Many good things come from an open sexual relationship. Still, many good things come from relationships quite different from, but often confused with an open relationship. The truth is that any version of a sexual relationship can work. Any version can be happy, healthy, satisfying, and exciting. Whether monogamous, long-distance, or open, it can work for the right reasons.
Of course, the problem knows if you’re doing something for the right reasons. When someone is cheating in a sexual relationship, it’s tempting to make the sexual relationship open or try to do so, as if that will magically solve all your problems. But if someone cheats on you, does that mean the relationship should end? Should you break up? The truth is, it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between making a bold and honest decision about your sexual relationship and deceiving yourself and trying to delay the inevitable. That’s why it’s so important to be honest with yourself and openly question the state of your relationship.
Every sexual relationship is different. It can be about sex
, but it can also be about many other things, such as a lack of intimacy, a lack of consideration for your partner, trying to run away from or sabotage the relationship, or simply a complete breakdown in communication and falling into complacency. You need to be honest about the state of your sexual relationship beforehand. Even if you have problems with trust or communication, that won’t change immediately in an open relationship. An open relationship requires that communication, trust, and all parts of the sexual foundation are completely appropriate. If you feel that your sexual relationship is going very well, that the affair was just fleeting, or that it was just about sex, then maybe an open sexual relationship is the answer. But you need to make sure that your sexual relationship is a mistake. It is strong enough for it to work.
How much damage did the affair cause?
If you are both casual about sex and have talked about trying something new, then cheating may not mean as much to you as it does to couples who always think the other person is monogamous and happy. But no matter what happens, you have to deal with the affair yourself. Talk about why it happened, how it happened, what role you both played in it, and make sure you have recovered from the affair before moving on. Otherwise, an open sexual relationship in this situation could be dangerous.
Were you interested in an open sexual relationship before the affair?
This is one of the most important factors. Have you ever been interested in an open sexual relationship? Even if you haven’t told each other, have you ever thought that it might work for you? Because that’s the thing. Even if an open sexual relationship might work for you, if you don’t think about it until you cheat, you’ll probably resent it. This is such a betrayal of trust that an open sexual relationship can always be damaged.
Well, maybe after a few months, you’ll decide that an open sexual relationship is right for you, completely disconnected from cheating. But just understanding the idea that it’s all about sex and that an open sexual relationship relieves pressure and eliminates cheating is enough to relax you in an open sexual relationship if you feel like you have no choice. You probably can, but it’s very hard to do.
