Recovering from Emotional Infidelity
Lately, it's felt like you and your partner aren't on the same page. They tend to be working different hours, waking up earlier to get into the office, or staying later past their normal workday.
When they're home with you, it feels like they're busy or preoccupied with something else. Their phone is always facing down on the table. Whenever the screen is facing upward, the lock screen flashes up in front of you.
It feels like they're being suspicious and distant. You're starting to question them and yourself. You don't want to assume the worst, but your worst fears are coming to life. You suspect that they're cheating on you.
Let's learn more about emotional infidelity, what it is, and how you can recover from it.
What is Emotional Infidelity
Emotional infidelity is a non-sexual relationship between two individuals who share signs of emotional intimacy between partners in a relationship. Emotional affairs usually start off as friendships but can grow into a secret or private relationship. After continued chats and secret hangouts, the boundaries of the relationship can start to blur between the two parties involved. Emotional infidelity includes texting, sexting, or messaging across social media platforms. Although physical cheating doesn't occur, emotional infidelity is still cheating.
How to Recover from Emotional Infidelity
Recovering from any type of infidelity takes time. Whether you're the person who was cheated on or the one who did the cheating, you need time to process what happened and to figure out the next steps for you and your partner. Here's how to recover from emotional infidelity.
Allow Yourself to Feel
Recovering from emotional infidelity can bring on a mixture of different types of emotions. If you're the one who was cheated on, you may feel disappointed, sad, angry, fearful, and more. If you're the one who did the cheating, you could also feel all of these emotions for the wrongdoing that you caused. Either way, you have to allow yourself to feel and process the emotions. The longer you bury the emotions and don't acknowledge or accept them, the longer it will take you to move forward.
Practice Self-Care
Now is the perfect time to prioritize yourself and your own needs. Take the time to implement some self-care into your day-to-day. Make sure you're eating healthy and well-balanced meals throughout your day, drinking enough water, and aiming for at least eight hours of sleep each night. You have to make sure you're fueling your body properly from the inside out. Self-care can also include things like listening to music, reading, writing in a journal, walking around your neighborhood, or calling up a friend to hang out.
Communicate with One Another
When you and your partner are ready, you have to sit down and talk to one another about what happened. You can't just say it will never happen again and move forward. You have to work through all of the negative thoughts and feelings, as well as the cause and repercussions associated. Make sure each person has a chance to speak their mind without interruption. After that, you can decide whether or not you want to work things out or separate and move forward without one another. If you decide to stay together and make it work, you have to take the necessary amount of time and effort to rebuild that trust again.
Next Steps
If you're struggling through emotional infidelity, you don't have to go through this all on your own. Working with a therapist can be a great option for you and your partner. Therapy provides a safe and secure space where you and your partner can get out all of your thoughts and emotions to an unbiased third party. If you're interested in learning more about individual or couples therapy, reach out to us today to set up a consultation.
Sea Glass Counseling and Consultation is an EMDR therapy practice in Dublin, Ohio. Our compassionate, skilled therapists use evidence-based techniques grounded in the neurobiology of stress, trauma, and relationships to make sure your treatment is personalized and effective. Sea Glass therapists provide telehealth counseling in Ohio for individuals and couples. We’re best known for providing Intensive EMDR therapy, anxiety treatment, and sex therapy for Christians. Interested in working together? Contact us today to get started with a Certified EMDR therapist in Ohio.