I cheated on my boyfriend of six years, What do I do?

I would be honest. Whether it was an accident or on purpose you have been with this person for six years and over that time trust has been built. While it is a giant breach of trust, there is a chance that it can be repaired if you are upfront with them about what has happened. It can be scary and understandably so but holding onto a secret like this can be detrimental to other aspects of your life besides your relationship and things like this have a way of manifesting themselves into larger problems that could be life altering down the line.

Firstly I'm sure you have a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts going through your mind. That's natural and it is excellent that you're reaching out. Secondly, don't feel obligated to follow any "advice" you're given. You are the expert on yourself, your feelings, and ultimately will make decisions based on what is best for you. Thirdly, take the time to think about what has happened, why it happened, and what you would like to have happen moving forward. (This might take the longest time to process!) Ultimately, do what you feel is best for you...your happiness matters as much as anyone else's!

Identify within yourself why you did this, how you feel about it, and what you want from this situation. Do you want to reconcile with your boyfriend? If so, you need to come completely clean and apologize. Try not to become defensive or angry or too clingy. This is a betrayal of the trust that you have cultivated over six years. You can’t expect your boyfriend to take the news any certain way, you just have to be respectful and understanding of his emotions and need for space, as well as whatever he decided to do from now on in regards to ending or continuing the relationship.

I would tell him about it so he doesn't find out from anyone else. If he doesn't find out from you then the result will likely be worse. He might even understand as six years is a while and you seemed to have stayed clean up until about now. You could even bring a friend that you trust very much to try to keep it a little less tense. He could see you point of view too based on the fact that you clearly regret it. If you tell him the truth then he will hopefully be more understanding with this.

Firstly, maybe think about why you did this. Maybe you want to escape from the relationship but are not sure how to do it so you have done something that will make him break up with you. Maybe you just don't want to be the one to end things. There's could be many or just a few reasons why you have done things this way. For example, you don't come across as the "bad" one this way. However, this is the farthest thing from the truth. The only thing to do that may clear your conscious is to tell your boyfriend and deal with the fall out. It may mean the end of your relationship as there will be no trust between you. At the end of the day you have tried to do your the best by him even though what you did was wrong. You can try to continue the relationship but I believe it will never be the same. He will always be questioning in his mind about what you might be doing if you are not around.