Dr. Scott Haltzman is board certified in Psychiatry and is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is currently practicing psychiatry at the David Lawrence Center in Naples, Florida. In this show, we discuss his latest book, The Secret of Surviving Infidelity, which contains research, anecdotes and suggestions for how to survive the trauma of a partner’s infidelity.
He begins by discussing the difficulty of defining infidelity, as it means different things. A person can be unfaithful sexually, emotionally or both. Affairs often include what Dr Haltzman calls NOD: Need, Opportunity and Disinhibition, the inability to suppress impulsive negative behaviors. There is a connection between addiction and infidelity because people who use drug and alcohol often demonstrate very impulsive behaviors.
Most people aren’t addicted to sex, but they can be obsessed with and compulsively attracted to another person, a situation which he calls “flame addiction.” This type of behavior is similar to other addicted behavior, so it can be treated with methods similar to those used with other addictions. Dr. Haltzman describes certain signs of infidelity including change of routine, deleting emails, changing passwords and change in sexual behaviors. He also discusses how to approach a partner who is suspected of having an affair. Dr. Haltzman offers suggestions including how to confront them, gather information, and have a conversation with the betraying spouse or partner. Tune in to learn more about how to heal from infidelity, including ways to rebuild trust and intimacy within the marriage. For more information, please visit http://www.drscott.com .