A Trauma-Based Physiological Approach: Helping Betrayed Partners Heal from Marital Infidelity

Sauerheber, Jill Duba; Disque, J. Graham

doi:10.1353/jip.2016.0018

Cited by 6 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Infidelity in a marital relationship is conceptualized as a traumatic event in clinical literature, with clients frequently reporting PTSD symptoms (Baucom et al, ; Sauerheber & Dique, ); however, no published empirical data exist regarding infidelity‐related PTSD symptoms and psychological health in an unmarried population. We used cross‐sectional data to examine the prevalence of PTSD symptoms following infidelity in a serious, committed relationship.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Infidelity in an intimate relationship can be extremely stressful for betrayed partners. Clinicians posit that infidelity functions as an interpersonal trauma because the devastating and lingering effects it often produces resemble those experienced by individuals with post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Baucom, Gordon, & Snyder, ; Gordon & Baucom, ; Sauerheber & Dique, ). Despite the high occurrence of infidelity (~25% of all committed relationships; Blow & Hartnett, ), and its potential to elicit PTSD‐like effects, little empirical work has investigated the psychological impacts of infidelity, such as the prevalence of infidelity‐related PTSD symptoms or how infidelity‐related PTSD symptoms may be related to other psychological health outcomes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although infidelity remains largely unexamined in the trauma literature, clinical observations from the counselling literature argue that infidelity is an interpersonal trauma (e.g., Baucom et al, ; Gordon & Baucom, ; Sauerheber & Dique, ). The discovery of infidelity often leads to emotions that parallel PTSD, vacillating from rage at the unfaithful partner to feelings of self‐blame, abandonment, overwhelming powerlessness, and victimization (for a review, see Baucom, Gordon, Snyder, Atkins, & Christensen, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The discovery of infidelity often leads to emotions that parallel PTSD, vacillating from rage at the unfaithful partner to feelings of self‐blame, abandonment, overwhelming powerlessness, and victimization (for a review, see Baucom, Gordon, Snyder, Atkins, & Christensen, ). Clients also frequently report intrusive thoughts, distressing flashbacks, behavioural and psychological avoidance, and physiological hyperarousal symptoms and hypervigilance, all of which are hallmarks of PTSD (for a review, see Baucom et al, ; Sauerheber & Dique, ). In extreme cases, treatment‐seeking patients have reported uncontrollable preoccupations with the infidelity and difficulty concentrating on anything other than the betrayal, leading to social isolation and an inability to work until symptoms subsided (Rachman, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Psychologists and counsellors have focused on marital infidelity when reporting traumatic responses in the literature (e.g., Laaser et al, ; Sauerheber & Dique, ; Steffens & Rennie, ), largely excluding infidelity that occurs in nonmarital relationships. The restriction to married individuals is understandable; married couples may be more likely to seek therapy than unmarried couples, and married couples typically have more time and resources invested in the relationship (e.g., joint finances and children).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Post‐traumatic stress and psychological health following infidelity in unmarried young adults

et al. 2019

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Infidelity is often conceptualized as a traumatic event; however, little research has explored this topic empirically, particularly in unmarried adults. We determined the prevalence of infidelity-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among unmarried adults who experienced a partner's infidelity and whether probable infidelity-related PTSD was associated with additional psychological health outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and anxiety symptoms). We also investigated whether negative post-traumatic cognitions mediated the associations between infidelity-related PTSD symptoms and psychological health. This study included 73 adults (M age = 19.42, SE = 0.19 years) who experienced infidelity within a committed nonmarital relationship within the last 5 years. Controlling for gender, race, and exposure to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders Criterion A traumas, 45.2% of our sample reported symptoms suggesting probable infidelity-related PTSD. Whether used as continuous or categorical predictor, infidelity-related PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, although results for perceived stress and anxiety symptoms were mixed.Post-traumatic cognitions acted as a partial mediator for depressive symptoms and full mediator for perceived stress and anxiety symptoms. This empirical evidence suggests that infidelity may produce PTSD symptoms at a relatively high rate, even in unmarried young adults, and may put individuals at risk for poorer psychological health, partially through post-traumatic cognitions. K E Y W O R D Sclose relationships, infidelity, post-traumatic cognitions, post-traumatic stress, psychological health, PTSD, young adults

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Post‐traumatic stress and psychological health following infidelity in unmarried young adults

et al. 2019

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Pathways to Infidelity: The Roles of Self-Serving Bias and Betrayal Trauma

Warach

Josephs

Gorman

2018

Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy

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This study employed a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to examine the interrelationships between the self-serving bias and various known predictors of sexual infidelity. Specifically, we sought to generate a path model depicting how the following variables jointly predict sexual infidelity perpetration: (1) insecure attachment, (2) pathological narcissism, (3) sexual narcissism, (4) primary psychopathy, (5) self-serving attributions for retaliatory infidelity, and (6) sexual betrayal victimization. We developed a structural model describing various pathways to sexual infidelity perpetration based on these six variables. Three pathways to infidelity were discovered. In the first pathway, anxious and avoidant attachment predicted primary psychopathy, and self-justification for retaliatory infidelity mediated the relationship between primary psychopathy and infidelity perpetration. In the second pathway, anxious attachment predicted sexual narcissism, which predicted self-justification for retaliatory infidelity, which in turn predicted infidelity perpetration. In the third pathway, being a victim of sexual betrayal directly predicted sexual infidelity perpetration. In fact, suffering sexual betrayal was the best predictor of sexual infidelity perpetration. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

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An Adlerian-Based Narrative Inquiry of Temporal Awareness, Resilience, and Patient-Centeredness Among Emergency Physicians—The Gyroscope Model

Gabay

Ben-Asher

2022

Qual Health Res

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Introduction Although extensive research examined time perceptions among patients in the emergency department (ED), studies on temporal awareness among emergency physicians is scant. Salutogenics is the theoretical anchor. Methods The sample comprised ten emergency resident physicians from an Israeli public tertiary hospital. Narrative interviews were conducted. To determine the theme of the study, Adlerian narrative analysis was performed. To identify categories, semantic and content analyses were performed. Results Adlerian narrative analysis highlighted temporal awareness as a strong theme across interviews. Semantic and content analyses identified categories within temporal awareness. Analyses revealed a movement among three subcategories: A clinical task in which physicians rapidly shift along seven distinct times, temporal awareness shaping their work experience, and temporal awareness as inhibiting or enabling relationships with patients. Data-analyses identified two groups of physicians, one group driven by the need to control the time to avoid errors, experiencing anxiety and poor wellbeing, and the other, shifting from clinical tasks to patient-centeredness while removing the time factor from their considerations and experiencing resilience through manageability and meaningfulness. We introduce the “gyroscope model” for physicians to illustrate these findings and propose recommendations for practice. Discussion Understanding the complexity of the temporal continuum and the influence of shifting from the clinical task to relationships with patients may contribute to resilience of resident physician in the ED and to their self-efficacy, enriching their professional skills and capacity to cope and grow while facing the complexity of the ED

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A Trauma-Based Physiological Approach: Helping Betrayed Partners Heal from Marital Infidelity

Cited by 6 publications

References 33 publications

Post‐traumatic stress and psychological health following infidelity in unmarried young adults

Post‐traumatic stress and psychological health following infidelity in unmarried young adults

Pathways to Infidelity: The Roles of Self-Serving Bias and Betrayal Trauma

An Adlerian-Based Narrative Inquiry of Temporal Awareness, Resilience, and Patient-Centeredness Among Emergency Physicians—The Gyroscope Model

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