[Partnered people]
Why do you cheat?
I wasn’t always proud of how I handled my needs.
Before I got married, sex was easy for me. If I wanted it, I knew where to go. There was no waiting, no negotiation, no vulnerability. It was simple, controlled, and always available. At the time, it felt like freedom.
When I got married, I told myself things would change. And in some ways, they did. I wasn’t living that same life anymore. I wasn’t out there as much, and I tried to settle into what I thought a committed relationship should look like.
But the truth is, something in me didn’t just switch off.
I still had a strong sex drive. I still wanted things—certain experiences, certain sexual acts—that I wasn’t getting at home. And instead of really facing that, instead of fully opening up about it or working through it, I took the easier path sometimes. Not as much as before, but enough that I can’t sit here and pretend I was a saint.
Part of it wasn’t just about sex. It was the simplicity of it. The certainty. The fact that I didn’t have to explain myself, didn’t have to risk rejection, didn’t have to feel exposed. I could just get what I wanted and leave.
Because while I was looking for fulfillment in those moments, I was also creating distance in the place that actually mattered—my marriage. Instead of building something deeper, I was avoiding the harder conversations, the uncomfortable truths.
Looking back, I can see that it wasn’t just about desire. It was about how I chose to deal with it. I wanted connection, but I also wanted control. And those two things don’t always live in the same place.
Now I’m left having to be honest—with myself more than anyone else—about what I’ve done, what I’ve avoided, and what kind of man I actually want to be going forward.