Even though there is no physical contact or intimacy involved, emotional infidelity can nonetheless injure the other person and the relationship.
Psychologists note that an emotional affair is more challenging to identify since the partner looks to someone else for emotional needs, even while the line is not violated in physical contact.
When a person is married or in a committed relationship and offers someone else more time, energy, and feelings than their partner, it is emotional cheating. It does not necessarily involve kisses, hugs, or making out.
This type of adultery, known as “infidelity of the heart”, usually starts harmlessly, without any intention there is companionship, conversation, closeness, and when emotions and sparks appear, the risk of classic adultery increases. In a video posted on TikTok, Dr. Cathy Nickerson, a licensed clinical psychologist and relationship expert, claims that 99 percent of emotional affairs “start the same way” – when a partner starts sharing the difficulties and details of their relationship with someone else. It can be a colleague, neighbor, friend, acquaintance.
“Conversations often start innocently enough, you just say that things in the relationship are difficult right now,” the psychologist said in the video. “But then, you get more and more support, you feel like you want to message that person all the time, the feelings start to grow.”
The psychologist’s video was viewed by over a million people, and in the comments many pointed out that they had similar experiences in their relationship and that this is how problems in their relationship began.
Why do people talk about their dissatisfaction in a relationship to others instead of talking to their partner?
Looking for a confidant outside of your relationship is certainly a path to an emotional affair, but wanting to hook up with someone else is almost always a sign that something is missing in your current relationship, experts say. When he talks to a third person about his relationship, the partner expects approval, support and understanding, and he gets it, while there is discord in the relationship. Then feelings can arise. The question is whether the partner told another side of the story, because it is likely that he only told the third party his problem and presented himself as someone who sacrificed in the whole relationship.
Therapists recommend that every problem and dissatisfaction in the relationship be openly and honestly communicated with the partner. This is the only way you can improve your relationship and make it develop. Experts advise that if you cannot talk to your partner about some feelings, consider contacting a therapist or psychologist for help. On the other hand, if dissatisfaction is frequent and your partner does not want to work on the relationship despite conversations and your attempts, it may be time to consider whether it is worth staying in such a relationship.
