Thursday, November 27, 2008

Healing from the Affair and Marital Infidelity

An article on surviving infidelity titled ~ Healing from the Affair and Marital Infidelity: Use Charging Neutral by surviving infidelity expert Rob Goldsmith

Coping with an affair or infidelity leaves one in a new world - usually a world of pain, uncertainty and fear and helplessness.

To move beyond merely surviving the affair to begin changing the flow of the affair and initiate healing, one can use a skill called "charging neutral."

Charging neutral denotes a non-reactivity to one's spouse. It demands one remaining calm and centered.

Though initially difficult to master, it's results can be powerful.

In this example, the woman used email as a tool to expedite charging neutral:

My husband had an affair last year. Unfortunately they produced a child, which is now used as an excuse for keeping in contact with the other woman. Thankfully we moved to another city , so his contact with her is mainly via sms and mail.The charging neutral technique I use mainly via email, when I discuss the affair. I am calmer and have more time to word things correctly . When I re-read what I have written, I see things more objectively, and sometimes I need to amend the wording, so its not so insulting. Also it feels good to know he is reading all that is on my mind. I feel heard. One day I will be ready to speak about the affair calmly. In truth my husband also prefers the email route. As we are now able to touch on the affair topic via email, we can now discuss day to day happenings (which we have not been able to do) without the pressure of of all the unsaid horrors.

This man uses charging neutral but refusing to react to her reactions. This puts him in control of his feelings and actions, which is empowering:


OKay.. what has been effective has been two things together, charging neutral and otherwise largely ignoring my wife. Not speaking to her unless I have to, but when I do charging very very neutral. When she starts to get a sense of what things would be like without me in her life, she starts to reengage. I would say her affair is a little bit of 'my marriage made me do it' but more centrally 'i want to be desired'.

Charging neutral gives much freedom to confront the spouse or partner and begin the healing process. Notice the power that this man feels in confronting his wife constructively:

Charging neutral is more difficult and more effective than one initially thinks. When an opportunity comes up saying something to my cheating wife in a charge neutral way kind of confuses her. It kind of puts me in control of the conversation because my wife cannot do anything but listen. She is not spending her time trying to think up her next hostile line (or in my case, lie.) To me the difficult part of charging neutral is being able to do it consistently. When I most want to bash her (which is hourly) I try to remember to charge neutral. When the words come out with just the right tone, I think... "Man, that was good!" The other nice part about charging neutral is, you say just about anything. At times I can really blitz her and with the right tone and non-verbal communication - she almost agrees with me.

Charging neutral is quietly powerful. Many have been set on the healing path by experimenting with and utilizing this powerful skill.

About the Author

Rob Goldsmith is a relationship expert with clinical experience, research and study in the arena of personal relationships, specializing in infidelity and extramarital affairs. Get more information regarding healing from the affair.

surviving infidelity