What Is Emotional Infidelity?
Emotional infidelity is a painful, devastating love affair that involves absolutely no sex at all. When we think of someone having an affair, we are probably imagining one person engaging in physical intimacy with a person outside of their relationship. However, it is possible for someone to be unfaithful emotionally rather than just physically.
What Is Emotional Infidelity?
An emotional affair is nonsexual intimacy with someone other than your partner. It is forming a relationship with another that ultimately violates trust. Someone who invests in an affair emotionally may tell secrets and develop deep feelings that they wouldn't necessarily share with their current partner. While some may view these types of affairs harmless due to the lack of physical intimacy, most people view this as a form of cheating. The consequences of emotional infidelity are often feelings of betrayal, heartbreak, and deceit.
Signs of an Emotional Affair
An emotional affair often starts first with friendship. You may meet someone who you initially find fun to talk to. Conversations may turn flirty, there is slight romantic chemistry, and eventually you notice all your time and energy is being put toward talking and thinking of this person. People who are in the affair may not realize it right away, but here are some signs to watch out for if you suspect your partner is being unfaithful.
They seem distant or distracted.
They present as angry or irritable.
You catch them lying about where they are or who they are talking to.
They keep secrets from you.
There is a decrease of emotional availability.
Excuses are made as to why they suddenly have less time for you.
They tend to talk about a specific person more.
Why Does Emotional Infidelity Happen?
It's difficult to pinpoint an exact reason as to why this happens. Here are some things to consider as to why people emotionally cheat on their significant others:
One partner is emotionally unavailable. There are people out there who struggle with the identification and expression of emotions. This can cause issues within a relationship and one partner may start to seek this comfort elsewhere.
One partner may feel angry, disrespected, or neglected. If there are unresolved fundamental issues in a relationship, arguments and fights may start to increase. One partner may begin an affair just to spite or get the attention of the other.
One partner feels unappreciated. Feeling unimportant or taken advantage of in a relationship can affect one's mental health and it can push them towards making the decision to cheat.
Impacts of Emotional Cheating
One of the most common consequences of infidelity is the loss of the relationship. Trust is gone, feelings are hurt, and the respect for one another disappears. Mental health and self-confidence can even be affected by emotional affairs. Thoughts of "What did I do wrong?" or "Why was I not good enough?" can impact one's view of themself.
In some cases, it is possible that an emotional affair can increase growth in the relationship. The distress caused by the cheating can spark healthy conversations and help the pair understand each other's wants and needs. Communication is important when it comes to navigating emotional infidelity; whether it's prevention or moving forward, difficult conversations are necessary to ensure happiness and trust within a relationship.
If you suspect your partner is being unfaithful, it may be beneficial to seek help from a mental health professional. Therapy is a safe space to process unpleasant thoughts and emotions about your relationship. Counselors can help you learn effective communication techniques, and even offer couple's counseling sessions to reconcile damage and rebuild trust. Remember, your relationship does not have to be in crisis in order to go to therapy. Schedule a session today for affair recovery.