Mothers and Infidelity - 3 Ways Your Husband's Infidelity Can Negatively Affect You

Infidelity may not be a topic you want to think about so close to Mother's Day, but if your husband is involved in an extramarital affair, it can affect you as a mother in 3 very serious ways - psychologically, physically and financially.

Psychologically

If your husband is cheating on you, it can lead to psychological issues that can negatively impact the way you interact with your children. You may be so pre-occupied with your husband's extramarital affair that you become short tempered or impatient with your children. You may be so emotionally distraught that you neglect them, or are unable to give them the care and attention they deserve. It's difficult to focus on the needs of your children while you are trying to deal with the issues associated with your husband's affair -who the other woman is, how long the affair has been going on, why he cheated, who else knows, searching for proof of his infidelity so you can confront him about the affair, determining whether it's just a fling or if his cheating poses a serious threat to your marriage. The mental stress you're under can undermine your ability to be a good mother.

Your husband's infidelity can also cause your children to have psychological problems that you, as a mother, will have to cope with, since you're their primary caregiver. In younger children these problems may manifest themselves as depression, anxiety, problems in school, anti-social behavior or eating disorders. Older children and teens may experience the problems mentioned above, in addition to rebelliousness, promiscuity, or drug and alcohol abuse.

Physically

If your cheating husband engages in unprotected sex, his infidelity puts you at risk for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) such as herpes, syphilis, or gonorrhea. STDs can cause cervical and other cancers, chronic hepatitis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and other complications. If your health deteriorates, how can you take care of your children? Who will care for them if you can't?