Definition of emotional cheating: It is an emotional relationship between a married or engaged person with another of the opposite sex who is not the spouse. It does not involve sex but includes emotional feelings and attraction and is also known as a “matter of the heart”. It is difficult to detect because there is no physical evidence in this regard and its signs are susceptible to other interpretations. Emotional affairs are more about intimacy and romance, but they can also be just as damaging as physical affairs.
Emotional cheating or an emotional affair has destroyed many marriages for various reasons. The cheating spouse invests their emotional energy and feelings in someone else instead of the spouse and this usually results in a weakened marriage. These emotional investments should have strengthened the marriage, but instead, it is passed on to someone else.
The problem with the definition of emotional cheating is that it is inconclusive and there is a fine line between an emotional affair and a platonic friendship. This is why there are still debates as to whether emotional cheating should really be considered cheating. But experts believe that an emotional affair is actually a form of infidelity because it involves deceit, betrayal, and lots of lies.
An emotional affair usually begins as a simple friendship with another person who shares many common interests and desires. Then they start spending more time together and go out more often. They share secrets and personal stories. If two people tell more about each other and build intimacy and keep it a secret from their spouse, they are having an emotional affair.
The most common signs of emotional cheating include: loss of sexual interest, spouse becoming too busy and spending less time at home, spouse becoming reserved and demanding privacy, spouse becoming moody, and spouse becoming shy about their appearance .
Although some disagree on the definition of emotional cheating, there are still a few ways to differentiate emotional cheating from simple friendship. If your spouse’s relationship or friendship with another person is exclusive or very private and your spouse does not want you to be a part of it or know more about it, it is most likely an emotional issue.