It can be a devastating blow to a committed relationship. One partner strays and the other is left picking up the pieces—and left with difficult decisions. If your significant other cheats on you, can he or she change? When is there hope to salvage the relationship … and when is it hopeless?
The latest example: after ten years of marriage and sticking by her husband through his self-admitted infidelity in 2003, Vanessa Bryant has filed for divorce from NBA star Kobe Bryant citing “irreconcilable differences.” Reports say Vanessa believes the basketball star was up to his old tricks again.
It’s obviously a difficult time for the Bryants, who put out a joint statement through their publicist:
“The Bryants have resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a Judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012. We ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this most difficult time.”
Related: Will the Recession Cause Your Man to Cheat?
Which leads us to the question: can cheaters ever change?
According to Sharon Rivkin, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and expert in dealing with extramarital affairs, some cheaters change and some don’t.
“The cheaters that don’t change are the ones where the cheater feels a huge sense of entitlement, is a narcissist, lacks any sense of remorse, and has virtually no impulse control,” Rivkin says. “The cheaters that can change are the ones who do not have a character disorder or addiction and who have cheated because they were very unhappy in their relationship, their relationship had deteriorated to the point that they were not getting their needs met, and they had very poor communication skills.”
Rivkin emphasizes that an affair never happens out of the blue– and is actually an extreme symptom of a relationship that’s been in trouble for some time. It actually serves as a powerful catalyst that can either end a relationship or take it to a greater level of intimacy.
So what are some signs that a cheater will (or will not) change? Those willing to change show that willingness with their actions, Rivkin shares.
Related: How to Tell if He’s Cheating
