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North Ireland Rocked By Cougar Affair

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Here’s a twist on the typical political affair: this time, the person perpetrating the affair was a woman. And her lover was 19. She’s Iris Robinson, a member of the Irish parlaiment and wife of Ireland’s first minister. Additionally, a radio show in Britian is alleging that Ms. Robinson organized a nearly $83,000 business deal to establish her lover’s business without declaring her interest. The program also pointed guilted the first minister, saying he became aware of the relationship and the deal but didn’t alert authorities.

What Drives An Affair?

I’ve written a lot about the affairs we see perpetrated by politicians ~ it’s nothing new. Typically the reasons boils down to similar reasons for just about everyone in positions of power: they’re more vulnerable to engage in this type of behavior because of stress, separation and loss – factors which I deal with in-depth in my book Adultery The Forgivable Sin, where I discuss healing the hurt after an affair. These aspects can come from a variety of places: stress from their job, separation from their significant other or family, loss of a higher position, an election, money, their youth or any one of a number of things. It’s likely that Ms. Robinson (an ironic name, we know) was suffering from any or all of these things but her transgressions go deeper.

The so-called cougar mentality (older women who give their time and affection to younger men) can rear its head for a variety of reasons.

1. Lack of affection from their partner (this is a common theme in a variety of adulterous relationships, not just ones featuring a vast age difference)

2. Low self-esteem, the need for attention and acceptance. No matter how well the cheater’s partner treats them, no matter how good the relationship is, they need a larger “audience” to boost their ego.

4. Sex addict. Just like a drug addict, the sex addict isn’t thinking about the destructive consequences to themselves or others. Their focus is driven by the addiction.

5. When a person can’t deal with reality very well, they escape by cheating. Some people escape to drugs or alcohol, some escape by playing the fantasy world.

The Link Between Affairs And Financial Infidelity

The financial issues make this particular affair even more interesting as Ms. Robinson committed financial infidelity not just against her husband (by utilizing her finances to engage in a sexual affair) but also, potentially, against her responsibilities as a politician. Garnering such substantial support for someone who turns out to be a lover should be scrutinized. As I discuss in my book, Financial Infidelity, people typically commit this type of infidelity (and sexual infidelity as well) against their partners as a way to escape a certain problem. This could be true in the Robinson’s personal life and it could also be true in her public and political life as well.

One of the unfortunate things is that any type of affair will never allow you to ESCAPE a problem but will instead create more stress, thereby helping the adulterer spin out of control in a cycle of stress/infidelity, stress/infidelity, and so on. This sad situation is yet another example of the powerful being addicted to risky behaviors, and drives home the necessity of fostering a loving, communicative relationship where you can be honest with and about yourself, and with and about your partner.

Tiger And Elin: Brush With Death

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As more and more media outlets are reporting that Tiger Woods and his wife, Elin, may in fact be getting a divorce, I have a suggestion for them: break up to make up – or what I call a brush with death. One publication was reporting that Tiger offered Elin a hefty sum just to agree to stay with him for two years, so at least for one reason or another, he apparently wants the relationship to continue. Of course it’s completely understandable why Elin would just want to cut and run. She’s likely humiliated and burnt out on all the attention and speculation she’s received not only the past few weeks but over the last several years of being in the spotlight. She’s probably more than a little shell shocked and I would recommend that anyone in that situation give themselves some space.

Can Tiger And Elin Make It?

But I think it’s possible for them to eventually put the pieces back together. Sure, no one can really know what Tiger’s motivation was for offering her a settlement to stay with him but it shows that he DOES want her to stay with him in some way. And Elin has a right to be upset and angry – she SHOULD be angry over the way she was treated. I delve into the specifics in my book, Make Up Don’t Breakup, but something like this can’t be fixed overnight of course – there are deeply engrained patterns at work here and a lot of betrayal and deception at play. Which is why I recommend the brush with death – which I also talk about in the book, Adultery The Forgivable Sin – or breaking up to make up: the idea that the couple wants to make things work in the long run, but need some time to sort through their anger, frustration and other emotions on their own.

Overcoming The Obstacles

Now, I’m not talking about something where the couple breaks up with the “cushion” that it “might work out at a later date.” (How many times are we all guilty of saying, hoping for, or believing that?) What I’m talking about is an intentioned break up with the idea of continuing to work toward a healthy solution – when two people still want to be together, but have major obstacles to overcome.

But here’s the catch: the couple HAS to be committed to working things out, or else this can just be used as a license to act out on temporary emotions – actions that often have lasting implications. This would obviously only make the situation worse. When done for the right reasons – and under supervision of a therapist or counselor – A temporary break up can help resolve certain issues, and creates a shake-up that many couples need. In certain circumstances, this is the only thing that will create an action step which will make reconnecting and making up easier to do. Remember that creating this strategy – and it MUST be a strategy, not something entered into half-heartedly – is not the end of the relationship, but rather a new beginning.

Tiger Woods’ High Priced Infidelity

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How’s this for high priced financial infidelity: Tiger Woods averaged 40-60K a weekend spent on high-priced call girls. That’s the word coming from an escort service owner who says she counted Tiger as one of her frequent clients. The owner of the agency told eonline:
People like Woods (rich, famous, etc.) utilized her business because “it’s supposed to be discreet. When you pay it’s established that it’s a business relationship. You don’t have a girl thinking he is going to leave his wife for her and they will fall in love and have a fairy tale relationship.”

How Infidelity Relates To Financial Infidelity

This also makes sense in light of statistical facts that even a “normal” affair only ends in a sustained relationship 1-3% of the time. Yet people like Tiger Woods commit financial AND physical adultery all the time – either by blatantly paying for sex via a service, or by paying to be romantically involved with a person that isn’t their spouse. I typically talk about financial infidelity – as I do in my book of the same name – as any time one person goes behind their partner’s back to make a financial purchase. It’s a symptom related to other problems that cause people to have physical affairs and it can be anything from getting extra cash back at the grocery store to use on yourself, to keeping a separate bank account for your own purchases.

Sure, Tiger Woods’ story is a bit extreme and most people aren’t spending that much behind their spouse’s backs, but the same conclusions can be drawn wether you’re dishonest about $40 or $40K and whether you’re just committing financial infidelity or if you’re also engaged in a physical affair. I believe adultery can be cured physiologically as well as emotionally (generationally) by balancing stress and brain chemicals, through Psychotherapy, medical work up and treatment as I do with my patients with a team approach with an MD.

Stress Can Contribute To Both Kinds Of Infidelity

People who have experienced severe stress, loss and separation with their parents at an early age suffer an impact on their hormones. This hormonal change results in what I call the Bio Chemical Craving for Connection to establish certain equilibrium physically. Having done much research on the subject, I believe these feelings follow people into adulthood as we see with people like Tiger Woods who are under a lot of stress. People who engage in an affair (emotional, financial, physical, or otherwise) are usually looking to self-medicate these feelings but what they’re really doing is creating even more stress, separation and loss in their lives.

Until they learn how to deal with the base causes of their emotions, they likely won’t be able to eradicate this cycle from their lives.

Tiger Woods’ Indescretions

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Tiger Woods has all but admitted his philandering ways, most recently coming out with a statement saying that he has “let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all my heart.”

It remains to be seen how everything unfolds, how many women come forward, and what exactly he’ll admit to, but for now the couple is seeking privacy, which is a prerogative we should all honor.

Why Do People Cheat?

In the November issue of The New York Daily News an article about “What Makes Men Cheat” reports that people cheat because something is missing from their lives – even though everything may appear perfect. The article mentions that just because people have mastered something – in this case, playing a sport – doesn’t mean they’ve been able to learn how to have a healthy, honest, and emotionally intimate relationship. Tiger and his wife are successful, rich and have two darling children. It’s possible that this last component may be a contributing factor for his affair(s).

When a new baby comes into the picture men lose center stage status. They might begin to feel like a neglected sibling, fighting for attention from their wife. Of course, no one wants to admit this because feeling competitive with your child or baby just seems silly. Statistics show that a set-up for adultery is created with this complex combination of feeling neglected, feeling guilty, and repressing those feelings.

How To Heal After An Affair

Reports are now surfacing that Tiger is amending his pre-nup to include an extra “payout” to his wife Elin if she stays with him for a certain length of time. Of course, I don’t believe you can buy love, but I do believe that people can move beyond affairs and relationships can heal. I discuss this concept extensively in my book, “Make Up Don’t Break Up.” If both parties are willing to reconcile, a new, healthy relationship can be built from the ground up. Healing is possible, and privacy at this time is key for the couple to sort out their complex feelings.

Tiger Woods – Shame On Who?

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Men have plenty of excuses for Tiger Woods’ sexual mis-steps ~ things like: “Powerful men have a higher sex drive” or, “Men are just wired that way” or, “If women don’t want their men to stray, they need to turn up the passion in the bedroom.” And I say – Pleeeeze! We all know that men do not have a corner on the hormone market; the secret’s out and the facts are in, so enough with this foolishness—if we’re looking for excuses, let’s come up with something original. On second thought, why make excuses at all?!

Let me direct your attention to what I’m calling SI: Spiritual Incontinence. Defined: a sudden swift departure from one’s internal compass, brought about by the unconscious wound of separation. SI, I believe, is a malady that most of us who live in the western world not only suffer from but, ironically, subscribe to. We know what the high road is, and choose to submit to our lower nature, to hell with the consequences. And yes, I said choose.

Choices, Choices

It’s one thing to be broke and uneducated and thus make poor choices out of ignorance; it’s another to be out of integrity and behave abominably on purpose. Maybe my view point will explain things better – I believe that people just do what they do. (And, in many cases, whatever they can get away with! Or THINK they can get away with!) Unless you are a bona fide junkie, addicted to the rush of break-up and make-up, wake up and smell the truth:

First, being famous, powerful, rich or having a penis, in general, is not a precursor to infidelity or cheating. The difference between being a cheater and having cheated is gaping. If you don’t know the difference, bone up and grow up. There is no longer an excuse for not educating yourself unless you cannot read.

Second, women who choose to be in relationship with men who are cheaters do so because we are either afraid to be abandoned or alone, are financially dependent, are defined by a man wanting or loving us, or simply do not yet honor and respect ourselves. Take note: NONE of these reasons fall into the “we actually love him and want to stand by him” category.” This is immature and romanticized. And if your man has moved from having cheated to being a cheater, he doesn’t need help. You do—get some, and some self-respect while you’re at it. You will be thrilled you did in the long run!

Getting Some Peace Of Mind

Third, do you know what one of women’s greatest strengths is? One of our greatest gifts? Our intuition. We see the red flags; we just …want what we want. We want handsome, tall, and strong/rich, powerful, and sexy/ hunky, artistic, etc., etc., guys who will sweep us off our feet and we’ll live happily ever after. We like the idea of love, not the reality. And I gotta tell you this; fantasy gets us into more trouble than just about anything. Slap yourself. Pay attention. Do your homework. Very few men turn into cheaters who were not already cheaters of some kind. The writing is on the wall—read it OR pay the price. How much is your peace of mind, your soul, worth? I’ll bet Mr-pro-golfer’s wife is asking herself that right now. Heavy price to pay, I say!

And fourth – and last (for now, anyway) – Do you want to stay a victim and a blamer, or embrace the path of a skilled relationship warrior goddess? Maybe it’s time to fan your inner flame, turn up the volume of your passionate heart, and say YES to what’s most sacred and NO to what is not. To deny any suitor who has not taken care to bow before the divine, honor women and children, to live by the code inscribed in their deepest core, whose life reflects this on and off the field! How about you…shame on who?

Great relationships begin within!