Infidelity is very common in today’s couples, whether married or unmarried. There are different ways of cheating. It could be only physically involved or emotionally involved with the third person. It is absolutely the breaking the breach of trust. Breaking trust in the relationship is like breaking the most important pillar of the relationship. Beyond physical infidelity, cheating in a relationship can take many subtle, emotionally harmful forms. Often regarded as the most obvious kind of betrayal, physical infidelity entails having romantic or sexual contact with someone who is not in the partnership. On the other side, emotional cheating happens when someone develops a strong emotional connection with another person and frequently shares sentiments, secrets, or thoughts that belong to their partner. Cyber or digital cheating has become widespread in today’s digital environment, as people use dating apps or social media to have private conversations, flirt, or sext. Micro-cheating refers to seemingly little behaviors that suggest love interest outside of a partnership, such as hiding messages, saving a contact under a false name, or flirting with comments. The act of having emotional or mental fantasies about someone else in a way that causes discontent or distance in the existing relationship is known as fantasy infidelity. Another underappreciated type of cheating is time cheating, in which a partner feels ignored as they continuously put another person’s emotional needs, company, or attention ahead of their own.
Despite their differences, these actions all compromise the emotional stability and trust that are essential to a happy relationship. Infidelity leads due to lack of understanding, emotional emptiness, loneliness or lack of physical intimacy in the relationship. Due to consistent misunderstanding, conflicts or past hurtful incidents which are unresolved, a lot of emotional or physical distant creeps in. Then negative comparison, negative perspective towards each other even when the partner is trying to do positive things and infidelity starts. Betrayal is a red ag that calls attention to deficiencies in a relationship that led at least one partner to feel lonely and devalued. Cheating is a high risk and a foolish approach to foster positive change in one’s life. But it is not impossible for it to lead to a stronger commitment if it causes are understood and addressed. I have dealt with many cases with infidelity in which the trust, understanding, love and respect has been fostered back. Priyanka Kapoor – psychologist, psychotherapist, couples, family and sex counselor. TEDx speaker. www.therapistpriyanka.com
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