Married men are attractive because they are more experienced, generally more mature, financially stable, and know how to handle the fairer sex. In most ways, they are better than the floaters’ single men around. But you need to pause and think before you head into an affair with a married man. You may be happy with the freedom this relationship gives you now, but you will most certainly want more later, and the man will most probably not be able to give it to you. Married men have their wives, family, and commitments—should you complicate your life by becoming involved with one? Let’s take a look at all the consequences of sleeping with a married man and the intricacies you need to be aware of.
Why Do Married Men Have Affairs?
Married men can have affairs for myriad reasons. They are bored, the romance has faded, and sex is not as exciting. Or perhaps, the everyday stress of running a home and managing children and aging parents gets too overwhelming. Both spouses are strapped for time. They do not have the energy or the time to make each other feel special. Then comes another woman, fresh and charming and giving him the attention he has not experienced in a long time. He feels some stirrings within. In most cases, an affair for a man has nothing to do with loving or not loving their spouse. It is just about trying to recapture that feeling of romance and passionate sex. In short, it can be said that married men use affairs as a means to fulfill their unfulfilled desires and wishes. According to the Institute for Family Studies, about 20% of married men reported that they cheated on their spouses. The study also claims that men who cheat are likely seeking sex and attention. According to a different study, the “affair with married men’s psychology” tells us that men who rank higher in narcissistic traits are more likely to cheat. So, an affair with a married man might be because of his selfish interest, which could mean a lot of unnecessary complications for you.
Why Does A Woman Get Into An Affair With A Married Man?
When a woman has an affair with a married man, it is mostly because he seems like a complete package. Besides, the sneaking around adds thrill to the romance. Sometimes the fact that they have a gorgeous wife makes them seem incredibly attractive. A married man knows that a woman spends time grooming and he is appreciative of that. He will notice and compliment her well-done nails, her new hairstyle and will probably flood her with gifts to make up for his married status. Experts feel that sometimes women who lack emotional support in their lives and crave attention can fall into this trap without thinking of the complications of an affair with a married man. Some women might also get involved with married men because they do not want commitment or accountability. For some, such an affair boosts their sense of self and confidence. The fact that they can attract a man who is already in a committed relationship gives a high of a different kind. For all the thrills of tasting the forbidden fruit, the reality of dating a married man is that it rarely ends well. When push comes to shove and it’s time to choose, most married men will pick the stability of their married life over a heady romance with another woman. The odds are stacked against you that much more in the case of a married woman affair with a married man. Since both partners have so much at stake, such relationships rarely take off beyond that initial rush of exciting romance and mind-blowing sex that makes them feel young, desired, and vibrant all over again.
18 Complications Of An Affair With A Married Man
An affair with a married man may seem adventurous and harmless. However, in the long run, it only leads to heartache, repentance, and ultimately, either a failed marriage or a failed relationship. The betrayal of the marital vow is never taken lightly by the wife, the family, or even your friends. There is a lot of stigma around such relationships, and no matter who you ask, the general consensus is that it is wrong to date a married man. Even though both partners are equally responsible for the affair, the onus for “trying to break a family” and ruining relationships falls on the other woman. All of this is just the tip of the iceberg of the disadvantages of sleeping with a married man or even falling in love with one. Let us go through the 18 complications of having an affair with a married man. This may make you take a long and hard look at what this could end up as:
1. He will never be available for you
As a man who has a wife and a family, he will spend most of his free time with them. You will be an hour squeezed here or a text message there. You will never be his priority. On holidays and vacations, he will completely disappear from your life, not even available on text, for “What if she reads them?” “If you’re going to have relationships with married men, make sure you don’t have any expectations,” says Marie, who didn’t have the best time dating someone with an engagement ring on their finger. She adds, “He was like a ghost. He appeared when he wanted to, and went off the grid when he had to be with his wife. I didn’t even know when I could talk to this person I was pining for. We used to meet for a week, and I thought he was dead for the next 6 days. It got a lot harder to deal with when I got way more attached, and I had to call it quits. Married affairs rarely ever turn out well.” So, when your entire circle is with their loved ones, you will be alone, cursing the time you got involved with him. Remember, he will only make time when he wants to meet you and not the other way round. This is one of the many unpleasant consequences of dating a married man. Ask yourself, do you really want to be an afterthought in someone’s mind space?
2. You cannot make him meet your family and friends
An affair with a married man amounts to a secret relationship that you have to guard with your life. This element of secrecy is augmented manifold in the case of a married woman affair with a married man. Even if he is the love of your life, you can not celebrate the relationship with either your family or your friends. How will you introduce him to your mother or father, to your younger sister or brother? Even if you succeed in convincing your parents for him, do you think he will be comfortable meeting them? Probably not. This relationship will be doomed to be between the four walls of a hotel room or your apartment. Consider this when you’re tempted to have an affair with a married man. If you’re already dating one, you may need some suggestions on how to get over a married man.
3. He will not introduce you to his friends or relatives
Forget about him making you meet his friends or relatives, he probably won’t even want you to be his friend on social media. He will refrain from commenting on or liking your posts or tweets and will want you to do the same. You are the “other woman” in his life, and he will keep your relationship under wraps. You will not be able to enjoy a movie in a popular theatre or enjoy fancy dinner dates in restaurants where his friends and family go to. His image will be more important than your feelings, it will feel like he is ashamed to be seen with you in public. The truth is that he is perhaps scared and ashamed of being with you. Always sneaking around and being hidden like a dirty secret is one of the most heartbreaking consequences of dating a married man. Once the heady rush of being in love begins to fade away, the reality of dating a married man will begin to set in, and it’s not pretty.
4. You will never be introduced as his girlfriend or lover
Marsha, a successful young lawyer, ended up having an affair with a married man, a senior partner at her law firm, who was married with two kids. “I had an affair with a married man and it did not end well. My friends tried to warn me of the consequences, but I failed to notice the signs of infatuation and was naive enough to believe it was going to be different for me, for us. We were in love until we weren’t. “The secrecy and the hide-and-seek began to take their toll on the relationship, slowly but surely. When he refused to go out to dinner on our first anniversary and suggested we order in instead, I knew the relationship was doomed to fail. I dumped him and haven’t looked back since,” she says. One of the dangers of dating a married man is being spotted together by someone either of you knows. If that happens, he won’t hesitate in passing you off as an acquaintance. Then, he will be nervous and lose all interest in the date. His mind will be on how to control the damage the “accident” has caused. Love yourself enough to say no to this. You will be introduced as his friend, colleague, cousin, or someone else. This can be really disheartening since it can sap away your self-confidence, and leave you feeling unwanted. Some would argue that the damage you do to yourself is the spiritual consequences of dating a married man, made worse by the fact that he will hardly notice when you feel miserable. For him, covering up would be a priority.
5. You will have to share him with another woman
He may tell you that he loves you and would much rather spend his life with you but he has kids and responsibilities. That he is with his wife just for the kids is the oldest excuse in the cheaters’ playbook. He may even swear that they hardly have any physical relationship. But these are white lies. She is his wife, and in all probability, they are intimate physically and emotionally. His wife will always be his priority and he will always choose her over you. You will be sharing him but as a second choice. No matter how painful this sounds, those are the consequences of dating a married man. The reality of dating a married man is that no aspect of him is solely yours to claim. Even if he gives you a dress or perfume pampers you, don’t be surprised if he tells you he got the same for his wife.
6. He will never seriously commit to the relationship
Rarely does an affair with a married man lead to him giving up his wife and family for the other woman. Even if he makes promises that he will tell his wife and move out, he will keep pushing the date. If you view his behavior dispassionately, you will be able to see through the lies. “My wife is grieving the death of a loved one. This is not a good time.” “I have too much stress at work, I cannot deal with this now.” “My mother is not keeping well, I cannot do this to her now.” There will always be excuses. Even if he wants to be with you genuinely, remember there are important things at stake and alimony laws are tough. Besides, if he has broken the trust of the mother of his children, what is the guarantee he will not do the same to you? Think about these risks of dating a married man before you get sucked too deep into this messy situation.
7. Hiding your relationship will become exhausting
The idea of keeping the relationship a secret for a few days or months is still manageable, meeting at your apartment or a hotel room may be thrilling at first, but after a point, you will get frustrated. The constant lies and secrecy, his last-minute cancellations because he has had a family emergency, you having to duck down at a crossing because someone in the next car knows him, will all be tougher to deal with day in and day out. You are single, he is the one with the ring on his finger, but you will be the one doing the hiding act more and it will get on your nerves. You will start questioning your place in his life. This emotional affair will drain you. He will never be comfortable with you at a restaurant or a coffee shop lest he gets spotted. But a weekend away in a resort where no one will know him will be okay. All the hiding, secrecy, and lying will double up if yours is a case of a married woman’s affair with a married man. Needless to say, it can result in fewer opportunities for you both to be together and double the frustration. Before you give in to the temptation, make sure you realize that one of the consequences of sleeping with a married man is the fact that you’ll have to hide like a fugitive every time you’re with him.
8. You will be blamed for destroying his home
One of the biggest disadvantages of sleeping with a married man or being in a relationship with one is the stigma and scandal that follow once the affair comes to light. Society will see you as the one “breaking a home” even if he was the one who persuaded you to be with him. You will see it in others’ eyes and their demeaning attitude toward you. This will hurt tremendously. It will almost feel like an attack on your self-esteem. Over time, this will get to you too. Whether you accept it or not, you are, in some sense, an accomplice in breaking up a home. You have played your part in this man’s lying to his wife. For this, you will question your sense of morality sooner or later. You will be equally responsible because he is betraying his wife and disappointing his children just to stay with you. As one of the spiritual consequences of dating a married man, this one might end up affecting you long after the affair is over.
9. You will have to be ready to face the world
As and when people get to know about your affair with a married man, you will have to be ready to face an ugly world. We had a case where even after the man divorced his wife and married her, she was not accepted in his friend circle or relatives. He could visit them, but without her. “That hurt like hell,” she wrote to us. Another woman wrote about how she got hate messages from her lover’s children and twice they appeared in public places and ran her down. Another woman wrote about how even the domestic staff at this house refused to give her respect after she had moved in. The complications of an affair with a married man can become unbearably nasty once the relationship is out in the open. Taking steps to legalize it doesn’t make the couple immune to societal ridicule. And the woman gets the bigger chunk of it. Many women in such relationships are forced to move cities and start afresh after an affair with a married man.
10. You will feel lonely and depressed most of the time
One of the risks of dating a married man is an all-consuming sense of loneliness. He will never be by your side, whether in your good times or bad. You will begin to see the unfairness of the situation sooner or later. This can take a toll on your mental well-being. Think about it, you will be the one making sacrifices while he will be the one enjoying it all. He has an exciting romance and sex with you, and the comfort of his wife’s arms at home. He respects her because she is the one taking care of their kids and his parents. While you spend your weekends lonely and trying to pass time with Netflix, he may be at a movie hall enjoying a rom-com with his family. Eventually, this realization will make you feel depressed because it is brought on by your own doing. A woman wrote to us wondering if her married lover was with her just for money and sex. Since we mentioned that married affairs usually start off with exactly those intentions, be ready to have these doubts as well.
11. When having an affair with a married man, be ready for guilt trips
Though you both mutually build a relationship with each other, you will be the one who will keep having guilt trips. Why? Simply because you are with a man who is already in a committed relationship. On some level, you will think about how you are hurting his wife. You feel bad for her, and sometimes for yourself. Besides, be sure that if the affair ever gets exposed, you will be the one taking the fall for it. He will make it seem as if you came on to him. His wife and the world will believe him over you. Between constantly longing for him and dealing with the guilt of playing a part in destroying his marriage, an affair with a married man can leave you emotionally drained. We get it, it may seem like this isn’t a possibility in your case because he loves you so much. Relationships with married men can often blind you like that especially in the beginning, only with time do you begin to see how fickle they are. Whether you choose to accept it now or not, this association will only bring you hurt and shame in the long run.
12. You will have major trust issues
As a partner of a married man, you will never be truly happy in your relationship. You will remain suspicious of his intentions. If he dared to break the trust of his wife, then he can break your trust quite easily. This thought will haunt you. We received a story from a woman who spoke about how the constant lying from her affair partner gave her deep trust issues. Even after promising her he would leave his wife, he never did and she carried that into the next relationship with a single man and then the next one. She found it difficult to take what the other men said at face value. As a result, she could not maintain a healthy relationship that could lead to a more permanent partnership or marriage. When you have affairs with married men, psychology tells us that it can lead to major negative self-views as well as long-lasting trust issues and communication problems. Before you even realize you are, you might set yourself up for failure in any future relationships.
13. You will miss your opportunity to meet the right man
Time is precious, and one of the dangers of dating a married man is that you let time slip through your fingers. You will end up wasting the beautiful phase of youth wishing for something that was never going to happen. And with it, the chance of being a priority for the man as he is to you. An affair with a married man will cost you that ring on your finger, someone to wake up with every morning or share a home with. Just because you are stuck with a married man, you will miss the opportunity to meet the right man. You will spend some crucial years of your life waiting for the man to make you his priority and this might never happen. Having an affair with a married man sounds thrilling and exciting in the beginning, but the long-term negatives of it quickly weigh heavy on your shoulders, making you regret ever getting involved.
14. Your relationships with married men will be criticized by all
No one will approve of your affair with a married man, not even your family. You may have a thousand good qualities. You are kind and helpful, you are smart and a great money manager or a fabulous cook. But all your good deeds and qualities will pale in comparison to this one act of your life. Forget introducing your partner to your parents or taking him as your plus one to office parties, you won’t even feel comfortable telling your best friends about him. Even if you do, they’ll tell you it is wrong to date a married man and advise you to end the relationship before you crash and burn. All you will hear is criticism and maybe even see pity. That will hurt you and make you miserable. Yes, while it may be hard to hear at the moment and you may begrudge your friends for not understanding you, trust us that they have your best interests at heart, and heed their advice. Having your back doesn’t mean agreeing with you all the time, it also means holding a mirror up to you when need be, especially when you’re having an affair with a married man.
15. He will not support you when there is any problem
One of the core characteristics of a man who cheats on his wife is that he is unable to tackle difficult situations. Something that he thought was missing in his marriage, he sought in a relationship with you. In a sense, he took the shortcut rather than work through the problems in his marriage. A married man will have his family, work, his parents and a host of other responsibilities, do you think he will take your problems too on his head? Plus he sees you as a person that helps him escape from the grim reality. If you start sharing your dark side, he will run away before you realize it. This is the reason why extramarital affairs break the moment the other woman starts acting like his wife!
16. Imagine a time when he is no longer interested in what you offer him
What if the relationship runs its course? It is one of the risks of dating a married man you cannot ignore. The excitement and the romance will become routine after a while. You have no legal claim and the two of you do not share committed goals –children, home, etc. What if you lose his respect over some matter? How difficult do you think it will be for him to cut you off from his life? He would stop getting you those expensive gifts because he does not need to impress you anymore. He wouldn’t gift you an LBD and tell you to wear it for him. You will be left grappling with your own emotions.
17. You will never be able to put forth your opinions
When you have an affair with a married man, the power in the relationship will always rest with him. If you mistreat him or disrespect his wishes, he will threaten to leave you. He knows that you have no one except him in your life. He will continue to use that against you. Since he is less invested in the relationship, he has no reason to take your opinions, demands, or expectations seriously. Essentially you are an extra in his life, this may sound rude, but it is the truth. If you do decide to break away from your affair with the married man here are some tips to help you get through the affair withdrawals.
18. There will be two set rules, one for him and another for you
The reality of dating a married man is that it will never be a partnership of equals. Any issues he faces in his married life will be shared with you. In the beginning, you may feel happy that he is sharing things, but you will soon see this is a one-way street. Remember the times you complained to him about your ex and he would get irritated. Or if it’s the case of a married woman affair with a married man, you may notice that while he gets to complain about his marriage or uses his family commitments as an excuse to bail on you, you don’t have the same luxuries. He may have no interest in listening to your struggles in juggling two relationships, along with a host of other responsibilities. So there will be two sets of rules in this relationship, one for him and one for you. This may leave you feeling like your entire purpose is to please him,
Consequences Of Dating A Married Man
When you are involved with a married man, the consequences can be heartbreaking. You will be a temporary person in his life and will eventually end up feeling alone, neglected in the relationship, and used. Emotional dramas, the married man blaming you for the affair, his wife threatening to teach you a lesson, your family and friends feeling ashamed of you – all these are damaging consequences of dating a married man. In short, an affair with a married man is a recipe for disaster. Let’s not forget about all the potential long-term damage that married affairs can cause. You might develop cripplingly low self-confidence because of all the sneaking around you’ll have to do, and you may develop major trust issues because you can never trust anything this married man ever told you. In most cases, having an affair with a married man is a bad idea since it doesn’t really lead anywhere and more often than not leaves you with a lot of emotional baggage. You may be incapable of trusting any future partners as you should, and the turmoil you face during the relationship with married men isn’t easy to deal with either. You have to be emotionally strong to say no or end the affair to end it once and for all. It will not be easy but if you hang in there, things will start looking up eventually. Once you have created the space, someone else will show up to occupy it. You will find the one who wants you as much as you want him! You have the right to a happy and healthy relationship, go ahead and seek it.
