Emotional Infidelity – How To Detect It, What To Do Next

Well known as the first step on the road to cheating, emotional infidelity may well be considered cheating in it’s own right. We are all aware that there is much more to a relationship than the physical aspects which are shared with one person and one person only. The meaningful part of a relationship which satisfies emotionally is the bond you share with the other person.

The emotional connection is a deep and integral part of a relationship, which is what makes emotional infidelity so devastating. The true bond in a relationship goes far beyond just physical fidelity; it’s a large part of what makes a relationship a relationship. A relationship is about sharing your thoughts, feeling and soul with another.

Emotional infidelity is when your significant other begins to form those same kinds of bonds with another person. This almost always goes along with withdrawing from the original relationship.

You go from being your significant other’s friend and confidant to being a stranger in your own relationship. This freezing out can be difficult to deal with, and may be hard to see. You may feel that the problem is on your end and that you are the one doing something wrong.

At the same time, emotional infidelity involves the other person forming bonds with another person outside the marriage. One of the terrible things about emotional infidelity is that it can be difficult to define and identify. Because there is nothing as obvious as sleeping with another person going on, saying for certain that it is going on is trickier to prove.

One very valid sign is a sort of sexual chemistry between the two people involved, with a great deal of flirting and teasing going on. It may seem they are just having a joke, no big deal, but emotional infidelity will make the person behave in a more secretive manner.

If you do suspect emotional infidelity, you need to keep some things in mind. Many people have close friends, best buddies if they are a man, and girlfriends if they are a woman. Some people have friends of the opposite sex, and they may confide in them frequently.

This isn’t emotional infidelity, and the big thing to look for is signs of guilt. The big sign that someone is becoming involved with someone else on an emotional level is the fact that your significant other feels compelled to hide it. No one hides their relationships with just friends from their significant others. When they’re hiding something, it means there is something to hide.

Emotional infidelity is a problem on it’s own; but it is also an early sign that the relationship is going badly wrong. The next step along from emotional infidelity is physical infidelity. If you can recognise and take steps at the emotional infidelity stage, then you will have an easier time than if you try and sort things out further along the line.

The two big signs are emotional disengagement and secretive behavior. If your significant other is pulling away from you, becoming distant or hostile, this is a big sign. Likewise, if they are acting suspiciously, hiding phone calls and emails, avoiding questions and just generally acting like they have a secret, this is a sign.

Emotional infidelity is best caught as early as possible in order to have a good chance at fixing it. It is not easy but if you feel there could be emotional infidelity in your relationship, then you need to get advice as soon as possible, and instruction on how to fix your relationship.