EA or im just Crazy
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Coping with Infidelity Relationship recovery from the destructiveness of infidelity.

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Old 06-16-2011, 06:21 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Default EA or im just Crazy

Wife bumped into a old friend in that she is friends on fb with. they exchanged numbers and within the first 24hrs they had 250txt back and forth to each other. when i asked her about it she lied and said no that he didnt call her or txt her. i asked to see her phone and everything was deleted. This was 9 months ago. since we have been separated once got back together and now asking for a seperation again. when we got back together she cut back on the txt to the OM but never did a no contact like i asked her. i know she shared things about our marriage with the OM and feel that he went fishing for her and she took it and now wants another separation. i have read alot of post and seems like a EA she denies anything more than frienship even though the txt where at intement times. also some very long phone conversations months ago. Is it a EA or am i crazy like she says thanks
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Old 06-16-2011, 07:01 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Default Re: EA or im just Crazy

Its been said when you communicate with the opposite sex in any way purposely keeping it hidden or lying about it.....its an Affair!!!
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Old 06-16-2011, 07:53 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Now she doesn't deny talking to him but does not share what is said between them. If she talks to anyone else she will bring up what is going on. He is a secret I only know because I checked the phone records.
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Old 06-16-2011, 08:10 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Default Re: EA or im just Crazy

let me clear this up quick and with absolute certainty so you can move into more productive questions...

Yes, your wife is having an affair. Whether it's emotional, physical or both, I dunno.

please google the term "gaslighting" read up on it. That's what is happening to you. Your not crazy. Gaslighting is mentally abusive. It's intention is to hide something someone doesn't want to brought to light by making you question yourself.

Very common for disloyal spouses. As are the other things you describe. Textbook.
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Old 06-16-2011, 08:25 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Default Re: EA or im just Crazy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pit-of-my-stomach View Post
let me clear this up quick and with absolute certainty so you can move into more productive questions...

Yes, your wife is having an affair. Whether it's emotional, physical or both, I dunno.

please google the term "gaslighting" read up on it. That's what is happening to you. Your not crazy. Gaslighting is mentally abusive. It's intention is to hide something someone doesn't want to brought to light by making you question yourself.

Very common for disloyal spouses. As are the other things you describe. Textbook.
Very true! My estranged husband was the disloyal spouse and he tried to convince my family I was bi-polar, crazy, etc. He even about had me convinced. Don't believe that for one second! You may find it helpful to see an individual therapist while you are going through this. That's how I managed to keep my sanity.

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Old 06-16-2011, 08:57 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Default Re: EA or im just Crazy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pit-of-my-stomach View Post
please google the term "gaslighting" read up on it. That's what is happening to you. Your not crazy. Gaslighting is mentally abusive. It's intention is to hide something someone doesn't want to brought to light by making you question yourself.


DasAstro, your WW is a prime example a wayward spouse gaslighting you. If it has gone on this long and the OM is local, then it's more likely a PA now as well.

DO NOT ACCEPT OR FALL FOR HER GASLIGHTING ANYMORE.
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Old 06-16-2011, 09:03 PM   #7 (permalink)
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I'm just going to copy and paste here. Take what you need or what applies to you or can help you.

First off, know that the affair is not your fault. Have you been the perfect husband? Of course not, no one is. She had other options besides cheating, such as communicating with you on working out the marital problems, going to Marriage Counseling (MC), etc. Yet she chose the easy option: cheating. Most likely because the Other Man (OM) stroked her ego and provided the shoulder to cry on. Your wife is now a Wayward Wife (WW), so consider as such. She will give the common excuses: You weren’t there for her, OM provided for her needs because you couldn’t, etc.

The last thing you should do is to cry, beg, and/or plead with her. This not only makes you unattractive, it drives her away. Trying your best to be the best husband doesn’t work either, because you cannot compete with the fantasy she has built up with the OM.

Now you have to play detective in order to save your marriage, or to get the proof you need to end it. If you can afford it, hire a PI. If not, you will have to do this on your own. What you need to find out is if this is an Emotional Affair (EA) only, or if this has progressed to a Physical Affair (PA). What you also need to find out is who exactly the OM is, his identity, if he’s married, and if he’s married, his Betrayed Wife’s (BW) contact information. You will need this info later on.

What you should not do is confront her too early about the Affair (A). You are going to need to gather all the information that you possibly can before confrontation. We Betrayed Spouses (BS) call this investigating. Others call it snooping. The cardinal rule about investigating is NEVER REVEAL YOUR SOURCES!!! This will prevent her from denying the A, which they almost always do at first until presented with proof of the A. This will also prevent her from gas lighting you. Gas lighting is a term used when the WW, when confronted, will say that you are just jealous, imagining things, and that you are just crazy. Gathering enough proof of the A, also prevents the Wayward Spouse (WS) her, from giving you the Trickle Truth (TT). TT is when the WS minimizes what they have done in the A, and will only admit to what they think you know. For example: Most will say they only kissed their Affair Partner (AP) once, when in fact they went much farther than that. If the A has gone to a PA, they usually only admit to doing it once & with a condom!

If the WS is using a computer as part of the tools of the A, then you will need to install computer monitoring software, the basic ones are keyloggers. There are free ones, which basically only record keystrokes, to the more expensive ones that record keystrokes, capture screenshots of the computer, email you the results, etc. There are good ones like Spector Pro, Web Watcher, Spy Agent, etc. There are also free ones, but you get what you pay for. Why do you need a keylogger? So you can be aware of their communications, such as how long this has been going on, what they have done, and what they are planning to do. Another key tool cheaters use is the secret email account. A keylogger will capture their usernames and passwords.

Now you might feel guilty about investigating/verifying. Sorry, but their privacy went out the window the second they endangered the marriage by having an A. It is your right to investigate now, so don’t lose any sleep or feel guilty about it. If they try to turn it around on you (blame shift), tell them it’s your right because they are having an A.

Another tool that cheaters use is the cell phone of course. Some carriers allow you to check online who the other person is calling and/or texting. If you don’t have access to this information, then use the keylogger to obtain it. If your WS has a smart phone, you may be able to install phone monitoring software such as Mobile Spy or Mobistealth. This will allow you to see their text messages. The more expensive versions of Mobile Spy and Mobistealth even allow you to listen in on their conversations in near real time, and use the GPS to track their location. If your WS suspects that you are on to them, they may purchase a secret cell phone. A clue that your WS has a secret cell phone is if they suddenly leave their regular cell phone lying about when before they were guarding it at all times. This brings me to the Voice Activated Recorder (VAR).

A VAR can be purchased very cheap, usually around $40 or more, at either Walmart, Best Buy, or your local electronics store. A VAR can be very useful at determining if your WS has a secret cell phone. Also, a strategically placed VAR can be very useful if you are unable to install phone monitoring software on their cell phone. A good place to hide a VAR is in the WS vehicle. If there is one place they feel secure in talking with their AP, it’s in their vehicle. Some place it under the drivers seat with industrial strength Velcro. It’s up to you where you can place your VAR. You may want to hide one in your bedroom or the bathroom in order to record their conversations.

Once you have gathered your proof, it is time to confront your WW. This is called the Day of Discovery (DDay). This may well be the most traumatic day of your life. If you have gathered enough proof, your WW will not be able to deny, gas light, or TT you. Your WW will either go into crying fits, be angry, or both. She will try to blame you for the A, tell you she has been unhappy for months or years. Re-Writing the history of the marriage is a common tactic, they use it to justify the A to themselves. Stay strong and know this is not your fault! This is hers!

She will say that she does not know what she wants. This is called fence sitting. She wants the security of marriage, but wants to play around with her OM. Do not stand for this. It is either you or him. There is no room in a marriage for 3 partners.

Another common occurrence is that the WS will leave the house when confronted on DDay. This is usually only for a few days or weeks. The WW will usually contact the OM about what happened. The WW usually comes home after a few days, but sometimes they don’t. DO NOT beg her to come home. Like I said earlier, this makes you look weak.

Another common tactic that the WS does is to cry and plead that they want to fix the marriage after they have been caught, but then they take the A “underground”. This is when the WS has talked to the AP about ways to continue the A without your knowledge. This is usually when they resort to using a secret email account and a secret cell phone. If you have not revealed your sources, then you can usually find out if they have taken the A underground.

If they wish to stay in the marriage, then you have to remain firm and demand No Contact (NC). They must end the affair and go NC. That is the ONLY way to save your marriage, by killing the affair. An A is exactly like a drug, because the WS receives a “high” from the affair. Feel good chemicals like dopamine and others, are excreted in the brain during the A. Giving them a high feeling, the feeling of being in love, etc.

If your WS is very deep in the fog of the A, and refuses to go NC, or the OM/OW refuses to go NC, then the next step is exposing the A. This means contacting the other BS. This serves two purposes. This helps kill the affair by bringing it into the light of day, and you have another set of eyes watching the other side of the affair. You might even be able to compare notes with the BS and find out more information, or they may have information about the A that you didn’t know about. The other reason is because it’s the right thing to do. Wouldn’t you want someone to have told you what was going on?

Remember the monitoring I was telling you about? Monitoring the WW will allow you to know if she has broken NC. If the OM contacts her and she doesn’t tell you about it, that is also breaking NC. And if you ultimately decide to Reconcile (R), then monitoring will help rebuild trust. After you keep finding nothing, and she is doing her part in R, then you will find yourself monitoring less and less. Eventually you may be able to wean yourself off from monitoring her since she has rebuilt some trust.

Try reading these too:

The Betrayed Spouse Script

Bill Of Rights - For The Betrayed
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Old 06-16-2011, 09:30 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Default Re: EA or im just Crazy

Wow good stuff. The OM is single has been since they meant. She told me he had a gf and gave me a name and all. I made a secret FB account and checked his status was single and he wasn't even friend with her. I have some other proof of an affair. He is local. Even if its just an EA that's enough for me she is choosing him over me. Do I have to prove the affair to her? she knows what she is doing, I know what she is doing. I just wanted some reassurance that my wife isn't the 10% that isn't having an affair and I am just crazy.
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Old 06-16-2011, 10:17 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DasAstro View Post
I just wanted some reassurance that my wife isn't having an affair and I am just crazy.Posted via Mobile Device
You wont get it here.

I can't really assure you your not crazy, I dont know you. lol.

But, Your wife is cheating.
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Last edited by Pit-of-my-stomach; 06-16-2011 at 10:22 PM.
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Old 06-17-2011, 12:02 AM   #10 (permalink)
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Thanks everyone a lot of good info. Going to see a lawyer about leaving, hope to knock her off the fence and if she wants the OM good luck to her.
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Old 06-17-2011, 12:07 AM   #11 (permalink)
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Just don't know why she just can't come out and say that she did have feelings for the OM or did something with him. I rather her have a one night stand with someone instead of lies and constant texting
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Old 06-17-2011, 06:43 AM   #12 (permalink)
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DasAstro:
My stbxh had an EA and denied it and called me a snoop but I had to verify and I did. There were constant text messages and cell calls (he bought own cell as I did, he insisted). And bought me a computer.

I couldn't live with someone I no longer trusted in matrimony. So we are in the process of divorce. Has he ever admitted it, yes but then he took it back the next day saying I was insisting on that version of the dissolution of our marriage.

Devastated, you ask? Yes. Getting better slowly. am stuck in inhouse divorce and sometimes it is very weird. Is he having EA still, perhaps. He met her on his last 2 week vacay last month, one time he said. She is married for 45 yrs and is a grandmother. WTF!

Anyway, for me it was time to move on no matter how painful.

Good Luck. I have to say the pain was so great at times I wanted to rip my skin off to get out of my body. No longer. But a dull ache when I bump into him in house.
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Old 06-17-2011, 07:38 AM   #13 (permalink)
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Default Re: EA or im just Crazy

GAHHHHH!!!!!! another story exactly like mine.... GOOD GRIEF, I hate hearing this happening to someone else. AGain...
DasAstro, Your situation appears to be just like my own was.
Myspace, then Facebook "just a friend" reconnection with old boyfriend.
Texting all the time, calls, secret meetings for lunch.
Every step of the way the questions I had were turned around on me as my own lack of self esteem or jealousy.
Lies lies lies....
Like Sparkles is currently doing, I am living in the same house as her right now, waiting for the divorce to be finalized. I wish she was my neighbor so we could unload some of this burden on someone that understands.
Looking over at my soon-to-be-EX-wife on the couch with her IPhone in her hand, smiling at something. Just in freaking fantasy land.. Its sickening.
Be Strong Man. This is not your fault, nor is it a lack of anything youve done, and there is nothing you CAN do about it without her willingness to reconcile wholeheartedly.
Begin to get a game plan, read the List at dadsdivorce.com and get what you can from it in terms of what applies to your situation.

Just realize, that this may be a door opening, not closing. It appears that there is a massive "weeding" going on throughout marriages all over the world. The weak hearts are being "baited" away from the true people, so that the true people can find each other, and have a real family. Like the pied piper has played, and the rats are all running off the cliffside. My wife is a rat.
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Old 06-17-2011, 07:45 AM   #14 (permalink)
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I agree, its such a sad theme that seems to be growing exponentially: Old flames reunited through the internet or social networking sites. More and more marriages are being destroyed or damaged everyday.

It used to be that 80% of all affairs were workplace affairs. Now it's obvious that social networking sites/internet affairs are quickly catching up.
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Old 06-17-2011, 07:59 AM   #15 (permalink)
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LordMayhem, what trips me out, is that not merely a month prior to my wife's "jump into the lake of infidelity", she was posting "happy birthday to the love of my life and soulmate, my one true love forever" on my page, and then the OM posted on her girlfriends page about how he had always loved my wife, still does, and couldnt believe that neither of them knew it. Its as if that was the turning point, where the entire history of my marriage was rendered complete "sh@t". She went completely 180 off center.
Im feeling quite vindictive towards the OM these days. To infect himself into our lives, to destroy a family. Whats also screwed up is when I called him to chew him out, he called back saying "your old lady said she was divorced". I played the message back for her and she said "I didnt say thaaatt!!!"
Wow, what a man. First sign of trouble and he throws her under the bus. But he remains to this day, completely awesome in her eyes.
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