"Divorce didn't solve our problems—it only delayed the resolution."

Frequently, bitterness after the betrayal fuels the betrayed spouse's anger for months and sometimes years after the divorce, making divorce recovery more difficult. "Issues such as how to deal with our children weren't solved by our divorce," one man stated. "Rather, the kids became even more trapped between the two of us as a result of my mate's anger about my infidelity and divorce." Even if nothing is said to the children regarding the betrayal, ongoing anger can still cause the children to feel they are being disloyal when visiting the unfaithful mate. Making amends and doing anything possible to help your betrayed mate heal before and after the divorce is advisable.

"Financial support after my infidelity and divorce got complicated. Due to my guilt, I felt as if I had no choice when my mate would ask for additional financial assistance."

While this could be a problem for any divorce, it's complicated for those who have been unfaithful. If they feel responsible for the divorce as a result of their unfaithfulness, they may feel an additional burden to help their mate. If they didn't want the divorce, they may even use finances as a way to manipulate their ex into believing they have changed in hopes of regaining their ex-partner's affection and admiration. This can lead to both parties living beyond their means, turning life after divorce into an even worse financial crisis.

"The relationship with my children was complicated by their knowledge of my infidelity. They blamed me for the infidelity and divorce and didn't want to see me."

Far too often, the children are used as pawns in the struggle that goes on after an affair. The betrayed spouse might threaten to tell the children about the infidelity in order to get the unfaithful spouse to conform. If that's the case, then divorce usually ends up with the children knowing what happened. This can cause the children to mirror the betrayed spouse's hurt for the loss of the family and to take on the same feelings of betrayal that the betrayed spouse exhibits. In these cases, forgiveness becomes as big an issue for the children as it is for the betrayed spouse.

"Nothing prepared me for the intense loneliness. Many of our friends remained in support of my mate as a result of my infidelity."

It's one thing to split up assets; it's another to split up friends. Many unfaithful spouses find themselves isolated after divorce due to the judgment of friends and family post-divorce. It hurts if the marriage doesn't work out, but often the "infidelity factor" results in the unfaithful spouse feeling judged and isolated, losing much of their support after divorce, making recovery more difficult.

"Divorce didn't take away my feelings of guilt for the infidelity. I thought being away from my mate would make it disappear, but it didn't."

"To this day, I carry a heaviness in my heart when I think of the pain that I inflicted not only on my former husband, friends, and family but, primarily, on my very own children. The children whom I carried within me, gave birth to, nursed, and raised are the very ones whom I have hurt the most. It hurts my soul to this day to see the agony and life-interruption that my selfishness has caused. Nothing in the world is worth the price of one's family. No person is worth the pain inflicted upon the ones that are dearest and most-loved.

To have had an affair is the single most selfish thing in the entire world that I have ever done, and I wish with all of my heart and soul that I could go back and change things or wake up to find that it was all a bad dream. Instead, I must own up to my own deception and selfishness, pray for forgiveness, and hope that I somehow am able to deter another from making the worst mistake of his or her life. It is an empty promise and a deception of self to believe otherwise. Life after divorce is heavy... trust me."

If one's mate doesn't extend forgiveness, the unfaithful spouse has to find forgiveness elsewhere. At the same time, they may also be trapped by the bitterness created as a result of the divorce. Learning how to receive forgiveness as well as extending forgiveness are major recovery tasks for the unfaithful spouse post-divorce.

"I thought my mate's anger would subside after the divorce, but it didn't."

The opposite of love isn't hate—it's indifference. Love and hate are both passion; all you are doing is changing the balance from positive to negative. When a relationship dies after divorce, both parties let it go and move on. There is a tombstone placed over that relationship that reads, “Rest in peace.” When infidelity occurs, however, this isn't the case. Not only does the passion not die, it actually escalates to new heights. The attachment wounds created by the infidelity can leave the betrayed spouse struggling with hatred for years to come, making divorce recovery an uphill climb.

"Fulfillment was slower in coming than I anticipated."

Of those wayward spouses interviewed, many said finding fulfillment after their infidelity and divorce was far more difficult than anticipated. They advised a significant degree of patience when it came to finding fulfillment. It is possible, but it took longer than any of them had anticipated.

Research from the Institute for American Values supports this, showing that only 19% of unhappy spouses who divorced or separated were happily married five years later, while 64% of unhappy spouses who avoided divorce ended up happily married five years later.* For the unfaithful spouse, letting go and moving on can be just as difficult as it is for the betrayed spouse. As one woman put it,

Learning to find peace and forgiveness within one's self is critical to moving on, but infidelity and divorce frequently leave the unfaithful spouse under their own self condemnation and unable to move on.