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The moment a husband betrays his wife, he shatters her world. As a victim, she will experience anger, pain, broken trust and several other life-altering challenges. She could also experience traumatic symptoms that parallel post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Don't put your marriage in jeopardy! Although you may not have physically cheated, there are alternative ways you can be unfaithful. Take note of these six heartbreaking ways you could be betraying your wife, and ways to avoid them:
1. Reconnecting with old flames
One-third of all divorced couples cite social media as a reason for their divorce. Avoid reconnecting with old girlfriends on Facebook. The more you secretly chat with an old girlfriend the more old, romantic feelings can resurface. Then the chat sessions can escalate to having an affair. Chatting on the Internet doesn't always lead to physical cheating, but many times it is an emotional betrayal.
2. Initiating flirting
When a pretty girl walks into the room, or one of your coworkers is quite attractive, avoid the temptation to flirt with her. Sure, she catches your eye, and she may want to flirt as well, but you need to avoid it at all costs.
Flirting is always the gateway to sharing deeper feelings and conversations. To many people, flirting is an invitation to pursue a more personal, romantic relationship. As a married man, you shouldn't flirt with anyone besides your wife. If you do, you have begun down the path of betrayal.
3. Pornography
Many women have insecurities about how they look, and they want to be considered the most beautiful person in the world to their husbands. Looking at pornography could destroy your wife's self-esteem, and betray the trust she has in you. She will feel like she is being replaced by images and video she can't compete with. While you might not be physically cheating, she will feel like there is another woman in your relationship. This will destroy the love you two have shared.
According to Dr. Jennifer Schneider, a sexual addiction expert, 70 percent of couples in which there was a cyber sex addiction say one or both partners lost interest in the relationship. Pornography will slowly destroy your marriage and your self. Love your wife. Do not seek love in the pixels of your computer screen.
4. Speaking negatively about her
Your wife should be your best friend and the most important person in your life. Never speak badly about her to the guys. Don't tell them how annoying you think she is, or that she keeps nagging you to do stuff around the house. Work out your problems with her and just her.
Only speak highly about her to your friends. (That is what it means to be true and faithful to your wife.) The moment you begin to speak negatively about her, you have betrayed her trust.
5. Confiding in another woman
Having friends that are females is not necessarily a bad thing. But when you share intimate secrets and things you would never tell your wife, then you have betrayed the person who should be your No. 1 priority. The more you confide in a person of the opposite sex, the more you blur the line between friend and partner.
Let your wife be the friend that you can tell anything and everything to. Avoid going to lunch alone with another woman. Invite your wife to every activity, and better yet, make it a double date. Make sure to draw a definitive line (that you know you won't cross) with every friend of the opposite sex.
6. Work first, marriage second
Late-night work sessions, business trips every other weekend and business phone calls during special family events put work in first priority and move marriage to the second, third or fourth priority. Slowly, the people at work will seem better than your own family. Since your wife wants you home so much, you may believe she simply just doesn't understand, and she will become an annoyance.
Having a stable job is essential to a healthy marriage, but never let it become your first priority. Don't let work interrupt your time with your wife. Always work to let her know she is important to you.
Making your wife your first priority is the best way to protect your marriage from betrayal. Avoid these six tricky situations to help protect the woman you cherish the most.
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