrayal of this caliber, most people do not know how to act, as the trust placed in the other person has been destroyed.

Betrayal is the main cause of divorce and separation between couples. This is something that can cause many psychological disturbances and family disruption.

For this reason, many people who have suffered this situation turn to professionals to learn to overcome negative feelings. We’ll talk a little more about the topic in the following article.

Types of infidelity

There are different types of infidelity in a relationship, depending on the circumstances and current situation of the relationship.

In a broad sense, we can mention three types of infidelity. Let’s see some details of each of them.

1. Those who try to avoid intimacy

This type of profile usually affects both members of the couple, that is, the two people who make up the couple are unfaithful to each other. This case often involves people who were raised in broken families.

The subjects create strong emotional barriers and both people seek pleasure in a hedonistic way. On many occasions, they connect through the fights they have.

That’s why, for them, overcoming depression due to infidelity is not very difficult. The two made the same mistake, and they don’t really mind hiding it either.

2. Conflict avoiders

It is the opposite case to the previous one. The traits that characterize this type of person may come from conventional families that are rigid in their norms and in which showing emotions such as anger and sadness was not well regarded.

The couple, in this case, does not argue. In theory, they are a model couple, their behavior is always correct, although things are different “behind the scenes”.

Infidelity of conflict avoiders usually appears between 5 and 10 years of marriage. However, it is usually a short adventure, as it ends up being abandoned before it becomes a conflict for the marriage.

If infidelity is discovered, it is easy for the other person to be psychologically affected and need help to know how to overcome depression.

3. Outbound

In this type, there is a way of dodging the need to leave the current relationship. The person is aware that the current relationship is no longer the desired one and this creates anxiety. So there are quick adventures trying to fill that emotional void.

However, in the end, this behavior causes more pain, as the unfaithful person ends up trapped in the feeling of guilt, becoming unable to face reality and solve the problem.

How to overcome depression after an infidelity?

An infidelity in a relationship can be difficult to overcome. There are those who develop severe depression because of what happened.

Below, we list a series of recommendations for overcoming depression due to infidelity.

1. Differentiate pain from suffering

It’s completely normal to feel sad after having been through a situation as difficult as infidelity.

However, there is a limit between the pain considered normal and the suffering it triggers. Both feelings differ in that pain does not last as long as suffering.

This is because the latter appears when we resist accepting the situation. Thus, it is customary to say that suffering can last as long as we want.

2. Express your feelings

To accept any difficult situation, it is important to let off steam. To do this, don’t hold back the emotions generated by infidelity and talk to those close to you about everything you feel.

Opening up and releasing all the feelings you are experiencing will help you overcome depression more effectively and quickly.

3. Live your grief

Accepting the grief at the end of the relationship is crucial to overcoming a situation of infidelity.

All the difficult situations that we go through in life involve overcoming a grieving process, as explained in this research carried out by a team from the Institute of Safety and Social Services of workers in the State of Mexico. During this process, we begin to assimilate the situation, work it out, and finally overcome it.

So, as we mentioned, this feeling of sadness is normal. To overcome depression due to infidelity, you need to take the necessary time and experience all phases of grief.

4. Take care of your personal appearance

Often, when we are sad, we let go of our appearance and personal care, falling into a vicious circle. Make a little effort to continue taking care of yourself and grooming yourself so you’ll feel better.

It may sound silly to you, but in situations as traumatic as an infidelity breakup, there’s nothing better than fighting low self-esteem. So show yourself how much you love yourself.

Get help if you need

Overcoming infidelity takes time. It’s a very complicated situation that requires a certain period of acceptance. In cases where this sad situation lasts longer than usual, it is advisable to seek outside help.

Finally, talking to a psychologist can help you through this difficult phase. The most important thing is that you start your change process to start a new phase, and that you don’t get stuck in the past.