1. What is post-infidelity stress disorder?
The phrase post- infidelity stress disorder (PISD) was originally coined in 2005 by psychologist Dr. Dennis C. Ortman, who published a study in the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Services Mental Health, describes a woman’s experience of catching her husband cheating with her best friend.
In the study, Dr. Ortman said that even though the woman divorced her husband, she still could not get over the painful experience of betrayal and could not stop thinking about it. She was angry, stressed, depressed, often had nightmares and cried.
Post-infidelity stress disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that can occur after discovering that your partner has been unfaithful to you. Infidelity is a devastating experience for both individuals and couples. The emotional consequences of discovering or admitting infidelity can lead to a range of psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and trauma.
Psychologist Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, a professor at Yeshiva University and an expert on relationship issues, said some individuals develop a post-infidelity stress disorder that has many similarities to the disorder. post-traumatic stress (PTSD).
2. Coping with post-infidelity stress disorder
Dr. Romanoff suggests some helpful coping strategies if you are experiencing post-infidelity stress disorder:
Practice self-care
A good first step is to practice self-care such as eating healthy foods, minimizing time spent on social media, sleeping or engaging in activities such as taking a group fitness class, going for a walk or jogging. or spend time with family and friends.
Manage your emotions with support
Spend time writing in a journal, seeing a therapist, or talking with friends and family to identify, feel, and resolve your emotions and reactions to the betrayal. Fully experiencing your reaction to this situation is the first step to accepting it and moving forward.
Don’t let thinking about your partner’s infidelity take up your whole day. Try scheduling a specific time to focus on your emotions, reflect, or process the situation and readjust. When this time is over, it’s a good idea to turn to other things that need your time, focus, and attention.
Don’t blame yourself
Don’t blame infidelity. You cannot control your partner and are not responsible for their choices and actions because each person is responsible for themselves. At some point, it may be helpful to reflect on the dynamics of the relationship and how you show up in that relationship for yourself and others, but from a constructive and self-awareness, not from the standpoint of shame or blame.
Seek safe support
Tap into your social support network like reaching out to friends, family, coworkers, and therapists to give you a sense of stability and security. Consider joining a support group to connect with others who may be going through a similar experience.
Find a healthy balance
It’s important to strike a balance between social time (seeing friends and family), physical time (exercising), and personal time (getting enough sleep, meditating , cooking, or doing other activities). other relaxation activities).
Work to build trust
When you’re ready, practice rebuilding trust with yourself and others. Start from within and practice listening, listening, and trusting your feelings and intuition about people and situations. Then, shift your focus to being open and repairing, developing or deepening your trust in others.
Start with yourself, trusting your feelings and intuition about people and situations. Then, shift your focus to being open and trusting others.
