Recently at a family gathering, some gossip about a distant cousin made me think about emotional affairs. When we hear words such as “cheating” or “infidelity” our minds more often than not think of sexual encounters or affairs, outside of marriage, but emotional infidelity in marriages are definitely on the upswing.
Emotional infidelity can be seen when a married person becomes intimate – maybe not sexually – but in their feelings and thoughts with another person. They are investing their time, their deepest and most personal thoughts and their emotional energy in this one other person outside the marriage.
The emotional intimacy in this relationship will be very excessive and intense, unlike that in a regular platonic relationship. And usually, because of the high level of emotional investment in this other person, their spouse may find their emotional connect to be weakened or lacking.
A feeling of alienation and loneliness may creep in as well. A feeling of inferiority to the so-called friend may also arise in the neglected spouse – and hence emotional affairs can really create havoc. No one wants to feel lonely and like the third wheel in their own marriage.