Affairs & Divorce: Types of Affairs:
There are three types of affairs:
1) The bridge affair;
2) the self-serving
affair; and
3) the repair affair.
Bridge: The bridge affair is a bridge out of the marriage-the death of the
marital relationship. The purpose finding a new partner is to leave the
marriage while avoiding the confrontation of marital problems. When your
partner is having a bridge affair you will notice, if you let yourself, a
change in your partner's attitude. If you confront the person at this
stage, either you will be targeted as the problem or he or she will lie or deny
anything and everything, which will confuse, confound and temporarily help
you to deny your intuition and suspicions. Meanwhile, the betrayer is
readying for a transition out of the relationship.
Self-serving: Self-serving affairs are characteristic of individuals who
are shallow, untrustworthy, and unable to commit. They do not seek out
committed relationships, they are philanderers. They proceed from one
light-hearted tryst to another, whistling, enjoying themselves and their
risk taking while proclaiming interest in remaining married. They are
always looking for a new adventure. Infidelity is their way of life.
Living with a philanderer is demeaning, diminishing, and damaging to
self-esteem and the soul. If your partner has been involved in more than
one affair, consider that this may be their permanent pattern and act
accordingly.
Repair affair: A repair affair is meant to fix the marriage and can lead to
solutions of marital difficulties. The dissatisfied partner feels helpless,
hopeless, and unable to get the partner's attention or the change they
desire. An affair is a convoluted solution to a marital dissatisfaction but
it does get attention.
Why would such indirect and harmful means to repairing a relationship be
necessary? In relationships people become sloppy in their treatment of each
other. They can be disregarding, demanding, disrespecting, and treat their
partners as if they needed no care. An affair alerts the partners that loss
of the relationship is imminent. At this point, both parties may be ready
for some serious work on their marriage. Together they can re-focus on the
real issues. Repair affairs are opportunities for expanding, improving and
developing relationships although they often misfire and end in divorce.
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