Cheating is defined as having a physical or emotional connection with someone outside your relationship. This type of behaviour usually displays itself in many forms and it is most often but not always a secret. Cheating has always been a big part of society and most of us have been exposed to it in one way or another but the interesting thing is that it’s not always clear where the line is to some people. Some relationships genuinely start off as friends and somehow along the way it becomes unclear where the friendship stops and the emotional cheating begins.
Table of Contents
What is considered cheating?
Being emotionally connected or involved with someone else or having a physical relationship with someone other than your partner is considered cheating.
What are the examples of cheating in a relationship?
They are generally two types of cheating common in society today. One is physical cheating and the other is emotional cheating and sometimes it can be both where it starts off as one-sided but somehow along the way the two come together.
What is physical Cheating in a relationship?
Physical cheating is a scenario where someone has a physical relationship with someone other than the person they are involved in a relationship with. This level of unfaithfulness could be a one-off occurrence but for other people, it can be continuous for several months and is most often a secret from their partners. This relationship usually involves physical intimacy without being too emotionally involved and there is a level of detachment when it comes to this kind of cheating. Most commonly but not always the person who is cheating enjoys what they are doing but on some level feels guilty for betraying their partner and that is why they choose to keep their emotional side away. It is a way of safeguarding their feelings and fulfilling the physical needs that they feel is missing from their relationship. Physical cheating is usually characterized by several partners and this is because it is easy to remain detached emotionally especially if you only know the person for brief periods of time.
What is Emotional Cheating in a relationship?
Emotional cheating is having a deep connection and strong feelings towards someone other than the person you are involved in a relationship with.
it is important to note that emotional cheating usually starts off as a friendship that develops into something more. Emotional cheating like any other cheating usually fulfils a part of a person that they are missing from the relationship. This type of unfaithfulness is usually unclear to some people because they can’t tell where the line stops between being a good friend and being emotionally unfaithful to your partner because they tend to feel the same most days. Unlike physical cheating, emotional unfaithfulness is usually with the same person over a period of time. This is because you build a deep connection and a support system with this person while sharing deep parts about yourself things you don’t usually share with your partner.
Emotional cheating usually develops into strong feelings and sexual attraction towards the other person and although it starts off Innocent it crosses a line and disrespects the bond between you and your partner.
This type of unfaithfulness is usually characterized by open secrecy. Open secrecy is where your partner knows about the other person but they are unaware of the level of connection or the strong Bond you too have.
Emotional cheating is characterized by neglecting your partner’s emotional needs purely because yours are being satisfied by someone else outside the relationship. This person becomes your go-to for most emotional needs or opinions regarding your life or even your relationship and you open up to them more than you do your partner or even value their opinion more. Consider taking the relationship quiz to identify the area of your relationship that needs work.
HOW TO OVERCOME TRUST ISSUES IN A RELATIOSNHIP.
Signs your partner is cheating.
- Secrecy
- Neglect
- Change in habit.
- Lying
- Sudden Interests.
Secrecy.
Any type of cheating whether physical or emotional is usually characterised by some level of secrecy. This is because on some level the person doing the cheating still cares about their partner but also feels the need to satisfy whatever they feel is missing from the relationship from somewhere else. So when your partner suddenly hides their phone for example or is not open and honest about where they go or whom they are with, usually indicates they are trying to hide something and for some couples that is usually the case when it comes to cheating. So it is important when you notice secrecy in your relationship to have a deep conversation with your partner about what is going on and how you can both work on improving it if you wish to save your relationship.
Neglect.
Neglect is also another sign of unfaithfulness not always but in some cases. This is because neglect in a relationship usually appears without any real thought process and is caused by something else. When it comes to unfaithfulness and cheating a person tends to ignore parts of the relationship that they are receiving from somewhere else outside the relationship. For example, someone that is emotionally unfaithful will not make the effort to connect with their partner because their needs are already being satisfied by someone else. Similarly, someone who is physically cheating tends to pay less attention to the level of intimacy in their own relationship because they are again satisfied by someone else.
Change in habit.
Sudden change in habit is usually an indicator that there is an external influence in your partner’s life. Now, this does not always mean they are being unfaithful but it is something to pay attention to especially if that someone who has their interests has the potential to replace you in some way when it comes to relationships.
An example of this could be if someone suddenly changes the way they dress or maybe they have the need to impress all of a sudden it means there is someone new they are doing all this for. If someone all of a sudden starts staying out late or changes their routine without real reason this could be an indicator.
Lying.
Lying in any relationship is usually a bad thing either way you paint it. When it comes to cheating, lying indicates they are trying to hide someone or information about someone from you. For example if someone is unable to be open about where they have been or with whom, especially in casual conversation, it indicates they are hiding something from you, something that has the potential to damage your relationship.
It is important to note that people usually lie for the wrong reasons and less of them for the right ones.
A big part of this is trust.Trust is one of the toughest parts of a relationship to build and maintain. The trust quiz will help you identify areas of your relationship that need work in order to grow as a couple.
Sudden Interests.
Having sudden interests is not bad at all, the problem comes when it involves someone else other than your partner and the sudden interest involves supporting each other emotionally and spending a lot of time together. That’s when it has the potential to go bad. Either way, it’s something to pay attention to in order to avoid trouble in your relationship.
Reasons Why People Cheat.
There are several reasons why people feel the need to cheat in one way or another in their relationship. This is because there is usually the need to satisfy something they believe is missing or are unable to get from their relationship. For example if someone is physically cheating, it would mean they lack the physical intimacy from their relationship or they don’t feel attractive enough and hence turn to someone else for validation and satisfaction. some of the reasons include,
- Lack of attention.
- The need to feel loved and attractive.
- Lack of an emotional connection.
- Bored.
- Mutual attraction with someone else
- They feel neglected.
Lack of attention.
Lack of attention is one of the reasons why people feel the need to get involved with someone else. This is because they feel ignored in their relationship and maybe have failed to resolve the issue through communication and compromise. This leads them to seek attention from someone outside the relationship and this type of connection can lead to unfaithfulness or some type of cheating whether emotional or physical.
This is why it is important to pay attention to your partner and make sure their needs are not being ignored or left unattended because sometimes the small things can lead to big problems.
The need to feel loved and attractive.
Some people cheat because they need to feel loved and attractive, something they believe they are not getting from their current relationship. One of the primary benefits of being in a relationship is being loved and appreciated. When this part is left out or someone believes their need to be loved or beauty is not being satisfied it leads them to seek validation from somewhere outside the relationship either emotionally or physically, either way, it is considered Unfaithful.
Lack of an emotional connection.
Some people are emotionally disconnected in their relationship and they lack the deep bond that they crave with their partner.
When your partner is emotionally unavailable and you can’t seem to connect with them on a personal level, it leaves you feeling very disconnected from the relationship and in most cases creates loneliness. This level of dissatisfaction or unhappiness is one of the reasons that lead people to seek an emotional relationship outside of their own. And in some cases can lead to physical attraction and physical intimacy.
Bored.
There’s is the possibility that some people are unfaithful because they are bored in their relationship and have failed to find ways to make things exciting with their partners. Having an emotional or physical connection with some else creates a certain level of excitement for them.
HOW TO REBUILD A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP.
Mutual attraction with someone else.
Having a mutual attraction with someone other than your partner can also be a cause of unfaithfulness. Attraction is something that we usually cannot control. We like what we like and we are attracted to such things. But this is usually magnified by something missing in the relationship that enhances the attraction to someone. The best way to deal with this is to avoid the temptation and concentrate on your relationship. Whether there’s something missing from it and more so if there’s nothing wrong with your relationship because there will always be attractive people around and seeking them is an endless battle.
They feel neglected.
There are some people who feel neglected in their relationship and for that reason seek out a connection with someone else.Some people seek and emotional connection and others simply crave physical intimacy but in some cases, one can get to the other and this impacts your relationship in a major way because instead of dealing with the problems you ignore them by seeking attention from somewhere else.
Conclusion.
Cheating or unfaithfulness is betraying your partner’s trust and disrespecting the connection you share or once did. It is wrong despite whatever reasons you feel you may have. It is always best to resolve your problems with each other or seek professional advice in order to deal with the parts of your relationship that are missing.
Sincerely Yours.
