Infidelity is where an individual has a romantic, emotional or sexual relationship with someone without the consent of their partner. This unfaithfulness from their partner causes the individual a cloud of various kinds of feelings like devastation, guilt, unfaithfulness, shattered, betrayal, lonely, jealousy, confusion and anger. This emotional trauma requires time to heal. Infidelity may be caused by lack of support in a relationship or may be the result of a habit. This is a common problem faced by couples nowadays.

Types of Infidelities

Affairs can take shape into different forms depending upon the feeling, intimacy, companionship and sex lacking in the relationship. It may be due to the circumstance or by spending more time with someone other than the partner.

An individual can have multiple affairs were in a cycle of similar kind of affairs which has been formed as habits over a period of years. They can be of any type stated below or in a combination of the types. They are attracted by the fondness of forming a new relationship or getting a chance to rekindle what is lacking in their life. Following such a habit may affect a person’s self-esteem in the long run

  • Emotional Affairs

Emotional affairs involve two individuals having emotional intimacy between them. It may have been built due to spending excessive amounts of time with someone other than the partner create a connection between them. The individual may have been sexually involved along with the emotional connections. Emotional ties are the strongest ones as they share things which are not been shared with their partner. Hence it takes a longer time to get over the affair.

  • Internet/Cyber Affairs

Social networking and media have become an integral part in people’s lives. Through this platform people form connections or relations with other individuals apart from their partners. Although the affair is not of physical intimacy spending excessive time over the chats or video calls do constitute as cheating. It is one way to form such a connection which amplifies the connection with time. Here emotional or sexual attachments are at play.

  • Sexual Affairs

People here may be driven by the lack of sexual activity with their partners. Individuals here do feel shame or worthlessness due to their unfaithfulness. But some may also not harbour feelings of guilt or withdrawal due to their personalities and past experiences. Some individuals may also engage in pornography addiction which may bother their partner and in turn strain their relationship.

  • Romantic Affairs

Some people seek constant spark in their life, so they resort to experimenting or finding new love and romance in their lives. When they are unable to find the zing factor, they tend to search for it outside their relationship. This may be due to boredom or monotony of their current romantic relationship with the partner. Seeking for new spark may only seem arousing and exciting initiative for them until they try and find love again.

Causes

  • In a relationship, sometimes the affection between the couple may decrease due to the responsibilities over their shoulders.
  • The communication gap between the partners may cause the person to find understanding from someone else.
  • Physical or mental health issues in one of the partners may make the other partner feel frustrated due to his/her unsatisfied needs.
  • Couples who do not address their relationship issues which further might turn the relation cold which may make the person seek happiness outside the relationship.
  • Addiction is one of the major issues which make a partner to find a companion outside the relationship who may fulfil his/her needs.
  • Personal dissatisfaction or low self-esteem of the person.
  • Escaping through the responsibilities.
  • Dominance and anger issues of the partner.
  • Usage of pornography by the partner.
  • Unsatisfied sexual needs.
  • The partner may be materialistic who might find interest in another person who would fulfil her/his demands.
  • Not spending proper time with the partner.
  • The emotional distance between the couple.

Overcome

  • Consult a professional marriage counsellor for resolving the disputes.
  • With the help of a marriage counsellor person first needs to acknowledge his/her feelings that will help them to resolve the confusion.
  • Marriage counselling helps the couples to clarify at the right time which may help them to make amends in the marriage for the betterment.
  • Through the help of a marriage counsellor, a couple learns how to spend quality time with each other.
  • Marriage Counseling helps to develop communication skills which help to build a better communication pathway between them.
  • One should never lose hope as it is said, when the world says, “Give up”, hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”

Dr Nisha Khanna as a Relationship/Marriage Counsellor proffers online, telephonically and face to face Counselling Services. If you are living in Delhi, India or any other part of World, you can approach us through any of these mediums. For further details visit Bye Tense, or call us at +91-9312730331