How you should act when you or your partner lose confidence in the relationship

Faith is an essential element of a strong relationship, and when broken, it is difficult to rebuild. When you think of circumstances that could lead to a loss of trust in your partner, betrayal may immediately come to mind. But betrayal is not the only way to break trust in a relationship.

Other options include:

Breaking Promises
When You Need
Hide something
lies or manipulation
A lack of expression

Signs of faith in a relationship:

You feel committed to your relationship and your partner.
You feel safe with your partner and you know that you will respect physical and emotional boundaries.
You know your partner listens when you communicate your needs and feelings.
You don't feel the need to hide things.
Respect each other.
Support each other.

In a relationship, trust does not necessarily mean that you tell your partner/es everything you think of. It is only natural to have personal thoughts that you keep in your mind. Faith also does not mean giving each other access to:

) Bank accounts (unless common)
Personal computers
Cell phones
Social networking account

Having faith in a relationship generally means that you don't need to control your partner/en.

Reconstruction of Faith

1. Consider why you lost your faith: Whatever happened, it is important to make clear what happened was not good. But knowing the reasons behind his/her actions can help you decide if you are able to start rebuilding trust.

2. Communicating, communicating, communicating: Talking about what happened is just the beginning. Remember, it is normal if you cannot afford everything in one night or two.

3. Practice forgiveness: If you want to adjust a relationship after a loss of faith, forgiveness is the key.

4. Avoid past attitudes: When you decide to give the relationship a second chance, you also decide to trust your partner again. Perhaps you cannot trust him completely immediately.

What if you're the one who hurt someone?

1. Why did you do it? Before you begin the process of rebuilding trust, you must first deal with yourself to understand why you have done so. Understanding your motives for behavior may be difficult, but it is an essential part of rebuilding trust.

2. Sincerely apologize: If you have lied, cheated or damaged your partner's trust, a sincere apology is a good way to start improvement. It is very important to admit that you have erred.

3. Give time to partner/s: People also process things in different ways.

4. Let their needs guide you.

5. Be engaged in clear communication: Honestly answer his/her questions.

How long will it take?

Being in a relationship with broken faith can be extremely difficult. Both sides may want to complete the entire process of confidence reconstruction as soon as possible. But really, that takes time.

How long, exactly? It depends on many factors, especially the event that broke trust.

Sources: Psychology Today, Healthline