Beware the person who justifies bad behavior with apologies.
The betrayal of infidelity is, without doubt, among the most painful adult-life emotional experiences anyone can have. As sex addicts, this is what we inflict on our partners. And sadly, we often continue to do so even after we enter recovery. Seven common mistakes we make that continue to break our partners’ hearts include:
- Continuing to cheat
- Continuing to lie and keep secrets
- Blaming anyone but ourselves for our behavior
- Apologizing and expecting/demanding immediate forgiveness
- Trying to buy forgiveness with flowers, dinners, trips, jewelry, sex, etc.
- Using aggression/threats to establish control
- Trying to calm our partner down
If we continue to engage in one or more of these behaviors, it can hurt our partner as much and maybe more than the initial discovery of infidelity.
Just for Today
I will pay attention to the seven bad behaviors listed above. Am I engaging in any of these actions?