The Relationship Room

Emotional infidelity refers to a situation where an individual develops a deep emotional connection with someone other than their committed partner, which can pose a threat to the emotional intimacy within the relationship.

While it may not involve physical or sexual contact, emotional infidelity can still be considered a breach of trust and commitment. Here are some examples of emotional infidelity …

1. Sharing intimate thoughts and feelings: when an individual confides in someone outside their relationship about personal and intimate matters that they would typically share with their partner such as dreams, fears, or aspirations.
2. Seeking emotional support: turning to someone other than their partner for comfort, understanding, and empathy during challenging times, instead of communicating these needs within their committed relationship.
3. Developing a deep emotional bond: feeling an intense emotional connection, attachment, and attraction towards someone other than the committed partner, often characterised by a desire for their presence and an emotional reliance on them.
4. Engaging in secretive communication: exchanging intimate messages, texts, or emails within someone other than the partner, often hiding or minimising the extent of the communication to avoid detection.
5. Fantasising about a romantic relationship: having recurrent thoughts or daydreams about being in a romantic or intimate relationship with someone other than the committed partner, and actively nurturing those fantasies.
6. Prioritising the emotional connection: devoting significant time, energy, and attention to the other person, consistently putting their needs, desires, and emotional connection above the committed relationship.
7. Withholding emotional intimacy: choosing to withhold emotional intimacy, affection or closeness from the committed partner while redirecting it towards someone outside the relationship.

It is important to remember that emotional infidelity can vary in intensity and impact depending on individual circumstances, and perceptions of what constitutes emotional infidelity may vary between different couples and relationships. Clear communication and mutual understanding of boundaries are crucial for maintaining emotional fidelity in a committed relationship.

This article contains original content from The Relationship Room.