Understand triggers to help bring a sense of control over your choices. Just understanding why a behavior occurs isn’t always enough to make it stop.
Examine your values and decide whether or not cheating is congruent with your values. Even if you grew up in a family in which cheating occurred, that does not necessarily mean you support or agree with the choice to cheat.
Consider your options, and ask yourself, “Are your reasons for cheating worth treating your partner with disrespect?”
Assess your relationships to determine areas that are lacking in intimacy. This may reveal unmet needs. As you discover needs that are not satisfied, it will become important to honestly express your feelings and emotions.
Take the time to clarify your values and decide what is the healthiest choice for you. If you decide cheating is not the healthiest choice, take steps to end any outside relationship in a respectful manner.
Make a decision to either faithfully stay in your relationship or end it respectfully. Honestly look at whether revealing the cheating behavior is more for your benefit than for you partner’s sake. Hurting the other person will not stop your cheating behavior.
