Are you Having an Emotional Affair?
Affairs are considered taboo and they hurt the people involved. But did you know that there are multiple ways that you could be cheating on your partner without even realizing it? The first thing someone thinks of when they think of cheating or infidelity is a physical affair, in which someone with a committed partner has physical relations with someone else. However, not every affair involves intimacy. Another very common way people cheat on their partner or spouse is through an emotional affair, which is less physical and often less detectable.
For some people, it starts out like a friendship or a close camaraderie with a coworker. Maybe the friendship is growing into something you can’t, or don’t want to, explain. For many people, there does not have to be any physical contact for this to be considered cheating. Instead, this is emotional infidelity. And many people consider this to be a serious form of cheating. Unfortunately, this type of cheating is growing, because it happens easily and is harder to detect. We are constantly connecting with other people at work, at the gym, on social media, etc. The opportunity is everywhere.
What is emotional infidelity you may ask? This occurs when you continuously confide in someone who is not your current partner, which creates an intimate dynamic that usually only exists within the committed relationship. These types of affairs do not always lead to physical intimacy, but they often do.
Is your partner having an emotional affair? Here are some common signs and symptoms to watch out for:
- Frequently in contact with this “close friend” even when you are not together physically (through many forms of communication and at all hours of the day)
- You and this close friend share intimate frustrations about your committed partners or relationships, often bearing inappropriate or confidential details that would upset your partner
- Find yourself sharing intimate details about yourself or thoughts you are having with this close friend, particularly thoughts you aren’t sharing with your partner
- When you have good or bad news, your first impulse isn’t to tell your partner; it’s to tell your close friend
- Frequently engage in flirty or sexual banter
- You’re sneaking around and keeping things hidden from your partner (lies start to add up!)
- Find yourself consciously or subconsciously comparing your partner to your friend
Emotional affairs can be just as painful and as destructive as a physical affair. Whereas a physical affair may be a one or two time act, an emotional affair can be much more damaging because it goes much deeper than that and often lasts much longer. People report feeling even more betrayed by their partner when they admit to having an emotional affair.
Detecting or proving an emotional affair can be much more difficult than a physical affair, but it is not impossible. Like a physical affair, emotional infidelity leaves bread crumbs. Not sure what these are? Consider calling Investigation Hotline to find out.
