Emotional infidelity: a pain that can surpass typical deception

Emotional or affective infidelity, that is, deception by a member of the couple who, however, has not had sexual encounters with that other person, It can be more harmful than infidelity linked to more conventional parameters (physical).

Often, we think that infidelity only exists when a sexual encounter occurs between one of the members of the couple and another person. On the contrary, infidelity can occur without a physical encounter. In one way or another, this occurs when an agreement is broken. Finally, note that Emotional infidelity speaks of a deterioration of the relationship in many more cases than physical infidelity..

What is emotional infidelity?

Emotional infidelity occurs when, in a couple, one of the two exchanges intimate moments with another person, as long as becomes emotionally involved and breaks an implicit or explicit agreement. Among these intimate moments can be found exchanges of emotional content.

We can also find emotional infidelity that does not involve exchanges of any kind with that third person. If our partner falls in love with someone else, although he doesn’t say itwe would also be facing a case of emotional infidelity.

Emotional infidelity is, in many cases, a step towards physical infidelity, since it causes a sufficiently strong bond between the interested parties for physical intimacy to occur. In some circumstances, the couple dissolves due to the action of the unfaithful person, who is not interested in continuing a relationship without affection.

Causes of emotional infidelity

How do we get to emotional infidelity? Its causes are varied, but it usually occurs due to a lack of affection in the couple, which in one way or another deteriorates. The lack of affection, intimacy or trust causes the need for these, and one of the members (sometimes even both members) seeks them in another person. It is an understandable inclination in the context, as are others, although it also denotes a great lack of communication.

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A healthy relationship will rarely be doomed to failure due to emotional infidelity.. In a healthy couple, the channels of communication remain open and neither of them is afraid to confess disagreement or displeasure with aspects of the couple. This is why we must look for the main cause of infidelity in communication matters.

How to avoid emotional infidelity

In that sense, Working on the couple’s communication aspect is essential. A solid couple must work every day on trust, friendship and understanding. The couple is, above all, two friends who decide to share their lives and, in addition, feel a sexual attraction for each other.

Since emotional infidelity does not involve sexual issues, we should not look there for the main cause of deception. Sexual encounters can be fully satisfactory and still have infidelity. However, as already indicated above, the unfaithful person may end up becoming sexually interested in the other person.

What to do when faced with emotional infidelity?

The signs of emotional infidelity vary with couples, but frequently the following signs can be identified:

That member of the couple is distant and does not share their emotions and problems.It doesn’t make you participate of anything that happens to him.Lack of intimacy and affection within the couple.

Let’s remember that not introducing yourself to everyone your partner knows or talking to you about everything he or she does with them is not infidelity: It is very necessary for both members to have experiences and friendships outside the couple.. However, if you are not the person he tells his problems to, and you know that he does tell someone else, there may be a problem. You will have to communicate and go deeper.

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Confirmed infidelity, there are two solutions: continue or end the relationship. To take one path or another, it is necessary to find a moment to speak sincerely; It doesn’t matter if the decision is one of the two. If the unfaithful person does not want to end the old relationship, it is very important that he understands that he must abandon his way of relating to the third person and work hard to regain stability. And, in any case, everything will also depend on whether the deceived person wants to undergo that process.