This post marks a milestone at SurviveYourPartnersAffair. This is my 5,000th post. It is a journey that began back in 2007. I never imagined when I saw the need for such a site and the many ways it would grow and change lives. I want to take time to thank you readers for making this possible.
Having been around for that time period, I have seen other affair recovery personalities and sites come and go. Some are still around. One of the constants that continues is the hurt and pain that comes with infidelity.
When I started writing the posts, I thought I knew most of what needed to be known about affairs. Over the years, I continue learning more about them and the struggles surrounding them. I realized that some issues covered here were seldom addressed on the affair recovery sites. Issues such as how ADD, brain trauma, sexual addiction and PTSD all impact infidelity and recovery from it.
In dealing with these topics, at times I wondered if I was going out on a limb. That all changed when hurting spouses wrote and called me with their concerns in these areas. A common statement was that this was the only place they found that even dealt with those issues. They were feeling desperate for answers and it was rewarding knowing that they found some.
It was challenging considering infidelity from everyone’s perspective, the lover, the betrayed and the cheater. Although it is difficult, everyone touched by infidelity experiences loss and hurt. They each struggle with finding answers and meaning in their relationships. Their hurts are real and significant. How they deal with those hurts is what makes a huge difference.
Then there are all the issues surrounding swingers and infidelity. At the time I started, researchers did not even consider swingers as having any connection with infidelity. I have learned that the quality of the research is often tied to who is paying for it. So it is no surprise that some areas surrounding infidelity are seldom if ever researched.
Although affairs are better understood now compared to when I entered the counseling field, there remain many issues needing attention.
Another lesson from the years of writing posts is that mentioning the infidelities and adultery of some celebrities is not tolerated well. When those celebrities are on a pedestal, their worshipers don’t want to hear that their heroes have clay feet when it comes to infidelities, secrets, and lies surrounding them. I better understand better how John the Baptist was thrown into prison for confronting King Herod’s peccadilloes. Cheaters don’t like being confronted with the truth of what they did.
I want to thank you again. I also want to express thanks to some of those who have helped make this possible. Thank you to Peggy Murrah, Ernest Dixon Murrah, Robert Pace, Matt Barnhill, Eric Scalise, Bob Cohen, Ben Settle and Brian Kurtz. Although there are others, I wanted to mention these contributors.
Best Regards,
Jeff Murrah
