Even the best communicators will be challenged when recovering from sexual betrayal.
Fear, anger, resentment, injustice, a lack of trust… This is not a great container for grounded conversation. But this is reality, and you’re going to need to learn how to navigate it as a couple.
Too often, couples recovering from infidelity heal in isolation but fight together. The problem is that healing happens together… not apart.
On this episode, I’m joined by Dani Peterson. She works with betrayed partners and couples in recovery. She and I discuss the difficulties that couples face when communicating post-betrayal.
For those of you interested in working with Dani, she has offered our listeners a FREE 30 minute consultation. Use the link here to schedule: https://calendly.com/danimpeterson/consultation
You can learn more about Dani at her website: https://www.danimpeterson.com/
Have you read my recovery book? If not, I want to give you access to the first chapter for free. Use this link here: https://successfuladdict.com/firstchapter
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FULL TRANSCRIPT
1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,439 Communication between couples after their sexual betrayal, one 2 00:00:03,439 --> 00:00:04,799 of the hardest things that you're gonna go 3 00:00:04,799 --> 00:00:05,700 through as a couple. 4 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,419 Pain, fear, a lack of trust, 5 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:10,320 never seem to say the right thing, but 6 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,320 is saying the right thing actually what matters? 7 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:13,839 Or is there a more effective way for 8 00:00:13,839 --> 00:00:15,625 you two to communicate? That's what we're gonna 9 00:00:15,625 --> 00:00:16,684 talk about in this episode. 10 00:00:18,184 --> 00:00:20,285 You are listening to the sex addiction podcast 11 00:00:20,344 --> 00:00:23,484 for high achievers, business professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs. 12 00:00:23,864 --> 00:00:26,579 This podcast is designed to apply sobriety and 13 00:00:26,660 --> 00:00:29,779 recovery principles specifically to the mindset of the 14 00:00:29,779 --> 00:00:32,739 high achiever. I'm your host, Roland Cochran, founder 15 00:00:32,739 --> 00:00:34,979 of The Successful Addict, a recovery group for 16 00:00:34,979 --> 00:00:37,299 high achieving men struggling with sex and porn 17 00:00:37,299 --> 00:00:39,780 addiction. For more information about joining our group 18 00:00:39,780 --> 00:00:43,375 or attending our next retreat, visit successfuladdict.com. 19 00:00:43,434 --> 00:00:45,614 And now, enjoy the rest of the episode. 20 00:00:47,754 --> 00:00:50,554 Today, I'm joined by Danny Peterson. You and 21 00:00:50,554 --> 00:00:53,034 I connected when I was looking for more 22 00:00:53,034 --> 00:00:55,754 partner support, and you and I got on 23 00:00:55,754 --> 00:00:57,054 the discussion of 24 00:00:57,420 --> 00:00:58,159 the difficulties 25 00:00:58,539 --> 00:00:59,359 of communication 26 00:00:59,820 --> 00:01:01,039 after betrayal. 27 00:01:01,659 --> 00:01:03,439 It is without question 28 00:01:03,979 --> 00:01:06,540 the thing that disrupts the home the most. 29 00:01:06,540 --> 00:01:08,060 I mean, it is just it's one thing 30 00:01:08,060 --> 00:01:10,155 to have the betrayal, and then now you 31 00:01:10,155 --> 00:01:11,375 have this recurring, 32 00:01:11,674 --> 00:01:14,155 I mean, almost I mean, the beginning multiple 33 00:01:14,155 --> 00:01:16,075 times a day. Right? You know, but even 34 00:01:16,075 --> 00:01:18,394 a year in, it's still far from gone. 35 00:01:18,394 --> 00:01:21,534 I mean, it's painful conversation after painful conversation. 36 00:01:21,594 --> 00:01:22,954 And if you don't know how to have 37 00:01:22,954 --> 00:01:23,775 those conversations, 38 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,780 oh, boy. It I mean, after a while, 39 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,640 somebody usually starts to get some quit in 40 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,640 them. And, when they start to get that 41 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:33,140 quit, 42 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:35,439 it gets really tough. I mean, this is 43 00:01:35,599 --> 00:01:37,439 it's hard enough to make it through this. 44 00:01:37,439 --> 00:01:39,280 If somebody starts getting one foot in, one 45 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:40,020 foot out, 46 00:01:40,775 --> 00:01:42,454 oh my gosh. It's almost impossible at that 47 00:01:42,454 --> 00:01:44,614 point. And so the purpose of this is 48 00:01:44,614 --> 00:01:45,834 I I'd really love 49 00:01:46,694 --> 00:01:48,614 to talk about what are what are those 50 00:01:48,614 --> 00:01:50,454 things that you and I have learned through 51 00:01:50,454 --> 00:01:53,814 communication, through, you know, personal experience and professional 52 00:01:53,814 --> 00:01:54,314 trading, 53 00:01:54,659 --> 00:01:56,739 and how we can help other couples not 54 00:01:56,739 --> 00:01:58,500 get that quit. I mean, you really do. 55 00:01:58,500 --> 00:01:59,159 You need 56 00:01:59,619 --> 00:02:02,019 you need to fight in a good way, 57 00:02:02,019 --> 00:02:04,579 fighting for the relationship, not fighting with your 58 00:02:04,579 --> 00:02:06,834 partner, and you need hope. You know, you've 59 00:02:06,834 --> 00:02:08,675 gotta have you gotta have both feet in. 60 00:02:08,675 --> 00:02:10,594 You gotta be you gotta be fighting and 61 00:02:10,594 --> 00:02:11,655 advocating for 62 00:02:11,955 --> 00:02:14,114 the rectification of this. You know, you guys 63 00:02:14,114 --> 00:02:16,194 have gotta stop being enemies, but it's hard 64 00:02:16,194 --> 00:02:18,354 in this dynamic. So I think that's where 65 00:02:18,354 --> 00:02:19,949 I like to first start is just to 66 00:02:20,189 --> 00:02:21,469 frame, you know, a lot of you a 67 00:02:21,469 --> 00:02:22,909 lot of the listeners are already gonna know 68 00:02:22,909 --> 00:02:25,009 this, but I wanna reframe it. 69 00:02:25,629 --> 00:02:27,789 Danny, can you talk to me about the 70 00:02:27,789 --> 00:02:28,289 story? 71 00:02:28,909 --> 00:02:30,669 Like, what are some of the stories the 72 00:02:30,669 --> 00:02:33,409 partner is saying to herself that makes communication 73 00:02:33,709 --> 00:02:34,209 so 74 00:02:34,525 --> 00:02:36,044 challenging? I wanna I wanna I want the 75 00:02:36,044 --> 00:02:37,185 guys to really understand 76 00:02:38,525 --> 00:02:41,085 what they think they're dealing with every single 77 00:02:41,085 --> 00:02:42,605 day because, you know, as the guys, we 78 00:02:42,605 --> 00:02:43,965 don't we don't have to live with the 79 00:02:43,965 --> 00:02:45,724 same level of pain. Can you kinda paint 80 00:02:45,724 --> 00:02:47,405 a picture of what it's like to be 81 00:02:47,405 --> 00:02:48,544 a betrayed partner? 82 00:02:50,199 --> 00:02:52,599 Well, speaking from my own experience and then 83 00:02:52,599 --> 00:02:56,120 just the clients that I've personally seen, there's 84 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:57,819 a common thread in 85 00:02:58,199 --> 00:03:00,219 the it it reveals insecurities. 86 00:03:01,079 --> 00:03:03,639 That that's what comes up for partners and 87 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:05,180 the fear and the uncertainty 88 00:03:05,479 --> 00:03:06,754 and what this all 89 00:03:07,215 --> 00:03:08,194 means. And 90 00:03:08,495 --> 00:03:09,715 they question 91 00:03:10,175 --> 00:03:10,675 their 92 00:03:11,134 --> 00:03:13,474 own self worth, their own femininity, 93 00:03:14,254 --> 00:03:15,314 and it's just 94 00:03:15,615 --> 00:03:16,115 confusing, 95 00:03:17,134 --> 00:03:18,995 from the get go and surprising. 96 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:21,259 I will see either 97 00:03:21,959 --> 00:03:23,340 partners who are 98 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:24,520 so 99 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:27,319 they go so numb, and they take it 100 00:03:27,319 --> 00:03:29,739 to heart like it's something about them. 101 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,060 And then I see the other side 102 00:03:32,439 --> 00:03:33,739 where the partner, 103 00:03:34,685 --> 00:03:35,185 understandably 104 00:03:35,564 --> 00:03:37,965 and rightfully so, has a lot of anger 105 00:03:37,965 --> 00:03:38,865 that comes up, 106 00:03:40,284 --> 00:03:42,125 which underneath there is a lot of fear 107 00:03:42,125 --> 00:03:44,284 too. But that anger is very, 108 00:03:45,085 --> 00:03:48,224 volatile at times and can come out very 109 00:03:48,284 --> 00:03:48,784 accusatory, 110 00:03:49,590 --> 00:03:51,290 blaming, shaming, criticizing, 111 00:03:52,550 --> 00:03:54,330 and it's not uncommon. 112 00:03:55,189 --> 00:03:57,110 I'm not saying that's the best way to 113 00:03:57,110 --> 00:03:58,330 communicate, but 114 00:03:58,710 --> 00:03:59,370 those are 115 00:03:59,909 --> 00:04:01,909 emotions that are rising up, and that's how 116 00:04:01,909 --> 00:04:05,145 it's coming out. And so I'll see those 117 00:04:05,145 --> 00:04:05,645 two 118 00:04:06,425 --> 00:04:09,085 sides reflected, and it just depends on people's 119 00:04:09,305 --> 00:04:10,205 Mhmm. Background, 120 00:04:10,664 --> 00:04:11,164 upbringing, 121 00:04:11,625 --> 00:04:12,125 experience 122 00:04:12,425 --> 00:04:13,245 up to date. 123 00:04:13,544 --> 00:04:15,965 Some couples never were really good at communicating, 124 00:04:16,264 --> 00:04:18,125 and so this just makes it worse. 125 00:04:18,649 --> 00:04:19,149 Some 126 00:04:19,449 --> 00:04:20,750 maybe had communicating 127 00:04:21,449 --> 00:04:22,589 abilities, but 128 00:04:23,529 --> 00:04:24,589 now they're wondering, 129 00:04:24,889 --> 00:04:26,810 I thought we were doing so well. I 130 00:04:26,810 --> 00:04:29,310 thought we could communicate and talk about anything. 131 00:04:29,770 --> 00:04:32,509 What's up? Mhmm. And so they're shocked 132 00:04:33,035 --> 00:04:35,595 initially. So that's kinda what I see. I 133 00:04:35,595 --> 00:04:36,095 personally 134 00:04:36,634 --> 00:04:37,855 when I found out 135 00:04:38,714 --> 00:04:40,794 the totality of it, when it got to 136 00:04:40,794 --> 00:04:42,175 the the endpoint, 137 00:04:43,035 --> 00:04:45,514 I actually felt a lot of relief Mhmm. 138 00:04:45,764 --> 00:04:46,259 Because 139 00:04:46,580 --> 00:04:48,900 there was a lot of gaslighting. There was 140 00:04:48,900 --> 00:04:51,080 a lot of deception and hidden secrets, 141 00:04:52,020 --> 00:04:54,980 things done that I could sense but couldn't 142 00:04:54,980 --> 00:04:55,480 pinpoint. 143 00:04:56,180 --> 00:04:57,960 So though I was 144 00:04:58,944 --> 00:05:00,645 pissed, if I can say that. 145 00:05:01,185 --> 00:05:04,004 Right? I also felt at the same time 146 00:05:04,064 --> 00:05:05,125 relief because 147 00:05:06,064 --> 00:05:06,805 I knew. 148 00:05:07,185 --> 00:05:10,004 I knew there was something wrong, and so 149 00:05:10,145 --> 00:05:12,465 I had to find my way through all 150 00:05:12,465 --> 00:05:14,029 of that. And partners, 151 00:05:14,569 --> 00:05:16,810 they vary, and they're having to find their 152 00:05:16,810 --> 00:05:18,589 way out. And communicating 153 00:05:19,689 --> 00:05:21,949 is gonna be the way to do that. 154 00:05:22,250 --> 00:05:24,649 It's just in the beginning, there's so much 155 00:05:24,649 --> 00:05:27,425 pain and so much hurt. It's gonna be 156 00:05:27,425 --> 00:05:29,285 messy, and that's what I think 157 00:05:30,064 --> 00:05:30,564 both 158 00:05:31,025 --> 00:05:33,185 the husband or the betrayer and the one 159 00:05:33,185 --> 00:05:33,685 betrayed 160 00:05:34,145 --> 00:05:35,125 have to realize. 161 00:05:35,425 --> 00:05:36,964 It's it's not gonna be 162 00:05:37,345 --> 00:05:40,085 nice and easy, peasy, and clean. 163 00:05:41,060 --> 00:05:42,680 It comes with its own struggle. 164 00:05:43,699 --> 00:05:46,100 Yeah. It's a you know, the the I 165 00:05:46,100 --> 00:05:47,959 appreciate what you brought up about 166 00:05:48,420 --> 00:05:51,399 the partners all being different because, 167 00:05:52,100 --> 00:05:53,800 you know, what guys 168 00:05:54,134 --> 00:05:56,475 need to understand is when you introduce this 169 00:05:57,014 --> 00:05:59,415 to the relationship, you're not gonna get the 170 00:05:59,415 --> 00:06:01,654 same response as if you did this to 171 00:06:01,654 --> 00:06:03,654 another woman or a different woman or another 172 00:06:03,654 --> 00:06:05,335 wife or what you know, you're gonna get 173 00:06:05,335 --> 00:06:07,254 a very different response because of the story 174 00:06:07,254 --> 00:06:08,775 that they make up about it. You know, 175 00:06:08,775 --> 00:06:10,349 the ones that I hear that are most 176 00:06:10,349 --> 00:06:10,849 common 177 00:06:11,149 --> 00:06:12,930 are, oh, if I was just more attractive, 178 00:06:13,069 --> 00:06:14,289 he wouldn't have done this. 179 00:06:14,829 --> 00:06:16,829 Oh, he's bored. I'm bad in bed, and 180 00:06:16,829 --> 00:06:18,829 these other women are better in bed than 181 00:06:18,829 --> 00:06:19,490 I am. 182 00:06:20,430 --> 00:06:22,669 I'm too old. I'm too wrinkly. I 183 00:06:23,504 --> 00:06:26,064 he's not into my body anymore. I have 184 00:06:26,064 --> 00:06:27,125 gained too much weight. 185 00:06:28,705 --> 00:06:30,785 You know, the list goes on. It's all 186 00:06:30,865 --> 00:06:33,425 it's this, men are men are all pigs. 187 00:06:33,425 --> 00:06:35,264 Oh, I hate, you know, this this world 188 00:06:35,264 --> 00:06:38,180 is, you know, they're living with these new 189 00:06:38,180 --> 00:06:38,680 beliefs 190 00:06:39,139 --> 00:06:40,039 that our actions 191 00:06:40,419 --> 00:06:42,419 have now introduced to their world that weren't 192 00:06:42,419 --> 00:06:43,860 there. I mean, I remember, and you probably 193 00:06:43,860 --> 00:06:45,300 remember this, Danny, you know, there were so 194 00:06:45,300 --> 00:06:47,399 many times when my wife was mad, 195 00:06:48,339 --> 00:06:50,740 not at me, just mad that she now 196 00:06:50,740 --> 00:06:51,240 believes 197 00:06:51,884 --> 00:06:53,964 these stupid things that she doesn't wanna believe. 198 00:06:53,964 --> 00:06:56,685 And she was mad. She was so mad 199 00:06:56,685 --> 00:06:59,004 that she looked at guys and her first 200 00:06:59,004 --> 00:07:00,365 thought is, I wonder if he's a sex 201 00:07:00,365 --> 00:07:02,764 addict. Yeah. Rather than just letting him be 202 00:07:02,764 --> 00:07:05,084 a guy, right. You know, giving him the 203 00:07:05,084 --> 00:07:07,164 benefit of the doubt and assuming that he 204 00:07:07,164 --> 00:07:10,069 has a hidden deceptive sexual behaviors that he's 205 00:07:10,069 --> 00:07:10,970 hiding. Right? 206 00:07:12,149 --> 00:07:13,750 So I I I'm glad we kinda brought 207 00:07:13,750 --> 00:07:15,189 that up because I think if we're gonna 208 00:07:15,189 --> 00:07:17,270 go into this topic of communication, I think 209 00:07:17,270 --> 00:07:17,770 it's 210 00:07:18,149 --> 00:07:19,129 poorly informed 211 00:07:20,014 --> 00:07:23,295 to ignore who you're talking to. Because if 212 00:07:23,295 --> 00:07:25,475 you're talking to someone who they, 213 00:07:25,855 --> 00:07:27,295 a lot of them, you know, not all 214 00:07:27,295 --> 00:07:28,754 of them, but a lot of their parts 215 00:07:28,975 --> 00:07:30,735 believe that you wouldn't have done this if 216 00:07:30,735 --> 00:07:31,875 she was more attractive, 217 00:07:32,430 --> 00:07:34,269 right? If she was better in bed, if 218 00:07:34,269 --> 00:07:36,269 she had, you know, was ten pounds lighter, 219 00:07:36,269 --> 00:07:38,110 if she just had a couple surgeries to 220 00:07:38,110 --> 00:07:39,709 tighten things up, that this wouldn't have happened, 221 00:07:39,709 --> 00:07:41,790 that's her reality. Now, a lot of the 222 00:07:41,790 --> 00:07:43,310 guys will say, oh my gosh, this had 223 00:07:43,310 --> 00:07:45,558 nothing to do, this this has nothing to 224 00:07:45,558 --> 00:07:48,206 do with your physical appearance. But again, that's 225 00:07:48,206 --> 00:07:50,853 not her story, right? You know, you've gotta 226 00:07:50,853 --> 00:07:53,501 keep in mind, guys are sold, you know, 227 00:07:53,501 --> 00:07:56,148 successful men are sold, get money, get attractive 228 00:07:56,148 --> 00:07:58,796 women to like you, and that's a successful 229 00:07:58,796 --> 00:08:00,120 life. Women are sold, 230 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,240 become the trophy to be that all men 231 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:04,759 want. I mean, that is what these are 232 00:08:04,759 --> 00:08:06,600 the differences in the two messages. So what 233 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:08,839 these guys have to understand is, well, we 234 00:08:08,839 --> 00:08:09,740 were groomed 235 00:08:10,199 --> 00:08:12,519 to become as successful and sophisticated and as 236 00:08:12,519 --> 00:08:14,120 good looking as possible to get as many 237 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,305 men women to wanna be with us. They 238 00:08:16,305 --> 00:08:18,165 were groomed to get 239 00:08:18,465 --> 00:08:19,605 successful, attractive, 240 00:08:20,384 --> 00:08:22,465 desirable men to attract to them. So you 241 00:08:22,465 --> 00:08:25,025 can see this dynamic when you go and 242 00:08:25,025 --> 00:08:25,925 portray them, 243 00:08:26,384 --> 00:08:27,925 it's so personal. 244 00:08:28,399 --> 00:08:29,939 So let's get into the, 245 00:08:30,959 --> 00:08:32,879 communication aspect, but I want all the listeners 246 00:08:32,879 --> 00:08:33,459 to understand 247 00:08:34,159 --> 00:08:36,559 what we just talked about, that's the belief 248 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,600 systems of these partners. So when she's, you 249 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,179 know, calling, you know, calling you names and 250 00:08:43,134 --> 00:08:43,954 it's because 251 00:08:44,414 --> 00:08:46,975 she is potentially in one of these stuck 252 00:08:46,975 --> 00:08:48,115 places where 253 00:08:49,054 --> 00:08:50,355 she actually hates herself, 254 00:08:50,975 --> 00:08:52,975 not you. Does that make sense? And so 255 00:08:52,975 --> 00:08:54,654 that's, you know, and then same vice versa 256 00:08:54,654 --> 00:08:56,975 for the guy. Now she calls you a 257 00:08:56,975 --> 00:08:59,230 name or says, how can I trust you? 258 00:08:59,230 --> 00:09:01,329 And then you tell yourself a story about, 259 00:09:01,789 --> 00:09:03,709 oh, I can't believe I'm a guy that's 260 00:09:03,709 --> 00:09:06,049 wife doesn't trust. Like, these are all painful 261 00:09:06,350 --> 00:09:08,269 stories, Danny. And I think that's I mean, 262 00:09:08,269 --> 00:09:09,950 I don't think I know. That is why 263 00:09:09,950 --> 00:09:13,365 the communication is difficult is one party hears 264 00:09:13,365 --> 00:09:15,924 them being accused of being something that they 265 00:09:15,924 --> 00:09:17,924 don't wanna be, and the other party is 266 00:09:17,924 --> 00:09:20,164 being looped into something that they don't wanna 267 00:09:20,164 --> 00:09:22,884 be. It's a very tough dynamic. So let's 268 00:09:22,884 --> 00:09:24,804 spend the rest of our time today hashing 269 00:09:24,804 --> 00:09:27,309 out how couples can navigate this, because it 270 00:09:27,309 --> 00:09:27,809 is 271 00:09:28,189 --> 00:09:30,350 I'm glad we started where we started because 272 00:09:30,350 --> 00:09:32,509 I think everyone needs to appreciate this is 273 00:09:32,509 --> 00:09:35,089 this is this is like level 10. 274 00:09:35,549 --> 00:09:37,470 This is like level 10 out of 10 275 00:09:37,470 --> 00:09:39,169 self awareness, social awareness, 276 00:09:39,845 --> 00:09:42,184 couples therapy work we're talking about. I mean, 277 00:09:42,485 --> 00:09:44,245 this is not for an amateur. I mean, 278 00:09:44,245 --> 00:09:46,184 this is, you know, if 279 00:09:46,965 --> 00:09:49,045 you are married and you guys are recovering 280 00:09:49,045 --> 00:09:50,184 from this and you're not 281 00:09:50,725 --> 00:09:53,309 doing anything and everything you can to become 282 00:09:53,309 --> 00:09:56,129 masters of intimacy, relationships, communications, 283 00:09:56,590 --> 00:09:57,490 emotional intelligence, 284 00:09:57,950 --> 00:10:00,269 you better learn because it's gonna require that 285 00:10:00,269 --> 00:10:01,230 level of skill set. 286 00:10:01,870 --> 00:10:03,950 So let's dive into the communication aspect. Denny, 287 00:10:03,950 --> 00:10:05,389 where do you start? So like, let's say 288 00:10:05,389 --> 00:10:07,549 you have somebody, they're still either in the 289 00:10:07,549 --> 00:10:10,325 crisis phase or are kind of toward the 290 00:10:10,325 --> 00:10:11,784 tail end of the crisis phase. 291 00:10:12,325 --> 00:10:14,245 Oh my gosh, what advice can you give 292 00:10:14,245 --> 00:10:16,404 them? I mean, that phase is so brutal. 293 00:10:16,404 --> 00:10:18,164 Where where do you start with trying to 294 00:10:18,164 --> 00:10:20,964 introduce some peace in a very non peaceful 295 00:10:20,964 --> 00:10:21,464 time? 296 00:10:22,230 --> 00:10:24,790 So are you referring what I provide for 297 00:10:24,790 --> 00:10:27,269 the the Yeah. I mean, just yeah. For 298 00:10:27,269 --> 00:10:28,870 the wife well, both. I mean, what would 299 00:10:28,870 --> 00:10:29,910 you say? I mean, what would you say 300 00:10:30,070 --> 00:10:31,590 you can kinda separate it if it's easier. 301 00:10:31,590 --> 00:10:32,790 What would you say to the woman, and 302 00:10:32,790 --> 00:10:34,149 what would you what would you say to 303 00:10:34,149 --> 00:10:35,750 the betrayed, and what would you say to 304 00:10:35,750 --> 00:10:36,410 the cheater? 305 00:10:37,014 --> 00:10:37,834 Yeah. Well, 306 00:10:39,095 --> 00:10:41,735 the first phase has everything to do with 307 00:10:41,735 --> 00:10:43,434 feeling safe and secure, 308 00:10:44,134 --> 00:10:45,514 which you don't 309 00:10:46,134 --> 00:10:49,289 early on. And so everybody moves through that 310 00:10:49,289 --> 00:10:52,250 stage so differently, and and what I'm working 311 00:10:52,250 --> 00:10:54,649 with the partner is is being able to 312 00:10:54,649 --> 00:10:57,610 create some healthy boundaries, which are not barriers 313 00:10:57,610 --> 00:10:58,669 and they're not demands. 314 00:10:59,370 --> 00:11:01,449 That's a a first and a given because 315 00:11:01,449 --> 00:11:02,235 I think what 316 00:11:03,195 --> 00:11:05,054 some betrayers are faced with 317 00:11:05,514 --> 00:11:08,794 are what they're being told are boundaries, and 318 00:11:08,794 --> 00:11:11,274 they actually aren't. So I do a lot 319 00:11:11,274 --> 00:11:12,174 of work with 320 00:11:13,355 --> 00:11:14,495 the women on 321 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:18,080 establishing what those boundaries look like because those 322 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,559 boundaries are meant to keep us safe. It's 323 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:22,879 like, if you continue to do x, y, 324 00:11:22,879 --> 00:11:24,899 and z, or if you don't do this, 325 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:26,580 this is what I'm gonna do. 326 00:11:26,955 --> 00:11:28,014 And if we, 327 00:11:28,555 --> 00:11:30,715 as the women, are telling them you have 328 00:11:30,715 --> 00:11:32,254 to do x, y, and z, 329 00:11:32,634 --> 00:11:34,254 that is no longer a boundary. 330 00:11:34,715 --> 00:11:37,754 And so that is one issue that I 331 00:11:37,754 --> 00:11:40,254 like to address with the with the woman. 332 00:11:40,555 --> 00:11:41,535 But then also 333 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,000 for the man, just for simplicity's sake because, 334 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:46,620 obviously, relationships vary, 335 00:11:49,399 --> 00:11:50,059 to listen 336 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,639 to listen to what's underneath the words, both 337 00:11:53,639 --> 00:11:55,820 have to do that. What's actually 338 00:11:56,404 --> 00:11:58,745 what's actually mattering right now? 339 00:11:59,045 --> 00:12:00,965 Because it's never what we think it is. 340 00:12:00,965 --> 00:12:03,445 Mhmm. It's you know, the problem isn't what 341 00:12:03,445 --> 00:12:05,605 we think the problem is. And so either 342 00:12:05,605 --> 00:12:08,325 a need was not met in some form 343 00:12:08,325 --> 00:12:08,904 or fashion, 344 00:12:09,445 --> 00:12:09,945 and, 345 00:12:10,460 --> 00:12:11,759 ultimately, we're responsible 346 00:12:12,139 --> 00:12:14,399 for our own thoughts, feelings, and emotions, 347 00:12:14,940 --> 00:12:16,620 and it's up to me to have those 348 00:12:16,620 --> 00:12:19,040 needs met. And I can request 349 00:12:19,980 --> 00:12:20,960 the other person 350 00:12:21,500 --> 00:12:23,120 help to meet them, 351 00:12:24,315 --> 00:12:26,975 But because we're autonomous, we have choice. 352 00:12:27,514 --> 00:12:29,695 And so with a couple who's 353 00:12:30,154 --> 00:12:32,574 really wanting to rebuild and restore, 354 00:12:33,914 --> 00:12:35,375 there's a lot of attention 355 00:12:35,949 --> 00:12:38,190 given to, can I be kind in this 356 00:12:38,190 --> 00:12:41,490 moment when I feel like punching a wall 357 00:12:42,190 --> 00:12:44,990 or slapping the face? You know? It's like, 358 00:12:44,990 --> 00:12:47,089 how can I show up and and be 359 00:12:47,309 --> 00:12:49,250 present in this moment? Because, 360 00:12:49,629 --> 00:12:50,129 obviously, 361 00:12:51,125 --> 00:12:52,184 for the women, 362 00:12:53,284 --> 00:12:55,544 especially for ones that have gone through disclosure, 363 00:12:55,924 --> 00:12:56,664 you can't 364 00:12:57,205 --> 00:12:59,684 unknow a lot of those stories. And like 365 00:12:59,684 --> 00:13:01,764 you said, we have these stories. We have 366 00:13:01,764 --> 00:13:02,504 a narrative, 367 00:13:02,964 --> 00:13:04,024 and our narratives 368 00:13:04,325 --> 00:13:06,745 may be true and may not be true. 369 00:13:07,259 --> 00:13:07,759 So 370 00:13:08,220 --> 00:13:10,779 whoever is listening is to kinda get to 371 00:13:10,779 --> 00:13:12,860 the heart of the matter. Mhmm. I think 372 00:13:12,860 --> 00:13:14,560 that's what matters most. 373 00:13:14,940 --> 00:13:17,820 So that's kinda what I work with, like, 374 00:13:17,820 --> 00:13:20,320 at that beginning stages to really 375 00:13:21,424 --> 00:13:24,625 help them establish an environment of safety and 376 00:13:24,625 --> 00:13:26,324 security. And how do we do that? 377 00:13:26,625 --> 00:13:28,464 We have to talk about it. This is 378 00:13:28,464 --> 00:13:31,044 what helps me feel safe. Mhmm. 379 00:13:31,985 --> 00:13:33,924 Betrayer, husband, boyfriend, 380 00:13:34,464 --> 00:13:36,720 is this something you're able to help do? 381 00:13:36,959 --> 00:13:39,600 And if they're truly wanting to help the 382 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:41,839 partner, then it would be, yes. I can 383 00:13:41,839 --> 00:13:44,480 do that. Or, no. I can't do that, 384 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,579 but I can do this. Would that work? 385 00:13:46,639 --> 00:13:48,980 It's this open dialogue throughout. 386 00:13:49,355 --> 00:13:51,855 And so easier said than done, 387 00:13:52,235 --> 00:13:55,375 especially when we have heightened emotions. When we're 388 00:13:55,434 --> 00:13:55,934 unregulated, 389 00:13:57,034 --> 00:13:57,934 it's difficult 390 00:13:58,554 --> 00:14:01,355 to put into words what we really wanna 391 00:14:01,355 --> 00:14:01,855 say. 392 00:14:02,220 --> 00:14:04,879 And so that's where the patience comes in, 393 00:14:05,179 --> 00:14:07,360 is to continue to ask those questions, 394 00:14:08,539 --> 00:14:09,919 not from an accusatory 395 00:14:10,299 --> 00:14:13,019 way, not from a shaming way, but it's 396 00:14:13,019 --> 00:14:15,500 like you're really hurting right now. What would 397 00:14:15,500 --> 00:14:17,039 make this better? Mhmm. 398 00:14:17,595 --> 00:14:20,554 You know? Now wives will usually say, well, 399 00:14:20,554 --> 00:14:21,855 you should just know. 400 00:14:23,274 --> 00:14:24,495 Yeah. Right? 401 00:14:25,914 --> 00:14:28,014 And we were fed that 402 00:14:28,475 --> 00:14:31,115 that lie. Thank you, Disney, and all the 403 00:14:31,115 --> 00:14:33,629 other romance movies out there. And 404 00:14:34,169 --> 00:14:36,089 so we have to be able to know 405 00:14:36,089 --> 00:14:38,569 what we need and what we want and 406 00:14:38,569 --> 00:14:41,209 what will help us, and we wanna learn 407 00:14:41,209 --> 00:14:43,309 how to articulate that so that 408 00:14:44,970 --> 00:14:46,429 the the man can 409 00:14:46,809 --> 00:14:47,309 understand 410 00:14:48,524 --> 00:14:51,664 what is expected or desired or wanted, 411 00:14:52,125 --> 00:14:53,105 and vice versa. 412 00:14:53,644 --> 00:14:55,404 The husband, a lot of times, go like 413 00:14:55,404 --> 00:14:58,625 stone walls Mhmm. And gets really quiet, 414 00:14:59,565 --> 00:15:01,725 but that that's a that's a that's like 415 00:15:01,725 --> 00:15:02,784 a trauma response. 416 00:15:03,330 --> 00:15:05,490 And so what's it's like, I'm noticing you're 417 00:15:05,490 --> 00:15:06,309 shutting down. 418 00:15:07,410 --> 00:15:09,970 How do I keep this conversation going? What 419 00:15:09,970 --> 00:15:10,950 will make it, 420 00:15:11,649 --> 00:15:13,750 easier for you to stay engaged with me? 421 00:15:13,809 --> 00:15:15,509 Yeah. Well, you're and that's 422 00:15:15,845 --> 00:15:17,845 I you know, that I call kinda like 423 00:15:17,845 --> 00:15:20,504 phase two. Is that where you're going now, 424 00:15:21,445 --> 00:15:23,065 which we'll go there in a second. 425 00:15:23,445 --> 00:15:25,605 I just wanted to recap phase one. So 426 00:15:25,684 --> 00:15:27,539 because I agree with everything you said. 427 00:15:27,860 --> 00:15:31,480 The phase one really isn't about healthy communication 428 00:15:32,019 --> 00:15:33,799 as much as it's about boundaries 429 00:15:34,899 --> 00:15:35,639 and and 430 00:15:36,419 --> 00:15:38,579 and learning how to do that dance. So 431 00:15:38,579 --> 00:15:41,220 I'm gonna empathize with both sides. Right? So 432 00:15:41,220 --> 00:15:42,039 for the women, 433 00:15:43,995 --> 00:15:44,495 your 434 00:15:45,434 --> 00:15:47,434 your biggest thing is going to be understanding 435 00:15:47,434 --> 00:15:48,955 what a bound what a re what a 436 00:15:48,955 --> 00:15:50,875 boundary really is and what you can actually 437 00:15:50,875 --> 00:15:52,795 ask another human being to do. The you 438 00:15:52,795 --> 00:15:54,875 know, Mel Robbins just wrote this book, the 439 00:15:54,875 --> 00:15:57,035 let them theory. Right? And it's popular. It's 440 00:15:57,035 --> 00:15:58,909 all over social media. And, 441 00:16:00,250 --> 00:16:02,990 I usually I'm I'm a I'm a counterculture 442 00:16:03,209 --> 00:16:05,129 person, so if something gets popular, then I 443 00:16:05,129 --> 00:16:07,529 I there's this part of me that refuses 444 00:16:07,529 --> 00:16:09,449 to participate. But my wife bought it, and 445 00:16:09,449 --> 00:16:11,309 we listened to it in the car yesterday 446 00:16:11,370 --> 00:16:13,149 on our way to Phoenix. And, 447 00:16:14,434 --> 00:16:15,554 one of the things that you said was 448 00:16:15,554 --> 00:16:17,955 really interesting. When you tell she was this 449 00:16:17,955 --> 00:16:20,434 chapter about, you know, oh, your husband's overweight 450 00:16:20,434 --> 00:16:22,195 and you want him to get off the 451 00:16:22,195 --> 00:16:23,495 couch and lose some weight. 452 00:16:24,035 --> 00:16:27,175 And it was literally using Harvard based neuroscience 453 00:16:27,870 --> 00:16:30,269 that the more she tries to tell him 454 00:16:30,269 --> 00:16:32,509 what she wants him to do, there's bio 455 00:16:32,590 --> 00:16:34,269 and this isn't just your husband, this women 456 00:16:34,269 --> 00:16:36,129 do this too, that our biology 457 00:16:37,070 --> 00:16:39,549 is to not do it. We don't we 458 00:16:39,549 --> 00:16:41,570 we do not want to be told 459 00:16:42,105 --> 00:16:44,424 what to do. We want it to be 460 00:16:44,424 --> 00:16:47,164 our decision. Right? So I think phase one, 461 00:16:47,384 --> 00:16:49,384 you know, that's the challenge is, oh, I've 462 00:16:49,384 --> 00:16:51,625 been betrayed. Screw you. I'm gonna tell you 463 00:16:51,625 --> 00:16:53,304 what you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna leave 464 00:16:53,304 --> 00:16:54,664 you. I'm gonna take the kids. I'm gonna 465 00:16:54,664 --> 00:16:56,170 take all the money. You need to do 466 00:16:56,170 --> 00:16:57,870 as I say. That's not boundaries. 467 00:16:58,330 --> 00:17:01,129 Right? So boundaries, you know, doing that dance 468 00:17:01,129 --> 00:17:03,450 is tough because you've been you've been treated 469 00:17:03,450 --> 00:17:03,950 poorly 470 00:17:04,730 --> 00:17:06,090 in the worst way. I I think the 471 00:17:06,090 --> 00:17:07,529 worst way possible. I mean, I put it, 472 00:17:07,529 --> 00:17:09,755 you know, this sounds crazy to compare it 473 00:17:09,755 --> 00:17:11,515 to genocide, but I really do. I mean, 474 00:17:11,515 --> 00:17:14,315 I I think betraying your wife is one 475 00:17:14,315 --> 00:17:16,315 of the ugliest things that exists in this 476 00:17:16,315 --> 00:17:18,494 planet. I mean, it is just it violates 477 00:17:18,875 --> 00:17:21,429 so many things that should never be violated. 478 00:17:21,429 --> 00:17:23,909 It's so ugly. So I get that, but 479 00:17:23,909 --> 00:17:26,149 that is the challenge is understanding the difference 480 00:17:26,149 --> 00:17:29,589 between a realistic, healthy, human boundary with your 481 00:17:29,589 --> 00:17:31,369 husband who loves you, who you love, 482 00:17:32,069 --> 00:17:32,789 and a, 483 00:17:33,904 --> 00:17:34,404 demand 484 00:17:34,865 --> 00:17:36,544 that you just feel like you get to 485 00:17:36,544 --> 00:17:38,865 say. Right? Now I wanna emphasize empathize with 486 00:17:38,865 --> 00:17:40,644 the guys on this too because 487 00:17:41,105 --> 00:17:43,424 it's tough in this phase. Oh my gosh. 488 00:17:43,424 --> 00:17:44,804 You're being called names. 489 00:17:45,585 --> 00:17:46,964 You're being asked to do 490 00:17:47,265 --> 00:17:47,765 very 491 00:17:48,289 --> 00:17:50,210 humiliating things. I mean, I remember going to 492 00:17:50,210 --> 00:17:50,869 my first, 493 00:17:51,569 --> 00:17:52,470 like group 494 00:17:52,849 --> 00:17:54,609 with a bunch of sex addicts and, oh 495 00:17:54,609 --> 00:17:56,470 my gosh, I'd be just like mortified. 496 00:17:56,849 --> 00:17:58,690 Like, really? Like my life has come to 497 00:17:58,769 --> 00:18:00,769 I remember sitting in that room thinking, wow, 498 00:18:00,769 --> 00:18:02,845 my life has come to this point. I'm 499 00:18:02,845 --> 00:18:05,005 here sitting in a room with a bunch 500 00:18:05,005 --> 00:18:07,085 of guys who can't control our sexual behavior. 501 00:18:07,085 --> 00:18:09,505 Like I'm I'm one of these guys, right? 502 00:18:09,644 --> 00:18:12,224 So you're in this just horrible environment, 503 00:18:12,924 --> 00:18:15,005 and here you are having some pretty tough 504 00:18:15,005 --> 00:18:17,940 boundaries set sometime. You know? You're being told, 505 00:18:18,259 --> 00:18:19,779 you can't go to certain things that you 506 00:18:19,779 --> 00:18:21,779 used to go to. Maybe your work travel's 507 00:18:21,779 --> 00:18:22,519 being disrupted 508 00:18:22,900 --> 00:18:26,099 because of this, which is extremely, extremely common. 509 00:18:26,099 --> 00:18:28,515 It probably happens to most all men. But 510 00:18:28,515 --> 00:18:30,515 I I kinda wanna empathize with both parties 511 00:18:30,515 --> 00:18:31,734 in that first stages. 512 00:18:32,195 --> 00:18:33,174 The key really 513 00:18:34,355 --> 00:18:36,755 is learning how to do that dance while 514 00:18:36,755 --> 00:18:37,255 honoring 515 00:18:37,634 --> 00:18:40,674 while honoring humanity and and sound psychology. You 516 00:18:40,674 --> 00:18:42,674 don't just get to reach into your boundary 517 00:18:42,674 --> 00:18:44,909 bag and pull something out and ask him 518 00:18:44,909 --> 00:18:45,730 to do that. 519 00:18:46,669 --> 00:18:49,169 You can, but don't expect it to necessarily 520 00:18:49,230 --> 00:18:51,309 go well. We have to I think both 521 00:18:51,309 --> 00:18:54,109 parties have to figure out a healthy, sustainable 522 00:18:54,109 --> 00:18:55,549 way to do that dance. I mean, if 523 00:18:55,549 --> 00:18:56,990 if the goal is to stay married, you 524 00:18:56,990 --> 00:18:59,664 can't just pull boundaries out of your boundary 525 00:18:59,664 --> 00:19:01,345 bag and throw them at them and say, 526 00:19:01,345 --> 00:19:02,865 you need to do this because you cheated 527 00:19:02,865 --> 00:19:03,524 on me. 528 00:19:03,904 --> 00:19:05,904 But then vice versa, I think guys need 529 00:19:05,904 --> 00:19:06,404 to 530 00:19:07,345 --> 00:19:10,384 also understand that she has every right to 531 00:19:10,384 --> 00:19:10,884 say, 532 00:19:11,210 --> 00:19:13,130 I don't want you traveling for work because 533 00:19:13,130 --> 00:19:14,910 you've acted out on work travel. 534 00:19:15,369 --> 00:19:15,869 And, 535 00:19:16,809 --> 00:19:20,009 if you're gonna keep traveling, then, we might 536 00:19:20,009 --> 00:19:21,529 have to talk about this not working. I 537 00:19:21,529 --> 00:19:23,710 mean, and women have every right to say, 538 00:19:24,965 --> 00:19:26,965 I'd like to I'll say this. I'd love 539 00:19:26,965 --> 00:19:28,005 for you to speak to this because I 540 00:19:28,005 --> 00:19:30,164 think this quote was beautiful. Oh my gosh. 541 00:19:30,164 --> 00:19:32,325 Michelle said this. Michelle May said this. I 542 00:19:32,325 --> 00:19:33,465 loved it. She said 543 00:19:34,644 --> 00:19:36,184 somebody asked her when, 544 00:19:37,950 --> 00:19:39,789 somebody it was my wife, I think. My 545 00:19:39,789 --> 00:19:41,089 wife asked her when, 546 00:19:42,190 --> 00:19:44,849 to when we could add work travel back. 547 00:19:45,230 --> 00:19:45,730 And, 548 00:19:46,109 --> 00:19:47,470 because, you know, there's, you know, a lot 549 00:19:47,470 --> 00:19:48,669 of these guys are like, hey. When's this 550 00:19:48,669 --> 00:19:50,609 gonna happen? I loved her answer. 551 00:19:51,274 --> 00:19:53,774 When your nervous system can handle 552 00:19:54,154 --> 00:19:55,914 it. So, like, when he goes and you're 553 00:19:55,914 --> 00:19:58,634 not gonna, like, freak out, have panic like, 554 00:19:58,634 --> 00:20:01,115 you're calling him, checking it. You know? When 555 00:20:01,115 --> 00:20:02,875 you're in or when you can live a 556 00:20:02,875 --> 00:20:04,875 normal, healthy life while he is out of 557 00:20:04,875 --> 00:20:05,375 town 558 00:20:05,859 --> 00:20:07,779 and you can use your tools and not 559 00:20:07,940 --> 00:20:10,679 and and keep your mental health together, 560 00:20:10,980 --> 00:20:12,819 okay. Then then it's like, alright. Let's talk 561 00:20:12,819 --> 00:20:14,099 about how we can try to make this 562 00:20:14,099 --> 00:20:15,859 work. But I I like that measure because 563 00:20:15,859 --> 00:20:18,019 it's like, I don't think guys just have 564 00:20:18,019 --> 00:20:20,179 the right to go and violate all of 565 00:20:20,179 --> 00:20:22,214 these boundaries while she she can has to 566 00:20:22,214 --> 00:20:24,694 suffer worse and worse and worse. So before 567 00:20:24,694 --> 00:20:26,934 we go into phase two communication, anything you 568 00:20:26,934 --> 00:20:28,555 wanna say on some of that? 569 00:20:29,095 --> 00:20:31,015 Because I, you know, I liked that definition 570 00:20:31,015 --> 00:20:32,795 because, you know, guys need to understand 571 00:20:33,349 --> 00:20:35,430 nervous system and PTSD is a very real 572 00:20:35,430 --> 00:20:37,910 thing, and you can't just ask her to 573 00:20:37,910 --> 00:20:40,150 suffer because you wanna violate all of her 574 00:20:40,150 --> 00:20:40,650 boundaries. 575 00:20:41,269 --> 00:20:42,009 You know, that's 576 00:20:42,309 --> 00:20:44,309 I don't think that's also right either. So, 577 00:20:44,309 --> 00:20:45,670 you know, I didn't go I think it's 578 00:20:45,670 --> 00:20:46,490 a tough dance. 579 00:20:47,105 --> 00:20:48,644 Yeah, it is, it's a tough dance 580 00:20:49,025 --> 00:20:51,904 without question. I've seen every relationship has to 581 00:20:51,904 --> 00:20:54,144 struggle with this dance. Did I miss anything 582 00:20:54,144 --> 00:20:54,724 in that? 583 00:20:55,424 --> 00:20:57,585 No, I mean, it's just, I think for 584 00:20:57,585 --> 00:20:59,664 the one who's betrayed, it's like you've been 585 00:20:59,664 --> 00:21:00,164 untrustworthy. 586 00:21:01,230 --> 00:21:03,789 And then to now expect somebody to trust 587 00:21:03,789 --> 00:21:04,289 you, 588 00:21:04,750 --> 00:21:05,250 like, 589 00:21:05,549 --> 00:21:07,309 there needs to be a reality check there. 590 00:21:07,309 --> 00:21:07,809 And 591 00:21:09,869 --> 00:21:10,369 so, 592 00:21:10,750 --> 00:21:12,829 you know, the work environment one is a 593 00:21:12,829 --> 00:21:14,849 difficult one too, especially if there's traveling. 594 00:21:15,315 --> 00:21:17,174 At the same time, it's like, 595 00:21:17,554 --> 00:21:19,575 these were the choices that you made. 596 00:21:19,954 --> 00:21:22,534 Mhmm. And these are some of the consequences 597 00:21:23,474 --> 00:21:26,755 to that. And, yeah, it sucks. Yeah. It's 598 00:21:26,755 --> 00:21:27,255 hard. 599 00:21:27,714 --> 00:21:31,230 And it now sucks for me Yeah. Knowing 600 00:21:31,450 --> 00:21:33,390 when you were away, you were 601 00:21:34,009 --> 00:21:35,630 doing whatever you were doing, 602 00:21:36,090 --> 00:21:38,170 and it wasn't with me. And you were 603 00:21:38,170 --> 00:21:40,330 having lunch with other people and talking with 604 00:21:40,330 --> 00:21:42,809 other women and sleeping with other women and 605 00:21:42,809 --> 00:21:45,214 doing other things that are not mentionable. 606 00:21:45,994 --> 00:21:47,615 And so that's where 607 00:21:48,474 --> 00:21:50,154 it's it's interesting to me where 608 00:21:51,115 --> 00:21:53,434 and, see, early on too, we're also we're 609 00:21:53,434 --> 00:21:55,375 we're dealing with sobriety and recovery. 610 00:21:55,835 --> 00:21:57,355 So a lot of times, like and they're 611 00:21:57,355 --> 00:21:58,015 too different. 612 00:21:58,690 --> 00:22:00,769 Right? So sobriety is just trying to stop 613 00:22:00,769 --> 00:22:03,009 the behavior, but we're not dealing with the 614 00:22:03,009 --> 00:22:05,970 underlying current, like, you know, the issue underneath 615 00:22:05,970 --> 00:22:08,849 it. So it it is gonna feel very 616 00:22:08,849 --> 00:22:09,349 restrictive, 617 00:22:10,049 --> 00:22:11,349 I believe, in the beginning. 618 00:22:11,890 --> 00:22:12,390 And, 619 00:22:13,085 --> 00:22:14,285 I mean, that's just kind of par for 620 00:22:14,285 --> 00:22:15,644 the quote. I was gonna say, what you're 621 00:22:15,644 --> 00:22:17,244 gonna do? Like, you know, that because that 622 00:22:17,244 --> 00:22:18,525 that and that and you said it so 623 00:22:18,525 --> 00:22:20,285 well, and that's what guys need to remember 624 00:22:20,285 --> 00:22:20,785 is, 625 00:22:21,164 --> 00:22:21,664 like, 626 00:22:22,125 --> 00:22:22,625 you 627 00:22:23,644 --> 00:22:24,704 you aren't trustworthy. 628 00:22:25,005 --> 00:22:27,644 You know? If you those of you that 629 00:22:27,644 --> 00:22:30,419 have teenage children, you know, it's it's a 630 00:22:30,419 --> 00:22:33,220 really similar dynamic. I love you. I don't 631 00:22:33,220 --> 00:22:33,940 trust you. 632 00:22:34,259 --> 00:22:36,339 You sneak out. You go places that you're 633 00:22:36,339 --> 00:22:37,859 not you know? And it it it's this 634 00:22:37,859 --> 00:22:40,200 really challenging environment of, like, I love you 635 00:22:40,339 --> 00:22:42,224 so much, but I I just I don't 636 00:22:42,224 --> 00:22:43,984 believe a word out of your mouth because 637 00:22:43,984 --> 00:22:46,625 you've lied to your mom and I over 638 00:22:46,625 --> 00:22:48,065 and over and over and over and over 639 00:22:48,065 --> 00:22:49,744 so that I I have to spy on 640 00:22:49,744 --> 00:22:51,904 you. You've you've done this to yourself. And 641 00:22:51,904 --> 00:22:53,664 so I try to remind, you know, try 642 00:22:53,664 --> 00:22:56,289 to try to remind these guys that's what 643 00:22:56,289 --> 00:22:58,210 we're dealing with. It's has nothing to do 644 00:22:58,210 --> 00:23:00,369 with them loving you or not loving you 645 00:23:00,369 --> 00:23:02,690 or thinking less of you. It's just it's 646 00:23:02,690 --> 00:23:05,410 similar to, to raising a teenager who has 647 00:23:05,410 --> 00:23:08,450 repetitively lied about their whereabouts and what they're 648 00:23:08,450 --> 00:23:10,875 doing. You have to spy on them because 649 00:23:10,875 --> 00:23:12,634 they have just proven time and time again 650 00:23:12,634 --> 00:23:14,894 that they don't tell you the truth. And 651 00:23:15,355 --> 00:23:17,355 it's just it is. It's a hard I'll 652 00:23:17,355 --> 00:23:18,714 I'll speak to it because I can't. You 653 00:23:18,714 --> 00:23:20,174 know, work travel was 654 00:23:20,474 --> 00:23:22,015 you know, I'm a keynote speaker. 655 00:23:22,399 --> 00:23:24,000 Like, that's what I that's that was part 656 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,099 of my and I couldn't do my job. 657 00:23:26,399 --> 00:23:28,319 So can you you know, I empathize with 658 00:23:28,319 --> 00:23:30,319 you guys, but I'm just gonna say, I'm 659 00:23:30,319 --> 00:23:32,240 on your wife's side. I mean, if if 660 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,059 I was doing those things on those trips, 661 00:23:35,474 --> 00:23:38,115 you guys have gotta understand she has the 662 00:23:38,115 --> 00:23:39,015 right to say, 663 00:23:39,795 --> 00:23:42,115 well, if we're gonna stay together, you that 664 00:23:42,115 --> 00:23:43,875 ain't happening. Not not at least not at 665 00:23:43,875 --> 00:23:45,795 least for now. Right? And she has that 666 00:23:45,795 --> 00:23:47,075 right. And then I think what you guys 667 00:23:47,075 --> 00:23:48,700 have to understand is you also have the 668 00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:50,299 right to leave. You don't have to stay 669 00:23:50,299 --> 00:23:51,900 with her. You know, if you wanna if 670 00:23:51,900 --> 00:23:54,720 you wanna pick work and your works travel 671 00:23:54,860 --> 00:23:55,759 over your wife, 672 00:23:56,539 --> 00:23:58,559 then then that's okay. You can do that. 673 00:23:58,700 --> 00:23:59,900 Yeah. You can just tell them and say, 674 00:23:59,900 --> 00:24:01,505 hey. Yep. Exactly. 675 00:24:01,964 --> 00:24:04,525 Mhmm. The ability to choose, which usually when 676 00:24:04,525 --> 00:24:05,025 you're 677 00:24:05,644 --> 00:24:07,644 in this type of environment, you're not wanting 678 00:24:07,644 --> 00:24:09,964 to make big, huge choices like, I'm done. 679 00:24:09,964 --> 00:24:11,025 I'm over because, 680 00:24:11,964 --> 00:24:13,904 you know, you're you're in a reality. 681 00:24:14,205 --> 00:24:15,644 Lot changes in a year and a half 682 00:24:15,894 --> 00:24:16,394 Yeah. 683 00:24:16,789 --> 00:24:18,390 Through all of that. But Oh, yeah. I 684 00:24:18,390 --> 00:24:20,789 always tell everybody divorcing inside of that first 685 00:24:20,789 --> 00:24:22,309 year and a half is a mistake. I 686 00:24:22,309 --> 00:24:25,289 just you're not it's so far from reality 687 00:24:25,429 --> 00:24:27,429 that, you know, I don't recommend couples do 688 00:24:27,429 --> 00:24:30,044 that. Yeah. But it but it's gonna take 689 00:24:30,044 --> 00:24:31,804 time, and it's gonna take a lot of 690 00:24:31,804 --> 00:24:32,304 patience. 691 00:24:32,924 --> 00:24:35,184 For the one who continues to 692 00:24:35,484 --> 00:24:36,304 act out, 693 00:24:36,765 --> 00:24:38,365 I mean, that's a whole different deal. And 694 00:24:38,365 --> 00:24:39,804 I know no one in that book says 695 00:24:39,804 --> 00:24:42,204 there's a difference between, like, teenagers because, like, 696 00:24:42,204 --> 00:24:44,410 we're fully responsible for them. But with another 697 00:24:44,410 --> 00:24:44,910 adult, 698 00:24:46,009 --> 00:24:48,910 it's a different ballgame. Correct. And so, again, 699 00:24:49,289 --> 00:24:51,289 we would be speaking to our own core 700 00:24:51,289 --> 00:24:53,849 values. I have a need for honesty. That's 701 00:24:53,849 --> 00:24:55,070 one of my core values. 702 00:24:56,170 --> 00:24:56,990 Being trustworthy, 703 00:24:58,734 --> 00:24:59,794 you know, authentic. 704 00:25:00,174 --> 00:25:01,774 All of those things are important to me. 705 00:25:01,774 --> 00:25:03,934 And when somebody kind of, like, bumps up 706 00:25:03,934 --> 00:25:05,474 against that and 707 00:25:05,855 --> 00:25:08,894 their behavior is showing me other than what 708 00:25:08,894 --> 00:25:10,034 they said initially, 709 00:25:10,494 --> 00:25:12,174 it's like I have to deal with that. 710 00:25:12,174 --> 00:25:12,869 It's like, 711 00:25:13,430 --> 00:25:15,289 is that okay with me? And if not, 712 00:25:15,750 --> 00:25:17,509 what are we gonna need to do here? 713 00:25:17,509 --> 00:25:19,910 And it may mean not traveling. It's like 714 00:25:19,910 --> 00:25:22,230 you might need to travel local. You might 715 00:25:22,230 --> 00:25:24,250 need to speak more in your neighborhood, 716 00:25:24,710 --> 00:25:26,950 and maybe the wife comes along if that's 717 00:25:26,950 --> 00:25:27,450 feasible. 718 00:25:27,875 --> 00:25:29,475 You know, if there's kids around, that doesn't 719 00:25:29,475 --> 00:25:32,994 necessarily work. But there's always strategies around things. 720 00:25:32,994 --> 00:25:34,835 If both people really want this to work, 721 00:25:34,835 --> 00:25:36,595 you'll find ways to work. Yeah. You will 722 00:25:36,914 --> 00:25:38,434 yeah. It's a and that's what I said. 723 00:25:38,434 --> 00:25:40,835 It's a difficult dance. And, you know, Danny 724 00:25:40,835 --> 00:25:42,830 and I are not claiming this is an 725 00:25:42,830 --> 00:25:45,549 easy dance. It's difficult. I know people who've 726 00:25:45,549 --> 00:25:47,170 changed, who have had to change careers. 727 00:25:47,549 --> 00:25:49,549 You know, there's a lot of firefighters and 728 00:25:49,549 --> 00:25:52,509 pilots out there who their work their work 729 00:25:52,509 --> 00:25:53,570 schedule is 730 00:25:54,544 --> 00:25:56,964 just time and time again proves to be, 731 00:25:57,664 --> 00:26:00,005 disruptive. And so I've seen people walk away 732 00:26:00,144 --> 00:26:00,644 from 733 00:26:01,025 --> 00:26:03,265 retirement packages that were, like, I mean, it's 734 00:26:03,265 --> 00:26:05,505 just, you know, there's always, you know, it's 735 00:26:05,505 --> 00:26:07,079 just it's not a fun dance. 736 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:09,399 And I and I to your point, I 737 00:26:09,399 --> 00:26:09,899 empathize 738 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:11,640 with the guys who are walking away from 739 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:13,480 a career they've worked their whole lives for. 740 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,579 I I I feel that and that sucks. 741 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:18,279 But at the same time, you know, you 742 00:26:18,279 --> 00:26:20,534 gotta come down, you know, here's the tie 743 00:26:20,534 --> 00:26:22,934 breaker for me very often is I go 744 00:26:22,934 --> 00:26:23,754 back to 745 00:26:24,774 --> 00:26:26,075 why is this happening 746 00:26:26,534 --> 00:26:28,934 Right. Because of me. Address. And so I 747 00:26:28,934 --> 00:26:30,534 think that's what we always have to come 748 00:26:30,534 --> 00:26:32,534 back for is, did she have a problem 749 00:26:32,534 --> 00:26:34,375 with your work travel before she found out 750 00:26:34,375 --> 00:26:36,430 that you were cheating on her? Right? Like 751 00:26:36,430 --> 00:26:37,789 that's the thing is, I mean, this is 752 00:26:37,789 --> 00:26:40,029 only happening because of what you did. And 753 00:26:40,029 --> 00:26:41,390 and so, yeah, you have to you have 754 00:26:41,390 --> 00:26:42,990 to make a judgment call there when you 755 00:26:42,990 --> 00:26:44,990 guys are just got discovering the boundaries. But 756 00:26:44,990 --> 00:26:46,529 I would, I would ask both parties. 757 00:26:46,910 --> 00:26:48,830 I would ask the women to honor humanity. 758 00:26:48,830 --> 00:26:50,664 Just just remember, you're asking a human being 759 00:26:50,664 --> 00:26:52,284 with hopes and dreams and aspirations 760 00:26:52,984 --> 00:26:54,585 to do these things. And so I'd ask 761 00:26:54,585 --> 00:26:56,024 the ladies, I get it, I get what 762 00:26:56,024 --> 00:26:57,244 they did, it's horrific. 763 00:26:57,784 --> 00:26:59,384 But keep in mind, you know, we gotta 764 00:26:59,544 --> 00:27:00,524 we can't dehumanize 765 00:27:00,825 --> 00:27:03,299 this other individual too much because then we'll 766 00:27:03,299 --> 00:27:05,700 run into capacity issues in the in the 767 00:27:05,700 --> 00:27:07,380 future. You know, guys, there is a very 768 00:27:07,380 --> 00:27:09,079 real wall that they will hit 769 00:27:09,460 --> 00:27:11,299 at that year and a half to year 770 00:27:11,299 --> 00:27:12,279 mark where, 771 00:27:13,059 --> 00:27:14,659 you know, at a certain point, they start 772 00:27:14,659 --> 00:27:16,545 to ask themselves, like, ugh. Like, 773 00:27:17,184 --> 00:27:18,465 is this gonna be the rest of my 774 00:27:18,465 --> 00:27:20,065 life? Like, I'm not sure if I want 775 00:27:20,065 --> 00:27:22,144 this. So I think both partners, we just 776 00:27:22,144 --> 00:27:24,305 need to we need to do that dance 777 00:27:24,305 --> 00:27:25,365 carefully, and, 778 00:27:25,825 --> 00:27:27,345 neither one of you get to have it 779 00:27:27,345 --> 00:27:29,664 your way. You have to put it out 780 00:27:29,664 --> 00:27:31,549 there and and love each other. I mean, 781 00:27:31,549 --> 00:27:33,549 this isn't a fight. This is about how 782 00:27:33,549 --> 00:27:35,630 do I feel the feelings that I wanna 783 00:27:35,630 --> 00:27:37,070 feel. And the woman wants to feel safe, 784 00:27:37,070 --> 00:27:38,589 and the guy wants to still be able 785 00:27:38,589 --> 00:27:39,089 to, 786 00:27:39,630 --> 00:27:40,990 do his work and the things that he 787 00:27:40,990 --> 00:27:42,029 loves to do. So what do we do 788 00:27:42,029 --> 00:27:43,875 about that? You know? And and, it's it's 789 00:27:43,875 --> 00:27:45,955 a dance, and there's gonna be winners and 790 00:27:45,955 --> 00:27:48,035 losers. I mean, that's the unfortunate part, and 791 00:27:48,035 --> 00:27:49,095 that's not the intention 792 00:27:49,475 --> 00:27:50,134 of boundaries. 793 00:27:50,595 --> 00:27:52,595 The intention is just to try to find 794 00:27:52,595 --> 00:27:54,995 some degree of a happy medium here. And, 795 00:27:54,995 --> 00:27:56,890 you know, to your point, Danny, she is 796 00:27:56,890 --> 00:27:58,650 gonna need the edge in some of these 797 00:27:58,650 --> 00:27:59,809 areas. I mean, it's 798 00:28:00,250 --> 00:28:02,490 so many guys try to advocate for some 799 00:28:02,490 --> 00:28:05,150 really scary things really early. And, 800 00:28:06,490 --> 00:28:08,089 you know, got what I'd say to the 801 00:28:08,089 --> 00:28:10,410 guys in that situation is careful with her 802 00:28:10,410 --> 00:28:12,105 nervous system. I mean, she's she's at her 803 00:28:12,105 --> 00:28:13,704 limit here. So let's just, 804 00:28:14,105 --> 00:28:16,184 let's ask for let's ask for as little 805 00:28:16,184 --> 00:28:17,704 as we need to ask for from her 806 00:28:17,704 --> 00:28:20,424 because she's she's really she's redlining at this 807 00:28:20,424 --> 00:28:22,204 point. I mean, when they find this out, 808 00:28:22,825 --> 00:28:25,359 guys, I mean, we'll never know the pain, 809 00:28:25,419 --> 00:28:27,019 you know, and so we gotta be careful 810 00:28:27,019 --> 00:28:28,859 there. So let's talk base Well, it's gonna 811 00:28:28,859 --> 00:28:30,380 ask you. I'm just kinda curious. So, like, 812 00:28:30,380 --> 00:28:32,059 what kind of things would they be asking 813 00:28:32,059 --> 00:28:34,460 of the partner? So my guys so the 814 00:28:34,539 --> 00:28:36,139 a lot of the guys listening to my 815 00:28:36,139 --> 00:28:36,539 show, 816 00:28:36,940 --> 00:28:39,025 and in my groups, they're they're I mean, 817 00:28:39,025 --> 00:28:41,845 work travel is a thing for sure. 818 00:28:42,464 --> 00:28:44,065 And even if it's not a huge thing, 819 00:28:44,065 --> 00:28:46,464 it's always some dynamic. Right? And if it's 820 00:28:46,464 --> 00:28:48,164 not work travel, sometimes it's 821 00:28:48,545 --> 00:28:51,184 socializing. You know, the thing when you climb 822 00:28:51,184 --> 00:28:53,424 the ladder and work and really start getting 823 00:28:53,424 --> 00:28:55,900 into, like, the inner workings of making money, 824 00:28:55,900 --> 00:28:58,930 it's a lot of relationships. That's where a 825 00:28:58,930 --> 00:29:01,624 lot of money is. So a lot of 826 00:29:01,624 --> 00:29:04,317 the guys in my groups, there is a 827 00:29:04,317 --> 00:29:07,011 lot of relationship building. And so that's very 828 00:29:07,011 --> 00:29:09,704 unsettling for the partner sometimes when it's like, 829 00:29:10,105 --> 00:29:11,184 you know, I mean, there's a lot of 830 00:29:11,224 --> 00:29:13,244 like, my some of my highest paid clients 831 00:29:13,304 --> 00:29:15,625 in my program, the wealthiest guys in my 832 00:29:15,625 --> 00:29:16,125 program, 833 00:29:16,505 --> 00:29:18,444 their whole job is just to 834 00:29:18,904 --> 00:29:20,365 kiss ass, make friends, 835 00:29:20,825 --> 00:29:22,505 go out to dinner, golf with people. I 836 00:29:22,505 --> 00:29:25,319 mean, that's their whole life and business is 837 00:29:25,380 --> 00:29:26,599 making relationships. 838 00:29:27,539 --> 00:29:29,640 That's this the entire essence of the business. 839 00:29:29,700 --> 00:29:31,859 And so a lot of what they're asking 840 00:29:31,859 --> 00:29:33,380 is tough. I mean, it's a lot of 841 00:29:33,380 --> 00:29:36,099 travel. It's a lot of entertaining. There's women 842 00:29:36,099 --> 00:29:38,259 around quite often and a lot of that 843 00:29:38,259 --> 00:29:40,714 entertaining. And so, you know, it's just you're 844 00:29:40,714 --> 00:29:43,835 you're really asking for a very tough situation 845 00:29:43,835 --> 00:29:45,755 for her nervous system. It's really tough. And 846 00:29:45,755 --> 00:29:47,674 so I I think I I think that's 847 00:29:47,674 --> 00:29:48,734 all I meant was, 848 00:29:49,115 --> 00:29:51,595 you know, honor what you're asking. Because I 849 00:29:51,595 --> 00:29:53,595 mean, you're you're really you're asking her to 850 00:29:53,595 --> 00:29:55,210 struggle. I mean, that's really what you're asking 851 00:29:55,210 --> 00:29:56,029 her to do. 852 00:29:56,890 --> 00:29:58,650 Yeah. And I think, you know, those kinds 853 00:29:58,650 --> 00:30:01,130 of jobs you can do with integrity and 854 00:30:01,130 --> 00:30:03,450 character. It's a choice. Correct. But if you've 855 00:30:03,450 --> 00:30:05,769 got these underlying issues that have never been 856 00:30:05,769 --> 00:30:07,394 addressed, you don't know that. 857 00:30:07,795 --> 00:30:10,195 And so, you know, sometimes if you say 858 00:30:10,195 --> 00:30:11,714 you have a high price to pay and 859 00:30:11,714 --> 00:30:14,134 it might mean changing a job for firefighters 860 00:30:14,195 --> 00:30:15,734 and police. It's like 861 00:30:16,195 --> 00:30:18,595 the stress of just being the cop or 862 00:30:18,595 --> 00:30:19,335 the firefighter, 863 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:22,240 is it worth you losing your soul and 864 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,640 your family over it? Right. And so, yeah, 865 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:26,820 the money's good, at what cost? 866 00:30:27,279 --> 00:30:29,299 You know? And same with the executive 867 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:31,779 people as well. It's like, 868 00:30:32,735 --> 00:30:34,414 can you make the shifts? Can you do 869 00:30:34,414 --> 00:30:36,095 the work to be able to do what 870 00:30:36,095 --> 00:30:37,715 you love with integrity? 871 00:30:38,255 --> 00:30:40,654 And that doesn't change overnight, especially if you've 872 00:30:40,654 --> 00:30:43,134 had these compulsive behaviors and you're not sure 873 00:30:43,134 --> 00:30:45,055 why. Like, all that stuff has to get 874 00:30:45,055 --> 00:30:47,830 dealt with. And for the wife, it's like, 875 00:30:48,610 --> 00:30:50,450 I think just I would say to her, 876 00:30:50,450 --> 00:30:52,690 just be honest. Keep it real. Keep it 877 00:30:52,690 --> 00:30:55,650 about you. If you're feeling afraid, what are 878 00:30:55,650 --> 00:30:57,750 you afraid of? What's your worst case scenario? 879 00:30:58,289 --> 00:30:59,970 What do you need to feel safe right 880 00:30:59,970 --> 00:31:02,684 now? What's your ask, or what's what can 881 00:31:02,684 --> 00:31:04,144 you guys as a we 882 00:31:04,525 --> 00:31:07,164 figure out how to do? Early on, this 883 00:31:07,164 --> 00:31:09,404 is difficult, which is why you probably need 884 00:31:09,404 --> 00:31:12,464 other professionals to walk alongside you because emotions 885 00:31:12,605 --> 00:31:13,005 can get 886 00:31:13,609 --> 00:31:14,670 they can run awry. 887 00:31:15,049 --> 00:31:17,210 You know? And once one starts to go 888 00:31:17,210 --> 00:31:19,049 off, it triggers the other person because of 889 00:31:19,049 --> 00:31:21,849 mirroring. Mhmm. Right? And so, you know, we 890 00:31:21,849 --> 00:31:22,349 need 891 00:31:22,809 --> 00:31:25,210 to have at least one person that's able 892 00:31:25,210 --> 00:31:26,730 to keep their feet on the ground, but 893 00:31:26,730 --> 00:31:29,535 that's not always possible. Yeah. It's it's not. 894 00:31:29,835 --> 00:31:31,755 And I think before we go into kind 895 00:31:31,755 --> 00:31:33,515 of phase two communication, the last thing I'd 896 00:31:33,515 --> 00:31:34,494 say there is just, 897 00:31:35,195 --> 00:31:36,955 guys, you gotta understand there's not a whole 898 00:31:36,955 --> 00:31:37,855 lot of rational 899 00:31:38,475 --> 00:31:39,994 thought that's going on. 900 00:31:40,795 --> 00:31:43,365 When they're this activated and this traumatized, 901 00:31:45,490 --> 00:31:46,390 you might say, 902 00:31:46,930 --> 00:31:48,930 hey. Honey, how could anything happen? I have 903 00:31:48,930 --> 00:31:50,630 this here. I have this. You have 904 00:31:50,930 --> 00:31:52,529 access to this and this and this. There's 905 00:31:52,529 --> 00:31:54,150 no way I could cheat on you. 906 00:31:56,225 --> 00:31:57,365 That's not necessarily 907 00:31:57,664 --> 00:32:00,305 where the the these partners are at. There's 908 00:32:00,305 --> 00:32:01,684 not a whole lot of rational 909 00:32:02,065 --> 00:32:04,705 thought. It's just you're gone. I don't care. 910 00:32:04,705 --> 00:32:06,625 Like, you're gone. You hid this from me 911 00:32:06,625 --> 00:32:08,065 for all these years. I'm sure if you 912 00:32:08,065 --> 00:32:09,904 really wanted to, you would find you would 913 00:32:09,904 --> 00:32:11,859 find a way. You'd leave your phone somewhere. 914 00:32:11,859 --> 00:32:12,359 You'd 915 00:32:12,660 --> 00:32:14,500 say this, then then go do like, that's 916 00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:15,619 the thing is, like, they're 917 00:32:16,500 --> 00:32:18,980 you're gonna logic their way into this trauma, 918 00:32:18,980 --> 00:32:19,460 and, 919 00:32:19,779 --> 00:32:21,380 there's just not a lot of logic in 920 00:32:21,380 --> 00:32:22,900 that. And so that's why I'd say as 921 00:32:22,900 --> 00:32:25,240 guys, like, just just keep in mind 922 00:32:26,534 --> 00:32:28,294 they and they know too. My wife always 923 00:32:28,294 --> 00:32:29,815 told me, she's like, I'm acting like a 924 00:32:29,815 --> 00:32:32,375 crazy person. She knew, but that didn't change 925 00:32:32,375 --> 00:32:34,494 her ability to stop acting crazy. I mean, 926 00:32:34,494 --> 00:32:36,214 it was it's, you know, trauma is not 927 00:32:36,214 --> 00:32:38,214 in her control. So let's talk about phase 928 00:32:38,214 --> 00:32:40,799 two. So phase two, the way I define 929 00:32:40,799 --> 00:32:42,659 it, Danny, and maybe you define it different. 930 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:44,179 So phase one, 931 00:32:44,559 --> 00:32:46,240 you guys don't have a relationship. I mean, 932 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,500 phase one, she's really in this, like, 933 00:32:49,279 --> 00:32:51,039 one foot in, one foot out. Do I 934 00:32:51,039 --> 00:32:53,519 wanna be with this guy at all? Do 935 00:32:53,519 --> 00:32:55,555 I trust him to actually recover? I mean, 936 00:32:55,555 --> 00:32:57,795 phase one's yucky. I mean, that's the reason 937 00:32:57,795 --> 00:32:59,315 she can call you all the names that 938 00:32:59,315 --> 00:33:01,394 she's probably gonna call you is, you know, 939 00:33:01,394 --> 00:33:03,315 to her, like, you're not in a relationship 940 00:33:03,315 --> 00:33:05,555 because you violated your vows. You did things 941 00:33:05,555 --> 00:33:07,075 that you were never supposed to do. You 942 00:33:07,075 --> 00:33:10,195 hurt her worse than anyone probably will ever 943 00:33:10,195 --> 00:33:11,950 hurt her. Right? So you gotta underappreciate 944 00:33:12,570 --> 00:33:13,390 phase one. 945 00:33:13,690 --> 00:33:15,410 I mean, it really is like, gosh. Do 946 00:33:15,410 --> 00:33:17,049 I even wanna do I even wanna be 947 00:33:17,049 --> 00:33:18,330 with a guy like this? Right? And you 948 00:33:18,330 --> 00:33:19,470 can and you can appreciate 949 00:33:19,930 --> 00:33:20,750 you can appreciate 950 00:33:21,049 --> 00:33:23,554 them wrestling with that, especially with to your 951 00:33:23,554 --> 00:33:25,634 point, Danny, like you said, the fairy tale 952 00:33:25,634 --> 00:33:27,095 that's sold to them about 953 00:33:27,554 --> 00:33:29,634 how life's gonna go on the Disney movies 954 00:33:29,634 --> 00:33:31,714 and the notebook and the you know, it's 955 00:33:31,714 --> 00:33:34,515 just people have trauma childhood trauma and different 956 00:33:34,515 --> 00:33:36,595 things that go on in their lives, and 957 00:33:36,595 --> 00:33:38,355 life's just hard. And so it's not like 958 00:33:38,355 --> 00:33:40,160 that. So, you know, she's struggling 959 00:33:41,019 --> 00:33:44,059 with her life not being that way. I 960 00:33:44,059 --> 00:33:45,660 mean, it's just it's tough. She always wanted 961 00:33:45,660 --> 00:33:47,180 it that way. Likely, if you're a high 962 00:33:47,180 --> 00:33:49,259 achiever entrepreneur, she actually thought you were gonna 963 00:33:49,259 --> 00:33:51,200 be the one who could get the closest 964 00:33:51,340 --> 00:33:53,180 to the perfect life, and then here you 965 00:33:53,180 --> 00:33:55,174 were, and it ended up being the complete 966 00:33:55,174 --> 00:33:56,934 opposite. She's probably like, oh my gosh, I 967 00:33:56,934 --> 00:33:58,855 wish I got with that, you know, that 968 00:33:58,855 --> 00:34:00,535 other guy, like at least he wouldn't have 969 00:34:00,535 --> 00:34:02,775 cheated on me. Right? So so phase two 970 00:34:02,775 --> 00:34:04,695 is different, right? So phase two, I I 971 00:34:04,695 --> 00:34:07,255 would I define it as things are far 972 00:34:07,255 --> 00:34:08,075 from resolved. 973 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:10,719 I would just say phase two kicks in 974 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,559 if you're lucky a year, and that's if 975 00:34:12,559 --> 00:34:14,159 the guy did everything right, which they never 976 00:34:14,159 --> 00:34:17,199 do. So so usually phase two starts, I 977 00:34:17,199 --> 00:34:18,719 usually say it right around that like year 978 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:20,559 and a half mark, you know, somewhere between 979 00:34:20,559 --> 00:34:21,539 month month, 980 00:34:21,844 --> 00:34:23,464 you know, thirteen, fifteen, 981 00:34:24,164 --> 00:34:24,644 and, 982 00:34:25,284 --> 00:34:26,424 and month 20, 983 00:34:27,045 --> 00:34:29,045 where it's like, okay. You know what? I'm 984 00:34:29,045 --> 00:34:30,964 gonna I'm gonna commit to this. I I 985 00:34:30,964 --> 00:34:32,565 wanna be with him. I think I think 986 00:34:32,565 --> 00:34:34,484 he can actually change. I think he knows 987 00:34:34,484 --> 00:34:36,244 I think he knows why this happens, and 988 00:34:36,244 --> 00:34:37,699 I I I think we're on the same 989 00:34:37,699 --> 00:34:39,699 page. I think he I really do think 990 00:34:39,699 --> 00:34:41,940 that he wishes that he could undo this. 991 00:34:41,940 --> 00:34:43,619 And I I believe him that he doesn't 992 00:34:43,619 --> 00:34:45,219 want any of this to ever happen again. 993 00:34:45,219 --> 00:34:47,539 So that's kinda how I call phase two 994 00:34:47,539 --> 00:34:49,545 is it's like, alright. I'll give this a 995 00:34:49,545 --> 00:34:51,945 shot. Now you're a couple again. So that's 996 00:34:51,945 --> 00:34:53,964 kinda cool because it opens the doors 997 00:34:54,984 --> 00:34:56,905 to communications. Now I don't know what your 998 00:34:56,905 --> 00:34:59,224 experience was, Danny. Oh my gosh. Mine or 999 00:34:59,224 --> 00:35:00,284 what you've seen with clients. 1000 00:35:00,664 --> 00:35:02,664 Phase two is and I know guys don't 1001 00:35:02,664 --> 00:35:03,480 wanna hear this because 1002 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:05,654 there's a lot of guys listening who are 1003 00:35:05,654 --> 00:35:07,320 in phase one. Phase two for me, Danny, 1004 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,400 was just as hard if not harder than 1005 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:11,239 than phase one. I think in phase one 1006 00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:13,260 was easier because it was like, this lady's 1007 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:15,719 imploding, and I felt so bad because it 1008 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:17,795 was my fault that I actually found phase 1009 00:35:17,795 --> 00:35:19,154 one easier because it was like, you know 1010 00:35:19,154 --> 00:35:20,674 what? I am a monster. You can call 1011 00:35:20,674 --> 00:35:22,275 me that if you want. Like, oh my 1012 00:35:22,275 --> 00:35:25,074 gosh. Like, I accepted the name calling. Phase 1013 00:35:25,074 --> 00:35:26,755 two was tough because I was tired of 1014 00:35:26,755 --> 00:35:28,994 being called names. I you know, this is 1015 00:35:28,994 --> 00:35:30,835 my wife. I wanna be married again. I 1016 00:35:30,835 --> 00:35:33,500 wanna, like, I wanna have a relationship, like, 1017 00:35:33,500 --> 00:35:35,099 a a loving one like we used to 1018 00:35:35,099 --> 00:35:37,579 have. Like and so phase two sucked because 1019 00:35:37,579 --> 00:35:38,880 it's like we're having 1020 00:35:39,260 --> 00:35:40,960 a lot of really painful conversations, 1021 00:35:41,500 --> 00:35:43,820 but it almost hurt worse, Danny, because we're 1022 00:35:43,820 --> 00:35:46,324 we're both committed to each other again. And 1023 00:35:46,324 --> 00:35:48,804 now the pain, I mean, it it it 1024 00:35:48,804 --> 00:35:50,025 stung a lot. 1025 00:35:50,324 --> 00:35:52,644 And I found we were actually having more 1026 00:35:52,644 --> 00:35:55,364 communication issues in phase two because we were 1027 00:35:55,364 --> 00:35:56,264 actually communicating 1028 00:35:56,644 --> 00:35:59,224 rather than drawing lines and throwing stones. 1029 00:35:59,809 --> 00:36:01,570 So talk to me about phase two. How 1030 00:36:01,570 --> 00:36:03,730 is this you know, you mentioned, like, kinda 1031 00:36:03,730 --> 00:36:06,130 like the EFT kind of philosophy. Right? How 1032 00:36:06,130 --> 00:36:08,449 do we how do we have conversations about 1033 00:36:08,449 --> 00:36:10,309 what's actually going on, 1034 00:36:10,929 --> 00:36:13,695 not what you hear or think is going 1035 00:36:13,695 --> 00:36:15,375 on. What's the advice that you give there? 1036 00:36:15,375 --> 00:36:17,295 Because getting down to the core of it's 1037 00:36:17,295 --> 00:36:20,015 hard to do without a therapist involved. It's 1038 00:36:20,015 --> 00:36:21,775 very difficult to do on your own as 1039 00:36:21,775 --> 00:36:22,355 a couple. 1040 00:36:22,815 --> 00:36:26,094 Yeah. Well, it like, our phase two, it 1041 00:36:26,094 --> 00:36:28,039 kind of involves this grieving and mourning 1042 00:36:28,420 --> 00:36:31,780 thing. Yeah, I like that. Because, you know, 1043 00:36:31,780 --> 00:36:33,940 a bomb went off and we're having to 1044 00:36:33,940 --> 00:36:36,340 reestablish safety and stability and then we're moving 1045 00:36:36,340 --> 00:36:37,800 into this other place where, 1046 00:36:38,180 --> 00:36:38,840 you know, 1047 00:36:40,344 --> 00:36:42,585 say the the husband is doing all the 1048 00:36:42,585 --> 00:36:43,485 things and going 1049 00:36:43,945 --> 00:36:46,364 to the meetings and seeing the therapist, and 1050 00:36:46,585 --> 00:36:49,244 and she's in a group, and and she's 1051 00:36:49,305 --> 00:36:51,805 seeing her own coach or therapist as well, 1052 00:36:51,864 --> 00:36:55,005 and and they're desiring to kinda come back. 1053 00:36:56,099 --> 00:36:58,119 What this is what I tell people. 1054 00:36:59,460 --> 00:37:01,079 You're creating something new. 1055 00:37:01,940 --> 00:37:03,700 And what is it that you wanna create? 1056 00:37:03,700 --> 00:37:05,780 Because you can't go back to what you 1057 00:37:05,780 --> 00:37:08,119 had because what you had was toxic. 1058 00:37:08,964 --> 00:37:11,464 You know? There was an illusion of things 1059 00:37:12,164 --> 00:37:13,704 being a certain way, 1060 00:37:14,085 --> 00:37:15,065 but the reality 1061 00:37:15,364 --> 00:37:16,664 revealed something different. 1062 00:37:17,204 --> 00:37:20,085 And so it it becomes an opportunity. And 1063 00:37:20,085 --> 00:37:22,779 and these stages and the length of time 1064 00:37:22,779 --> 00:37:24,960 vary because it depends on how committed people 1065 00:37:25,260 --> 00:37:27,179 are. People, like, say three to five years. 1066 00:37:27,179 --> 00:37:28,159 Well, you know, 1067 00:37:29,339 --> 00:37:31,339 like, I I went through all of my 1068 00:37:31,339 --> 00:37:34,380 stuff throughout the the first marriage, was married 1069 00:37:34,380 --> 00:37:36,219 twenty years, and then was in recovery for 1070 00:37:36,219 --> 00:37:39,284 many, many years. And there's varying levels and 1071 00:37:39,284 --> 00:37:40,824 lingers that we're having to process. 1072 00:37:41,364 --> 00:37:43,445 No. It's not as hard as it was 1073 00:37:43,445 --> 00:37:46,085 at the very beginning stages. That marriage did 1074 00:37:46,085 --> 00:37:46,744 not work, 1075 00:37:47,204 --> 00:37:48,344 unfortunately. But, 1076 00:37:48,724 --> 00:37:49,320 you know, 1077 00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:51,400 you get to wherever you're at, and where 1078 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:53,239 you at is where you are. And that's 1079 00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:55,160 what we're having to deal with. Where are 1080 00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:57,640 we now? Like, the State of the Union 1081 00:37:57,640 --> 00:37:59,480 address, you know, like, this is where I'm 1082 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:01,099 at. This is where I'm still struggling. 1083 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,320 This is where I felt like I'm doing 1084 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:04,140 really well. 1085 00:38:04,644 --> 00:38:06,565 And I think it was Simon Sinek where 1086 00:38:06,565 --> 00:38:07,704 he talks about 1087 00:38:08,164 --> 00:38:10,105 instead of, like, you know, 1088 00:38:11,684 --> 00:38:14,105 saying what the other person's doing wrong still, 1089 00:38:14,164 --> 00:38:16,405 tell them what they're doing right, and you 1090 00:38:16,405 --> 00:38:18,644 would say what you're not doing well. Mhmm. 1091 00:38:18,644 --> 00:38:19,500 I like that. 1092 00:38:19,980 --> 00:38:21,659 And I thought, well, that was an an 1093 00:38:21,659 --> 00:38:23,039 interesting little shift 1094 00:38:23,340 --> 00:38:23,840 because, 1095 00:38:24,380 --> 00:38:26,400 you know, we've got these shadow sides, 1096 00:38:26,780 --> 00:38:29,099 and we we have to acknowledge those parts 1097 00:38:29,099 --> 00:38:31,019 of us. Like, I would never do this. 1098 00:38:31,019 --> 00:38:33,179 I could not ever be like that or 1099 00:38:33,179 --> 00:38:34,934 say that or do that or show up 1100 00:38:34,934 --> 00:38:37,175 in that kind of seedy place. And yet 1101 00:38:37,175 --> 00:38:37,914 it's like, 1102 00:38:39,094 --> 00:38:39,675 you know, 1103 00:38:39,974 --> 00:38:41,434 maybe not like that, 1104 00:38:41,815 --> 00:38:43,575 but the spirit in it, the energy in 1105 00:38:43,575 --> 00:38:45,255 it is something we have to look at. 1106 00:38:45,255 --> 00:38:47,255 And so that mourning and grief stage is 1107 00:38:47,255 --> 00:38:48,635 looking at like, wow. 1108 00:38:49,019 --> 00:38:50,559 What I thought I had. 1109 00:38:51,019 --> 00:38:53,280 And it wasn't all crap. Right? 1110 00:38:53,579 --> 00:38:55,019 You know, I had to look at some 1111 00:38:55,019 --> 00:38:55,099 of the 1112 00:38:55,900 --> 00:38:56,480 you know, 1113 00:38:56,940 --> 00:38:58,960 my family had good moments, 1114 00:38:59,579 --> 00:39:01,724 and then there was a lot else that 1115 00:39:01,724 --> 00:39:03,244 was going on. So I had to look 1116 00:39:03,244 --> 00:39:04,144 at all of that, 1117 00:39:04,444 --> 00:39:06,125 and I had to grieve that. And I 1118 00:39:06,125 --> 00:39:07,744 still grieve some of that just 1119 00:39:08,444 --> 00:39:11,164 years later on a different plane that I'm 1120 00:39:11,164 --> 00:39:11,664 on. 1121 00:39:11,964 --> 00:39:12,464 And 1122 00:39:13,644 --> 00:39:15,744 for the couple, I would just say, 1123 00:39:16,050 --> 00:39:18,530 again, you're doing check ins, and those can 1124 00:39:18,530 --> 00:39:21,170 be mundane and tedious at times because it's 1125 00:39:21,170 --> 00:39:23,030 like, like, moat, you know, 1126 00:39:23,410 --> 00:39:24,769 just saying the same thing over and over 1127 00:39:24,769 --> 00:39:27,090 again. And so it's like we go a 1128 00:39:27,090 --> 00:39:29,635 little bit deeper, you know, really, like, what's 1129 00:39:29,635 --> 00:39:30,994 on your mind? What's on your heart? What's 1130 00:39:30,994 --> 00:39:31,974 alive in you today? 1131 00:39:32,795 --> 00:39:34,835 You know, what did you pick up in 1132 00:39:34,835 --> 00:39:37,155 your session? Now early on, the wife's, like, 1133 00:39:37,155 --> 00:39:38,855 wanted to know, like, what are you doing? 1134 00:39:38,994 --> 00:39:40,674 What'd you learn? Because if you didn't learn 1135 00:39:40,674 --> 00:39:41,974 what I think you should be learning, 1136 00:39:42,594 --> 00:39:44,960 that becomes a struggle and it's difficult for 1137 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:45,780 the husband. 1138 00:39:46,319 --> 00:39:46,819 But 1139 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,239 there's a point in time where some of 1140 00:39:50,239 --> 00:39:52,480 the let them theory comes into play when 1141 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:55,679 there's not acting out. If you're still acting 1142 00:39:55,679 --> 00:39:56,175 out, 1143 00:39:56,894 --> 00:39:58,815 like Right. That's a whole different ballgame. But 1144 00:39:58,815 --> 00:40:00,994 if if there's evidence and consistency 1145 00:40:01,295 --> 00:40:02,835 and things are being congruent, 1146 00:40:04,015 --> 00:40:06,655 you that's where you're starting to, like, come 1147 00:40:06,655 --> 00:40:07,474 back together. 1148 00:40:07,934 --> 00:40:09,474 And it does take a lot of, 1149 00:40:10,894 --> 00:40:11,394 attunement, 1150 00:40:12,230 --> 00:40:14,089 right, and awareness. 1151 00:40:15,109 --> 00:40:17,190 Staying in present moment is a huge thing 1152 00:40:17,190 --> 00:40:17,690 because 1153 00:40:17,989 --> 00:40:19,609 we have a tendency as partners 1154 00:40:19,909 --> 00:40:20,809 to go backwards. 1155 00:40:21,349 --> 00:40:23,030 Like, oh, but this reminds me of this, 1156 00:40:23,030 --> 00:40:25,109 and that happens. And that's the nervous system. 1157 00:40:25,109 --> 00:40:25,429 That's just 1158 00:40:26,434 --> 00:40:28,434 that's what we that's that's how that all 1159 00:40:28,434 --> 00:40:30,594 works. And it's brutal and it's awful and 1160 00:40:30,594 --> 00:40:31,655 you wake up ruminating. 1161 00:40:32,195 --> 00:40:33,255 And and for the 1162 00:40:33,554 --> 00:40:35,635 the male, it's like, oh my god. I 1163 00:40:35,635 --> 00:40:37,155 wonder what that's like for you. Like, I 1164 00:40:37,155 --> 00:40:38,914 can't imagine not getting a full eight hours 1165 00:40:38,914 --> 00:40:40,755 of sleep. Like, you're waking up still thinking 1166 00:40:40,755 --> 00:40:41,255 about 1167 00:40:41,849 --> 00:40:42,989 this, this, and that. 1168 00:40:44,010 --> 00:40:46,349 Like, just even having empathy for that 1169 00:40:46,650 --> 00:40:48,269 without having to fix her 1170 00:40:48,730 --> 00:40:49,230 or 1171 00:40:49,930 --> 00:40:52,410 justify or I've I've been doing all these 1172 00:40:52,410 --> 00:40:52,910 things. 1173 00:40:53,210 --> 00:40:54,809 You know? It's like this is where the 1174 00:40:54,809 --> 00:40:56,570 rubber meets the road in this phase here 1175 00:40:56,570 --> 00:40:57,375 because it's like, 1176 00:40:57,934 --> 00:41:00,355 can we continue to grow a little story? 1177 00:41:00,494 --> 00:41:01,235 And, unfortunately, 1178 00:41:01,614 --> 00:41:03,954 none of us learned this in school. Like, 1179 00:41:04,494 --> 00:41:08,094 like, could you imagine, Lauren, like, learning solid 1180 00:41:08,094 --> 00:41:08,594 communication 1181 00:41:08,894 --> 00:41:10,195 skills early on 1182 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:12,660 and how that would affect everybody, 1183 00:41:13,119 --> 00:41:14,960 but none of us had that. We didn't 1184 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:16,500 have it modeled. And so 1185 00:41:17,519 --> 00:41:19,539 I also see this as a great opportunity 1186 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:22,019 to create something great 1187 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:24,864 if we're willing to do the work. Mhmm. 1188 00:41:24,864 --> 00:41:27,045 All that's going to take both 1189 00:41:28,224 --> 00:41:31,264 people, particularly in that second stage because that's 1190 00:41:31,264 --> 00:41:33,525 where some of the relapses happen too. 1191 00:41:34,065 --> 00:41:34,644 You know? 1192 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:37,079 Well, the grief phase yeah. I mean, the 1193 00:41:37,079 --> 00:41:40,299 grief phase wears off at eight month eight. 1194 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:42,859 All guys are like, oh, I'm sober. 1195 00:41:43,159 --> 00:41:45,960 And then the grief phase wears off, and 1196 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:48,039 you're less sober than you thought. And and 1197 00:41:48,039 --> 00:41:50,625 it happens I mean, it's it's so common 1198 00:41:50,625 --> 00:41:53,445 that it's written in pretty much every text 1199 00:41:53,744 --> 00:41:54,244 about, 1200 00:41:55,344 --> 00:41:58,065 about sex addiction recovery is when the grief 1201 00:41:58,065 --> 00:42:01,184 keeps you sober because you're terrified about, you 1202 00:42:01,184 --> 00:42:03,184 know, your life leaving you. But, yeah, once 1203 00:42:03,184 --> 00:42:05,079 that grief goes away, you you know? And 1204 00:42:05,079 --> 00:42:06,599 that's the challenge, I think, like you said, 1205 00:42:06,599 --> 00:42:08,139 with phase two. Phase two, 1206 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:10,760 you know, the the crisis is kind of 1207 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:12,920 what seems to have passed. You're starting to 1208 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:15,319 say, oh, she's not gonna leave me. Actually, 1209 00:42:15,319 --> 00:42:17,000 you know, first whole first phase is like, 1210 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:18,855 oh my gosh. She's gonna leave me. She's 1211 00:42:18,855 --> 00:42:19,894 gonna leave me. She's gonna leave me. I 1212 00:42:19,894 --> 00:42:21,015 need to be on my best behavior. But, 1213 00:42:21,015 --> 00:42:23,175 yeah, once she recommits and you feel that, 1214 00:42:23,175 --> 00:42:24,954 you'll feel it in your body, the recommitment 1215 00:42:25,574 --> 00:42:27,735 to your point. Yeah. Slips and relapses do 1216 00:42:27,735 --> 00:42:30,054 happen in that stage. But it's a but 1217 00:42:30,054 --> 00:42:31,835 I'm curious. What do you like, 1218 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:34,059 Danny, when you're 1219 00:42:34,519 --> 00:42:36,119 you know, because it is. It's phase two 1220 00:42:36,119 --> 00:42:38,920 is a different phase because now we're we're 1221 00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:41,159 trying to do recovery together, but we're far 1222 00:42:41,159 --> 00:42:43,079 from over it. I mean, the the addict 1223 00:42:43,079 --> 00:42:45,494 is still figuring out I mean, because this 1224 00:42:45,494 --> 00:42:47,335 is a process addiction and not really a 1225 00:42:47,335 --> 00:42:49,414 sex addiction, the addict's still trying to figure 1226 00:42:49,414 --> 00:42:51,974 out what are these problematic thought processes that 1227 00:42:51,974 --> 00:42:54,214 I'm addicted to, and how am I gonna 1228 00:42:54,214 --> 00:42:55,654 sub them out. Because I think that, you 1229 00:42:55,654 --> 00:42:57,594 know, that's the challenge is, like, 1230 00:42:57,909 --> 00:42:59,989 as long as these other things if as 1231 00:42:59,989 --> 00:43:01,989 long as your brain likes those better than 1232 00:43:01,989 --> 00:43:04,389 the alternatives, it's gonna keep telling you to 1233 00:43:04,389 --> 00:43:05,989 go do those things. You know? I mean, 1234 00:43:05,989 --> 00:43:07,909 the the process of selling your brain on 1235 00:43:07,909 --> 00:43:08,409 superior 1236 00:43:09,190 --> 00:43:11,925 substitutes is it's a it's a it's not 1237 00:43:11,925 --> 00:43:13,925 as easy as everyone would like to make 1238 00:43:13,925 --> 00:43:16,244 it sound. And meanwhile, your wife's over here 1239 00:43:16,244 --> 00:43:17,224 on this other side. 1240 00:43:17,525 --> 00:43:19,445 She's trying she really you know, phase two 1241 00:43:19,445 --> 00:43:21,605 is kinda cool because your wife's really like, 1242 00:43:21,605 --> 00:43:23,485 I need to I need to I need 1243 00:43:23,485 --> 00:43:24,805 to figure a lot of this out for 1244 00:43:24,805 --> 00:43:27,110 me. Like, she understands, like, a lot of 1245 00:43:27,110 --> 00:43:28,250 the stuff that she thinks 1246 00:43:28,630 --> 00:43:29,530 is not healthy. 1247 00:43:30,230 --> 00:43:32,010 And she knows that. But, again, 1248 00:43:32,390 --> 00:43:34,470 it doesn't take the pain away from both 1249 00:43:34,470 --> 00:43:36,630 partners. Right? I find phase two is full 1250 00:43:36,630 --> 00:43:38,804 of the guy sick of being judged and 1251 00:43:38,804 --> 00:43:41,204 labeled for activities that he has proven he 1252 00:43:41,204 --> 00:43:43,204 wants out of his life. And then she's 1253 00:43:43,204 --> 00:43:45,545 over here getting judged by her husband 1254 00:43:45,925 --> 00:43:46,425 for, 1255 00:43:47,284 --> 00:43:49,525 you know you know, again, they they try 1256 00:43:49,684 --> 00:43:51,359 you know, we try not to, but we 1257 00:43:51,359 --> 00:43:54,420 do approach these situations with fix it energy. 1258 00:43:54,799 --> 00:43:57,279 And so which is not what she's asking. 1259 00:43:57,279 --> 00:43:58,019 She's saying, 1260 00:43:58,480 --> 00:43:59,779 I believe these beliefs, 1261 00:44:00,159 --> 00:44:01,219 and I hate them. 1262 00:44:01,679 --> 00:44:03,119 And that's what I think guys need to 1263 00:44:03,119 --> 00:44:05,885 understand is, yeah, she hates them, you hate 1264 00:44:05,885 --> 00:44:08,224 them, you both hate them. But to me, 1265 00:44:08,844 --> 00:44:10,525 Mark, what I would I'd I'd be curious 1266 00:44:10,525 --> 00:44:12,204 to your thought. What I usually tell people 1267 00:44:12,204 --> 00:44:13,485 about phase two, if I have to, like, 1268 00:44:13,485 --> 00:44:15,724 keep it really short and sweet, I usually 1269 00:44:15,724 --> 00:44:16,224 say, 1270 00:44:17,390 --> 00:44:19,789 you guys are fighting the same enemy finally. 1271 00:44:19,789 --> 00:44:22,210 You know, phase one, you're not. Phase one, 1272 00:44:22,349 --> 00:44:24,050 she's try you know, she's 1273 00:44:24,430 --> 00:44:26,030 you know, she's trying to fight yours to 1274 00:44:26,030 --> 00:44:27,869 leave you. You're trying to keep her to 1275 00:44:27,869 --> 00:44:29,630 stay. So you guys are kind of doing 1276 00:44:29,630 --> 00:44:31,070 two different things, and I kind of work 1277 00:44:31,070 --> 00:44:31,570 harmoniously. 1278 00:44:31,869 --> 00:44:34,925 Right? You're fighting for her and the relationship, 1279 00:44:34,925 --> 00:44:36,925 which I'm sure she appreciates even though she's 1280 00:44:36,925 --> 00:44:37,825 calling you names. 1281 00:44:38,525 --> 00:44:40,204 But then she's still kind of doing a 1282 00:44:40,204 --> 00:44:43,025 similar fight. Like like, is this something so 1283 00:44:43,325 --> 00:44:45,585 I think phase two is almost harder because 1284 00:44:45,849 --> 00:44:47,609 it it looks harder, but I think it 1285 00:44:47,609 --> 00:44:49,449 shouldn't be because you guys actually have a 1286 00:44:49,449 --> 00:44:50,269 common enemy. 1287 00:44:51,050 --> 00:44:53,069 You guys have the addictive behaviors 1288 00:44:53,769 --> 00:44:56,329 and the trauma that it caused. You guys 1289 00:44:56,329 --> 00:44:57,949 should be on the same team. 1290 00:44:58,489 --> 00:45:00,489 Danny, why is that so hard though? Because 1291 00:45:00,489 --> 00:45:02,545 I'll tell you what. When I see couples 1292 00:45:02,545 --> 00:45:03,905 in phase two, they don't look like they're 1293 00:45:03,905 --> 00:45:05,905 on the same team quite yet. What's the 1294 00:45:05,985 --> 00:45:07,505 how what kind of tools can we do 1295 00:45:07,505 --> 00:45:08,244 to get there? 1296 00:45:09,824 --> 00:45:10,324 Well, 1297 00:45:10,625 --> 00:45:12,324 I like what you're saying. It's like, 1298 00:45:12,785 --> 00:45:14,485 if we can put in the middle 1299 00:45:14,864 --> 00:45:16,724 the actual issue and the problem, 1300 00:45:17,109 --> 00:45:19,449 and we have the individuals on the outside, 1301 00:45:19,510 --> 00:45:21,449 like, we don't vilify each other. 1302 00:45:21,750 --> 00:45:23,829 Right? The problem is when we take everything 1303 00:45:23,829 --> 00:45:24,329 personal. 1304 00:45:24,710 --> 00:45:25,690 Yeah. And 1305 00:45:26,150 --> 00:45:28,570 and, yes, it's personal because it's relational, 1306 00:45:29,424 --> 00:45:31,824 and yet a lot of it's not. And 1307 00:45:31,824 --> 00:45:33,824 if we can see it as this is 1308 00:45:33,824 --> 00:45:36,625 somebody who's struggling with their own inner demons 1309 00:45:36,625 --> 00:45:39,025 or whatever it is, and whether it's the 1310 00:45:39,025 --> 00:45:40,885 compulsive behaviors due to 1311 00:45:41,424 --> 00:45:43,264 wanting to climb the ladder and be seen 1312 00:45:43,264 --> 00:45:45,659 as successful and have all the things, and 1313 00:45:45,659 --> 00:45:48,859 or the partner where she has her own 1314 00:45:48,859 --> 00:45:51,420 set of ideals. Right? So you're really being 1315 00:45:51,420 --> 00:45:52,559 faced with, like 1316 00:45:54,059 --> 00:45:56,460 you have a reality check there. Mhmm. What 1317 00:45:56,460 --> 00:45:58,139 I thought I believed, is that what I 1318 00:45:58,139 --> 00:45:58,960 still believe 1319 00:45:59,614 --> 00:46:01,234 with where we're at right now? 1320 00:46:02,174 --> 00:46:04,414 If I if I believe that we're both 1321 00:46:04,414 --> 00:46:06,734 fighting for the same thing or on the 1322 00:46:06,734 --> 00:46:08,674 same team, that makes it a lot easier 1323 00:46:08,815 --> 00:46:09,474 for sure. 1324 00:46:10,094 --> 00:46:10,594 And 1325 00:46:11,534 --> 00:46:14,114 also knowing that this phase is also messy. 1326 00:46:14,414 --> 00:46:17,440 Right? It doesn't have to be as messy, 1327 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:20,099 but it's still messy because we're we're repatterning. 1328 00:46:20,719 --> 00:46:22,639 We're setting new grooves in the brain, and 1329 00:46:22,639 --> 00:46:23,139 we're, 1330 00:46:23,599 --> 00:46:25,839 establishing new ways of being as a couple, 1331 00:46:25,839 --> 00:46:27,224 and it's different. It's 1332 00:46:27,704 --> 00:46:30,105 something we haven't done before. Mhmm. And so 1333 00:46:30,105 --> 00:46:31,485 you don't wanna go backwards. 1334 00:46:31,945 --> 00:46:34,345 And so moving forward, we're gonna be honest 1335 00:46:34,345 --> 00:46:36,505 and open and real and transparent, and that 1336 00:46:36,505 --> 00:46:38,285 scares the hell out of us 1337 00:46:38,664 --> 00:46:41,164 because we don't wanna get hurt again. 1338 00:46:41,704 --> 00:46:42,445 And so 1339 00:46:42,909 --> 00:46:44,909 to stay in the game is half the 1340 00:46:44,909 --> 00:46:47,409 battle there. If I can just stay present 1341 00:46:47,789 --> 00:46:49,170 and I can stay 1342 00:46:49,630 --> 00:46:51,869 attuned to myself, if I can, as a 1343 00:46:51,869 --> 00:46:52,369 partner, 1344 00:46:52,909 --> 00:46:54,590 keep my feet on the ground and know 1345 00:46:54,590 --> 00:46:56,429 that right now, I'm safe. Right now, he's 1346 00:46:56,429 --> 00:46:58,110 in the room with me. Right now, he's 1347 00:46:58,110 --> 00:47:00,315 not acting out. Right now, he is in 1348 00:47:00,315 --> 00:47:02,474 recovery. Right now, he is seeing a therapist. 1349 00:47:02,474 --> 00:47:04,014 Right now, I have support. 1350 00:47:04,315 --> 00:47:05,855 Right now, we're seeing couples. 1351 00:47:06,795 --> 00:47:09,514 We're in couples therapy work, and we're now 1352 00:47:09,514 --> 00:47:11,855 having to learn these tools to implement. 1353 00:47:12,219 --> 00:47:14,239 And, yeah, it seems so psychology. 1354 00:47:15,099 --> 00:47:16,539 You know what I mean? Like, all the 1355 00:47:16,539 --> 00:47:18,699 jargon is completely different than what we're used 1356 00:47:18,699 --> 00:47:20,380 to. And it's like I always tell my 1357 00:47:20,380 --> 00:47:21,760 husband, like, get over it. 1358 00:47:23,180 --> 00:47:24,880 Yeah. This is what she's learning, 1359 00:47:25,284 --> 00:47:28,025 and this is actually helping her stay grounded, 1360 00:47:28,405 --> 00:47:29,625 which will help you 1361 00:47:30,244 --> 00:47:30,744 too. 1362 00:47:31,125 --> 00:47:33,864 When she's not feeling grounded, when she's unregulated, 1363 00:47:34,324 --> 00:47:36,644 you're liable to get attacked and called names 1364 00:47:36,644 --> 00:47:39,280 again. And for your sake and hers, 1365 00:47:39,820 --> 00:47:41,360 we just have to, like, 1366 00:47:43,500 --> 00:47:44,880 work with each other. 1367 00:47:45,579 --> 00:47:47,440 And I'm not this is not easy. 1368 00:47:47,820 --> 00:47:50,699 No. Because we had ego that's coming up. 1369 00:47:50,699 --> 00:47:53,734 Our our low our parts come up. Right? 1370 00:47:53,734 --> 00:47:56,554 If you're one who ascribes to attachment theory, 1371 00:47:56,614 --> 00:47:59,194 it's like you've got the avoiders and the 1372 00:47:59,414 --> 00:48:02,394 insecure attachments. And, you know, the secure attachments 1373 00:48:02,775 --> 00:48:04,920 are usually based in, like, I know I'm 1374 00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:07,500 being cared for. I know I'm being considered. 1375 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:10,599 I know I have resources, inner resources, and 1376 00:48:10,599 --> 00:48:11,739 exterior resources, 1377 00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:14,280 and I'm not putting all my eggs in 1378 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:14,780 you. 1379 00:48:15,159 --> 00:48:17,639 Mhmm. And so I would love to do 1380 00:48:17,639 --> 00:48:18,780 life with you 1381 00:48:19,144 --> 00:48:21,304 alongside you, but you are you and I 1382 00:48:21,304 --> 00:48:23,065 am me. And how can we create this 1383 00:48:23,065 --> 00:48:23,885 life together? 1384 00:48:24,344 --> 00:48:25,164 That's where 1385 00:48:25,704 --> 00:48:27,565 I think beautiful things can come, 1386 00:48:28,344 --> 00:48:30,284 and it takes as long as it takes. 1387 00:48:30,425 --> 00:48:32,425 You know? You nailed it. The that's what 1388 00:48:32,425 --> 00:48:34,349 I tell you know? Because it is. Like, 1389 00:48:34,590 --> 00:48:36,590 you're gonna forever be a cheater. I know 1390 00:48:36,590 --> 00:48:38,829 that sucks, but, like, her brain just knows 1391 00:48:38,829 --> 00:48:41,789 that you have cheated before. And so she 1392 00:48:41,789 --> 00:48:43,970 need you guys need to develop a relationship 1393 00:48:44,110 --> 00:48:44,610 where 1394 00:48:45,309 --> 00:48:47,594 she knows that that was something that has 1395 00:48:47,835 --> 00:48:50,715 happened, and, and you guys are gonna figure 1396 00:48:50,715 --> 00:48:52,474 out how to navigate that. And then vice 1397 00:48:52,474 --> 00:48:52,974 versa, 1398 00:48:53,355 --> 00:48:56,315 you're with somebody who doesn't who can't blindly 1399 00:48:56,315 --> 00:48:57,775 trust you again and 1400 00:48:58,394 --> 00:49:00,494 and will probably likely have 1401 00:49:00,875 --> 00:49:04,469 these triggering moments for the foreseeable future. And 1402 00:49:04,469 --> 00:49:05,989 so I think you nailed it. It's how 1403 00:49:05,989 --> 00:49:08,469 do we develop a relationship there? Because, like, 1404 00:49:08,469 --> 00:49:10,070 everybody does this. We we we get with 1405 00:49:10,070 --> 00:49:12,469 people with flaws and character that, you know, 1406 00:49:12,469 --> 00:49:14,570 all the time, and we find a way. 1407 00:49:14,710 --> 00:49:17,445 And, sexual portrayal is no different. It's bigger. 1408 00:49:17,525 --> 00:49:20,405 It's uglier. It's more complex. No no question 1409 00:49:20,405 --> 00:49:23,445 about it. You definitely need professional help because 1410 00:49:23,445 --> 00:49:25,625 no one no one can do this, 1411 00:49:26,085 --> 00:49:27,144 with their own intuition. 1412 00:49:27,605 --> 00:49:29,125 But at the same time, I'll just say 1413 00:49:29,125 --> 00:49:30,985 this to all the, you know, people listening. 1414 00:49:32,900 --> 00:49:34,739 There is a way. You can you can 1415 00:49:34,739 --> 00:49:36,519 be with somebody who's made mistakes, 1416 00:49:37,219 --> 00:49:38,739 and you can find a way forward. 1417 00:49:39,219 --> 00:49:40,900 Dani, if people are gonna get a hold 1418 00:49:40,900 --> 00:49:43,140 of you, how do they find you? Do 1419 00:49:43,140 --> 00:49:45,780 you work with men, women, couples? Talk to 1420 00:49:45,780 --> 00:49:47,140 us a bit about where we can find 1421 00:49:47,140 --> 00:49:48,315 you and who you work with. 1422 00:49:49,355 --> 00:49:51,275 So it's easy to find me. It's my 1423 00:49:51,275 --> 00:49:54,635 name, danny m peterson dot com, and that's 1424 00:49:54,635 --> 00:49:56,795 how you can find me on social media 1425 00:49:56,795 --> 00:49:57,454 as well. 1426 00:49:57,835 --> 00:49:59,454 And I do free consultations. 1427 00:50:00,554 --> 00:50:03,059 I work with the partners, mostly the women, 1428 00:50:03,059 --> 00:50:06,340 just helping them kind of reestablish safety and 1429 00:50:06,340 --> 00:50:06,840 security 1430 00:50:07,300 --> 00:50:09,800 and be able to find their voice again 1431 00:50:10,019 --> 00:50:12,280 and be able to, stand up for themselves, 1432 00:50:12,340 --> 00:50:15,860 be self advocate, and, practice self agency and 1433 00:50:15,860 --> 00:50:17,974 all of that. And I do work with 1434 00:50:17,974 --> 00:50:19,735 the couples too when they get to that 1435 00:50:19,735 --> 00:50:20,235 stage. 1436 00:50:20,614 --> 00:50:23,175 I don't specialize in the compulsive behaviors and 1437 00:50:23,175 --> 00:50:25,675 addiction side, but I sometimes help them through 1438 00:50:25,974 --> 00:50:26,635 the discover, 1439 00:50:27,575 --> 00:50:28,875 the disclosure piece, 1440 00:50:29,589 --> 00:50:31,589 because there's, like, this whole community that comes 1441 00:50:31,589 --> 00:50:33,750 together. So I'm working with the therapist, and 1442 00:50:33,750 --> 00:50:35,750 then sometimes I do personally like to meet 1443 00:50:35,750 --> 00:50:37,670 with the husband because I want him to 1444 00:50:37,670 --> 00:50:40,150 know, like, look, I'm I'm on your guys' 1445 00:50:40,150 --> 00:50:42,070 team. Mhmm. I'm not just in her camp, 1446 00:50:42,070 --> 00:50:44,385 and you're the bad guy. I want him 1447 00:50:44,385 --> 00:50:46,385 to know that, like, I really wanna see 1448 00:50:46,385 --> 00:50:48,785 you guys do well. Mhmm. And, you know, 1449 00:50:48,785 --> 00:50:50,864 I preview a lot of the things for 1450 00:50:50,864 --> 00:50:53,744 them from a partner standpoint. Like, yeah, this 1451 00:50:53,744 --> 00:50:55,664 sounds a little gaslight y and, you know, 1452 00:50:55,664 --> 00:50:57,265 if you can just own this piece. And 1453 00:50:57,265 --> 00:50:58,965 that was the other thing is just own. 1454 00:50:59,059 --> 00:51:01,460 Yeah. I've been a total a hole. You're 1455 00:51:01,460 --> 00:51:03,460 right. I have done that. Like, if just 1456 00:51:03,460 --> 00:51:06,179 even owning it Right. Will actually calm someone's 1457 00:51:06,179 --> 00:51:07,000 nervous system. 1458 00:51:07,380 --> 00:51:09,380 Right. Oh, yeah. And it's a lot easier 1459 00:51:09,380 --> 00:51:12,099 to do that in a therapeutic container. Yeah. 1460 00:51:12,099 --> 00:51:14,204 It is. It is. Absolutely. You're right. You 1461 00:51:14,204 --> 00:51:15,484 said too. She's like, I feel like I'm 1462 00:51:15,484 --> 00:51:17,644 acting crazy. Right. I've done it. And it's 1463 00:51:17,644 --> 00:51:19,484 like, I am acting crazy, and I can 1464 00:51:19,484 --> 00:51:21,664 only imagine what it's like to view this. 1465 00:51:21,885 --> 00:51:24,204 And so I kinda work with the couples 1466 00:51:24,204 --> 00:51:24,944 on just 1467 00:51:27,699 --> 00:51:28,679 being a we, 1468 00:51:29,059 --> 00:51:30,199 working on The Us, 1469 00:51:30,500 --> 00:51:31,000 reestablishing 1470 00:51:31,539 --> 00:51:32,599 new ground rules. 1471 00:51:33,139 --> 00:51:35,059 I hate using the word rules, but, like, 1472 00:51:35,059 --> 00:51:37,319 you know Mhmm. Healthy boundaries. Engagement. 1473 00:51:38,019 --> 00:51:39,619 Like, how are we going to engage and 1474 00:51:39,619 --> 00:51:40,359 stay connected? 1475 00:51:40,784 --> 00:51:42,085 Because all of this 1476 00:51:42,464 --> 00:51:44,964 comes down to a disconnect in relationship. 1477 00:51:45,905 --> 00:51:47,364 And how do we reestablish 1478 00:51:48,065 --> 00:51:48,565 connection? 1479 00:51:48,864 --> 00:51:50,784 And how do we do it safely and 1480 00:51:50,784 --> 00:51:51,284 soundly 1481 00:51:51,905 --> 00:51:54,885 and in a way that remember shared humanity? 1482 00:51:55,920 --> 00:51:57,599 That was one of the things, and believe 1483 00:51:57,599 --> 00:51:59,440 me, I could have said a lot of 1484 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:01,460 horrible things about my first husband, 1485 00:52:01,839 --> 00:52:03,519 but it was also the father of my 1486 00:52:03,519 --> 00:52:04,019 kids. 1487 00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:06,559 Yeah. True that. And so I had to 1488 00:52:06,559 --> 00:52:08,659 realize too, and I'm a faith based practitioner 1489 00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:09,539 as well, 1490 00:52:09,945 --> 00:52:13,164 I I don't believe that God makes horrible 1491 00:52:13,224 --> 00:52:13,724 people. 1492 00:52:14,025 --> 00:52:16,265 And so I I come from that standpoint 1493 00:52:16,265 --> 00:52:17,625 too. Yeah. So there's a way to get 1494 00:52:17,625 --> 00:52:19,785 back. There's something pure to get back to. 1495 00:52:19,785 --> 00:52:20,925 Yeah. And I work holistically 1496 00:52:21,224 --> 00:52:23,489 as well. So I'm a coach and holistic 1497 00:52:23,489 --> 00:52:25,329 practitioner. And free consults, you said, as well? 1498 00:52:25,329 --> 00:52:27,650 Free the oh, that's awesome. So, yeah, that's 1499 00:52:27,809 --> 00:52:29,090 I'll put the link to that in the 1500 00:52:29,090 --> 00:52:31,329 show notes for those that wanna take advantage 1501 00:52:31,329 --> 00:52:32,769 of that. Now we get to meet Dani 1502 00:52:32,769 --> 00:52:34,289 before you guys get to trust her with 1503 00:52:34,289 --> 00:52:36,130 the most important thing. Well, Dani, this was 1504 00:52:36,130 --> 00:52:37,889 so great. I appreciate you coming on. This 1505 00:52:37,889 --> 00:52:39,875 was wonderful. Thank you for help sharing all 1506 00:52:39,875 --> 00:52:41,394 your knowledge with the audience. Yeah. Thank you 1507 00:52:41,394 --> 00:52:42,375 for having me. 1508 00:52:42,835 --> 00:52:44,914 Thanks for listening to this episode. If you 1509 00:52:44,914 --> 00:52:46,675 are a high achiever with a sex addiction 1510 00:52:46,675 --> 00:52:48,434 and you're looking for a recovery group full 1511 00:52:48,434 --> 00:52:51,579 of like minded men, visit successfuladdict.com. 1512 00:52:51,579 --> 00:52:54,380 We provide men with a recovery mastermind group 1513 00:52:54,380 --> 00:52:55,599 using four day retreats, 1514 00:52:55,980 --> 00:52:58,719 weekly group calls, and daily accountability check ins. 1515 00:52:58,780 --> 00:53:01,019 If you wanna achieve long term sobriety and 1516 00:53:01,019 --> 00:53:02,940 save your marriage, go to our website and 1517 00:53:02,940 --> 00:53:03,839 fill out our application. 1518 00:53:04,219 --> 00:53:06,824 If you enjoyed this episode, please pass it 1519 00:53:06,905 --> 00:53:08,264 along to a friend in recovery who would 1520 00:53:08,264 --> 00:53:10,264 benefit from listening. It is my mission to 1521 00:53:10,264 --> 00:53:11,945 get this information out to as many high 1522 00:53:11,945 --> 00:53:14,264 achievers as possible, and I can't do it 1523 00:53:14,264 --> 00:53:15,244 without your help.
