I have never been cheated on. . .well sort of.
I don't want to minimize the hurt, the pain & the betrayal partners must feel when they have been cheated on with another human being. When my RAH was actively drinking & smoking pot (daily), I felt cheated on, betrayed, & hurt everyday! When he chose alcohol & pot over me? Our child? As much as it pained me & damaged our relationship/our family, he contined (I would tell myself). For me, his drinking & smoking pot were betrayals. When he would say, "You act like I'm out with other women cheating on you. It's only two beers." Or "it's just pot." In the midst of our insanity, I remember telling him I would actually prefer he cheated with someone than Budweiser & MaryJane. I had become so cold, withdrawn, angry, & emotionally/physically exhausted that I think when my RAH was in the throws of his addiction (before I left --we are separated--), I would have been relieved if there was another woman. The addiction was rampaging us all! My mind had become/ was as warped as my AH's: Arguably, my mind was actually more warped. I didn't have alcohol or pot in my bloodstream to blame!Of course, since he has been in recovery and I have been working on myself as well (that we've both stepped out of the insane situation), there is more clarity. No, I don't want him to be with anyone else.
I do think people can have multiple addictions. That's why "recovery" is important, not just "sobriety" from one's drug of choice (be it alcohol, prescription drugs, gambling, sex, etc.) . People can transfer their addictions. I would say the same for us codies (i. e. our "addiction" to our A's can be tranferred or acted out in other destructive ways if we aren't working on ourselves rigorously).
As for infidelity, for some, it may be part of multiple addictions.