Most people assume infidelity has to do with something physical. We’ve all seen it portrayed in movies and on television shows. Maybe you’ve even experienced it yourself or know someone who has. Physical infidelity can destroy a relationship, but it’s important to understand just how harmful and damaging emotional infidelity can be, too.
Even if no romantic physical contact is involved, someone can absolutely “cheat” in a relationship by letting their emotions get involved. Let’s take a closer look at what emotional infidelity really is and how it can impact your relationship.
What Is Emotional Infidelity?
Emotional infidelity occurs when a person in a relationship forms a strong emotional connection with someone other than their partner. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any physical involvement, but the connection is important. It clearly crosses a line and betrays the other partner.
Often, emotional infidelity begins innocently. Your partner might start talking with a co-worker or someone online. They might confide in an old friend. While they might not think they’re doing anything wrong, those conversations can escalate quickly, and once a connection is formed, it typically only gets stronger.
What Are Examples of Emotional Infidelity?
The type of connections and conversations associated with emotional infidelity is often very specific. It’s not as simple as exchanging pleasantries or talking with someone else about the weather or hot topics of the day.
Rather, if your partner is emotionally cheating, they’re probably talking to another person about your relationship troubles or about their deeply-rooted feelings and emotions. They’re confiding in someone else about very personal and intimate things without telling you about them.
They might also be thinking about that other person more often than not or even bringing that person up to you, asking why you can’t be more like them. As you might expect, the expectation, emotional disconnection, and betrayal can hurt just as deeply as physical cheating.
Signs of Emotional Cheating
For some people, emotional infidelity can serve as a sort of gray area. You don’t want to keep your partner from talking and connecting with people. But there’s a fine line between friendly conversation and something more serious. With that in mind, some of the most common signs of emotional infidelity include obvious flirtation, tension, and keeping secrets. You might also find that your partner suddenly lacks a desire for you and your relationship or that they’re no longer willing to put the work into your relationship to make things better.
What is the Impact of Emotional Infidelity?
Depending on your personal views, emotional infidelity can impact your relationship the same way physical cheating would. At best, it’s a secret that can drive a huge wedge in your relationship. At worst, it’s a huge betrayal. If you’re committed to your relationship and want to make things work, you and your partner have to set boundaries. They have to stop the infidelity immediately, and you both have to be willing to put in the time and effort to heal.
Of course, it takes two to make that happen. If your partner wants to continue the emotional affair or doesn’t respect the boundaries you want to set, you can’t force things to work. It’s important to remember that your feelings are valid and emotional infidelity is still infidelity. That doesn’t mean things can’t work if you’re both willing, but it also doesn’t mean you need to fight for your relationship on your own.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional for help. Couples counseling can benefit you as a couple and as an individual, especially if you’re struggling with the betrayal associated with this kind of cheating.
