Is An Emotional Affair Cheating?

An emotional affair can be as exciting as a real affair –  you share thoughts and feelings, everything, just no sex. It’s a friendship, but is it also cheating?

Is an emotional affair cheating?

You share intimate thoughts, meetings in virtual space or other places. If you know that your partner would not approve and you lie and do it anyway. This and behavior like this, is really an emotional affair.

You can tell yourself that "it’s only friendship" because sex is not involved, but it’s not only sex that makes an affair.

You are betraying your partner by lying, spending a considerable amount of time thinking and planning etc, instead of putting your energy into your real relationship.

When you tell yourself just talking to a “friend” you’re rationalizing, but you know what you’re doing is wrong because a friendship should have no guilt.

So ask yourself these questions :

• Do you arrange special times for private meetings or talking on line?
• Do you keep information from your partner but share it with your friend?
• Are you excited and look forward to the time you’ll spend with your friend?
• Do you say or do things that you would never do with your partner?

Any one of these signs tells you this is not simply a 'friendship'.

How to Protect Yourself!

There is nothing wrong with a close friendship with another person providing that it’s out in the open and you’re partner doesn’t mind.

The problem arises when you or someone else realizes that you’re spending too much time and energy on the friendship.

If you notice that you’re look forward to chatting on or off line, texting, or being on the computer with the particular person you must set boundaries to make changes to protect your relationship. Codependents have a particular problem with this.

Tips TO Help You:

An emotional affair, friendship or cheating?

• If there are problems in your current relationship, tell with your partner.
•  Internet chats can cause play with your emotions. Spend less time on line.
• Beware, if you are a codependent if you've been in an abusive relationship, or newly divorced you're vulnerable.
• Flirtatious behavior can be misinterpreted ~ Friend yes, not flirt.
• Don’t go to bars with your single friends, if you’re not single. You’re asking for trouble.
• Don’t believe someone who tells you “everyone cheats”. NOT EVERYBODY -- they do.
• If all your friends are divorced or having affairs, you’re more likely to be influenced by them. 
  
•  Get help as a couple or for yourself before things get out of hand.

This Friendship is a Symptom!

This friendship tells you that something is missing in your relationship. Do some soul searching and find out what it is:

 Communication

Isolation

Disconnect

Trust

Something…. just not sure what????

 You can get help for this.

Talking with a trained professional always helps you sort things out. 

An emotional relationship is a trigger. It tells you that something is wrong, and something has got to change. 

Sometimes the best option is to end it. But before you do this, you owe it to yourself to come to that conclusion rationally ~ not emotionally. That's where a third party comes in. Not only do you understand both sides of the situation, but also see if the situation is actually hopeless.

Every relationship comes with problems. So before this friendship leads to more serious damage, make an informed decision by getting the help you need.

For more information on emotional affairs

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