Catching your partner in the act of infidelity is a crushing blow, and one that's not easy to get over. It's only natural to want to seek revenge, to blame yourself, or even to just pretend like nothing happened. But none of these things are going to help you in the long run. To make sure you confront a cheater in the healthiest way possible, be sure to avoid the worst things you can do if you catch your partner cheating, according to relationships experts.
The moment you find out your partner has been cheating, you'll likely be filled with rage. But that's not going to help you communicate, says April Davis, the founder of luxury matchmaking company LUMA.
"The worst thing you can do if you catch your partner cheating is come at them with rage and clouded with your emotions," she says. "To steer clear of this, before the confrontation, you need to take time and map it out. The more prepared you are, the better it will go. It's important to go into this level-headed; the last thing you want is for it to blow up in your face more than it already has."
"When someone violates a monogamy agreement, there is often a strong desire to know every detail of the transgression," says Nicole Prause, PhD, a neuroscientist and licensed sexual psychologist based in California. "How did they first meet? How much did she press into his lips when they kissed?"
But, according to Prause, details just make everything more vivid and more distressing. Plus, she adds, "you will never know all the details. Next time you will wonder what they were wearing. Next time you will wonder how they had sex when it was so dark there." Your curiosity is bound to get the better of you.
There is perhaps no instance when you feel less in control than when you find out your partner has betrayed your trust, which is why you might turn the blame on yourself.
"Following traumas, we tend to blame ourselves for the event as a way to gain a sense of control," says Heather Z. Lyons, PhD, a psychology professor at Loyola University and a licensed couples counselor in Baltimore. "However, that's a defensive response and one that's based on incomplete, if not inaccurate, information. This might help us feel empowered in the short-term, but this assumption isn't helpful in the long-term."
Again, this is a natural response, but it's one you have to resist in order to cope with the problem at hand. "Comparing yourself to the person your partner cheated with will only make you feel worse," says licensed marriage therapist Catherine Jackson. "It is unproductive and would only serve to bring your mood down further."
It might be hard for some to believe, but turning a blind eye to an affair is a common response. It's also, however, a dangerous one.
"It's already bad that you know your partner's cheating on you," says Celia Schweyer, a dating and relationship expert at DatingScout.com. "What's worse is when you've already caught him in the act and you don't call him out for it just because you love him so much, and you don't want to lose him."
Social media has become a part of our everyday lives. But even if you're someone who posts personal information on Facebook or Instagram regularly, resist the urge when it comes to something like an affair.
"While you might want the whole world to know that your partner is not who you thought they were, one of the worst things that you can do when you catch your partner cheating is post it on social media," explains Adina Mahalli, a relationship expert at Maple Holistics. "You're essentially creating a public scene and while you think everyone will rush to your support, most people are just cringing that they're 'watching' something so personal go down in public."
Because catching your partner in an affair can be so earth-shattering, the person who has been betrayed often just wants to "get back to 'normal' as quickly as possible, says Kevin Darné, the author of My Cat Won't Bark! (A Relationship Epiphany).
"Unfortunately when a person does not take time out to process what has happened, they may be offering forgiveness while being unable to forgive," he says. "As time goes on, they discover no matter how much contrition their partner shows or effort they make to be transparent to earn their trust, it's not enough."
"Cheating isn't an automatic 'dealbreaker' for everyone," says Darné. "Some couples have actually reported their relationships became stronger after an affair. However, each person has to know themselves and listen to their inner guide. Not everyone is capable of giving someone who hurt them a clean slate. If every time you look at your mate, you conjure up images of them lying and cheating on you, staying with them is an act of self-mutilation."
Yes, hurt people hurt people. But "going after your cheating mate keeps you stuck in the pain," explains Kimberly Friedmutter, relationship expert and author of Subconscious Power: Use Your Inner Mind to Create the Life You've Always Wanted. "That means no low-blow behavior."
Jackson reiterates that it's important to "resist the urge to get even." "Doing so may lead to poor decisions, some of which you cannot undo. Sometimes when we 'get even,' we actually hurt ourselves more in the process," she advises. "Furthermore, you are likely to feel bad about getting even—doing something you never intended to, but only did to make your partner hurt as much as you do."
And yes, that goes for cheating as revenge, too. "Cheating to get back at your cheating partner will not make you feel better," says Schweyer. "You might think that you're hurting them this way as a revenge, but you're actually just hurting yourself more. Cheating on your partner will not solve the problem. It will only make your relationship even less worthwhile to maintain."
Ripping up something your significant other loves or smashing once-cherished framed photos isn't a long-term solution either. "You think you will feel better by diverting all your emotions and being destructive, but as good as it might feel at first, you are doing more harm to yourself than good," says Schweyer. "The aftermath is dealing with your insurance company and maybe even the police. Chances are high that you'll be labeled as the 'crazy' one, unfair as it may seem. Try avoiding this by finding healthier ways to deal with your anger."
This is another low blow that isn't worth it, according to Friedmutter. "Your partner went low, but that doesn't mean you need to react to the moment in the same manner," she explains. "Matching behavior by trying to hurt the other financially will have to be rectified later."
Lyons notes that it's important to treat infidelity like any other traumatic situation. "Many of the responses we have to cheating—hyper-vigilance, racing heart, difficulty eating, and sleeping, etc.—look just like the responses of those who have experienced more widely recognized traumas," she explains.
And since trauma has such a profound effect on the brain, Lyons advises against making important decisions shortly after discovering a partner has cheated. "During trauma, our brains go into survival mode. When our brains are focused on survival, our prefrontal cortex is turned off. [But] decision-making is guided by our prefrontal cortex," Lyons says. "Wait on any major decisions until your nervous system has had time to relax and you've had time to get support from people who care about you."
Eventually, you and your partner will have to talk about what happened—and delaying the inevitable too long doesn't do you any favors. "Avoiding the confrontation or hiding at your mother's house only prolongs the inevitable—so man- or woman-up," Friedmutter says. "While this will be the most awkward of all moments, the sooner you face it, the sooner it's over."
When you find out your partner has betrayed your trust, it's natural to wonder if you could have done something differently. It's natural to wonder a whole host of things, actually—and it's important that you do. "It takes time to process how you feel, and you may experience a rollercoaster of emotions. Allow yourself to feel how you feel and for as long as you need to feel it," Jackson says. "Do not simply brush your feelings under the rug and continue life as usual. These unaddressed emotions will come out in maladaptive ways later."
You may eventually decide to tell a small group of people—a trusted friend or a close family member, for example—about your partner's infidelity. But take the time to decide if you really want to let others in on what's going on.
"When someone cheats in a relationship and others know about it, a wealth of emotions can transpire within you and them," Jackson explains. "You should try and take time to yourself to decide what you want to do without thinking about how others will handle your decision."
"It is an awful and jarring experience to find out that your partner has been cheating," says Tzlil Hertzberg, LMHC, a sex therapist at MyTherapist New York. That's why, she recommends therapy.
"In therapy, we process our reactions when difficult things happen—ascribing to the view that you should accept yourself no matter what. We work on how to handle it when our partner disappoints us, but we also bring to light the demands we have put on him/her."
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