It may not feel that way if you've just recently discovered the affair of your spouse or partner. It's likely that if you have just discovered the affair, or the suspicions of infidelity are so compelling that they are driving you crazy, you know precisely what I'm talking about. But rest assured, there are specific stages or steps, mental shifts you will make, that will boost you through the infidelity crisis.

Survival may seem a completely fitting word. It truly feels like emotional, sometimes even physical survival. The fear and pain can be debilitating and excruciating. It strikes at the heart of who you are, or thought you were.

Surviving infidelity and an affair means that you will make shifts in your thinking. You see, there are many common misconceptions about surviving an affair that make surviving an affair and the healing and recovering from infidelity much, much more difficult.

And, as you begin to make the shifts, you begin to survive the affair, begin to feel relief and a new confidence in your ability to say and do exactly what you must to not merely survive the affair, but know what you can do to possibly stop the affair, begin your healing process and perhaps save your marriage or relationship.

A shift most have to make in surviving infidelity is how they initially approach their cheating husband or cheating wife.

In my free ecourse, I outline 7 Killer Mistakes that prolong the affair, the misery and agony.

This e-course begins shaping your thinking in a way that gives you the first steps of change that will give you the personal power you need in surviving, and eventually overcoming and thriving through the infidelity and affair.

For example you will shift away from:

• saying I love you.. and know exactly why you are doing that

• suggesting counseling...and know exactly why this doesn't work

• saying you've changed...and be able to see the positive impact on him/her of NOT using this phrase

• and more....

• and begin utilizing words and actions that will have the greatest chance of ending the affair and bringing about healing.

In order to survive infidelity and an affair, you have to shift away from the thought and the effort that you can stop the affair.

Attempting to directly stop the affair is often a disaster waiting to happen. Sorry, that's the bad news.

The good news: Many people often end the affair by using "indirect" approaches.

These strategies often work, to the astonishment of the offended partner or spouse.

For example you can learn the powerful strategy of "backing off" when applied to a "My Marriage Made Me Do It" type of affair.

Again, surviving an affair means making some shifts that right now you may not even consider to be possible.

Another shift in surviving an affair is to reach out. Of course, it's not easy, certainly, in the beginning stages of discovering infidelity, to reach out to family and friends for support and encouragement. However, many people find support and a listening ear to be indispensable - at least in those very early hours and days - in surviving infidelity and the affair.

As unreasonable as it seems, many people feel embarrassment and humiliation when they initially discover that their spouse is having an affair.

They don't want to tell anyone. (They also think that if the affair ends and the marriage is restored, it would NOT be helpful to have others know what happened.)

And so, many suffer in silence or make knee-jerk, uninformed decisions that harm the process.

Surviving an affair means you seek out knowledge. And, this knowledge will generate shifts in your thinking about infidelity and affairs that will give you newfound courage, power and hope.

Affairs are exceedingly complex. Did you know that? The grocery check-out tabloids don't convey the complexity of affair relationships.

There are different kinds of affairs, each with varying nuances and different motivations.

I outline 7 distinctive kinds of affairs in my e-book, "Break Free From the Affair." This introduction to infidelity kick-starts your change and healing process.

Surviving an affair is often dependent on knowing exactly what you need to say and do in terms of the specific kind of affair facing you. In conjunction with the 7 types of affairs, I outline specific approaches to use with each different type of affair you may encounter.

Warning: Using a strategy for one type of affair may work, but may be a disaster when used for a different type of affair.

Decision making is vital to surviving an affair or infidelity. All kinds of decision-making situations enfold you.

For example, to truly save the marriage, if that is what you want to do, it is imperative to first entertain seriously the question, should you stay or should you go? Or, should s/he stay? Or, should s/he go?

Maybe you never even thought in those terms. Or, perhaps, you don't WANT to think in those terms.

You must also ask the question: "Do I truly want to save the marriage (want to be married to him/her) or am I wanting the marriage for my own personal needs?" Huge difference (your cheating spouse will intuitively know). Give yourself some time with the question before formulating key decisions and tactics.

Surviving infidelity and an affair in a healthy and proactive manner forces you to alter your thinking, uncomfortably at first, to give you the most potential for resolving the crisis, restoring your sanity and possibly salvaging the marriage.