Fundamentally, it’s about breaching trust.
Many see this punch in of connection as having an erotic component to it.
I’ve even talked to people who feel their partner is emotionally cheating on them with a therapist!
Does the outside connection strengthen or weaken your bond with your partner?
Does this outside person temporarily relieve a sense of loneliness but leave you feeling lonelier in the long run?
Whats the difference between friendship and emotional cheating?
The short answer is that with friendships, there are different boundaries than in a primary attachment.
This allows more space for your relationship to develop as your main source of closeness and support.
Opening up to depending on a romantic partner fosters bonding, trust, love, and intimacy.
How do you know whether an outside connection is a friendship or “emotional cheating”?
Is it because they’re secretly in love with this outside person?
Have they stopped loving me?
Is it because there’s something wrong?
Is our relationship over?
Why aren’t they trying to get this need met with you?
These are big questions with complex answers that vary.
Maybe they themselves are afraid of driving you away with their “neediness.”
Maybe depending on you scares them.
Maybe they’re mad at you.
Or maybe they don’t see emotional cheating the same way you do.
Maybe they need lots of connection with a wide variety of people, whereas you don’t.
There could be a lot of reasons, and these reasons could overlap and shift with time.
Emotional cheating is often one way we or our partners take a stab at stay in control.
Is texting someone else cheating?
Any kind of cheatingemotional or sexualinvolves deception and/or secrecy.
It’s a breach of trust, a break in an implicit or explicit relationship agreement.
Is flirting considered cheating?
Flirtingper seisn’t cheating.
Of course, like any behavior you engage in, it’s important to look at it contextually.
Why do you (or why does your partner) flirt?
Does it support and enliven you both?
Is it a positive force in your life and relationship?
Or is it weaponized?
Does it subtract something from you or your partner and distance you from one another?
Look at the context, consider the impact, and talk about it with your partner.
