Signs that your partner is having an affair

Healthy relationships are built on a solid foundation of trust and respect. When someone in a relationship cheats, it destroys the bond of trust the relationship was built upon and can be hard to rebuild. Whether you suspect you’re being cheated on or have proof, it’s important to step back and evaluate the possible signs of cheating and thoughtfully consider how to approach the situation.

What is cheating exactly?

While it may seem obvious, cheating (or infidelity) happens when someone breaks a relationship bond or promise. There are many different forms of “cheating”; it doesn’t only mean having sex with another person when you made a promise not to. Cheating can be clear and obvious, like having sex with another person, or it can be more subtle, like secretly texting or meeting up behind your partner’s back. There are two types of infidelity: emotional and physical. 

Emotional infidelity is when your partner becomes intimate with another person on an emotional level, but not necessarily a physical level. This includes developing or pursuing a relationship beyond friendship with someone, like constant texting or spending time together or even sharing intimate information or secrets. Emotional infidelity can be subtle and hard to pinpoint. In many cases, emotional infidelity leads to fantasizing about that person and, possibly, physically acting on those feelings.

Physical infidelity is when your partner has become physically intimate with another person. Physical intimacy, including everything from kissing to sex, may or may not include an emotional attachment.

How do I know my boyfriend/girlfriend is cheating?

Cheating can often be difficult to spot. Modern technology, such as mobile phones and constant internet access, brings a whole new element to cheating.

Here are a few indicators that your boyfriend/girlfriend may be cheating:

Getting texts and messages at all hours, including late at night.Being overprotective or possessive of their mobile phone.When you try to talk to them about their secretive behavior, they become defensive andeven tries to accuse you of bad behavior.Not being able to keep their story straight about where they were, what they were doing, etc.

A change in behavior towards you or others, or a change in personality can sometimes indicate cheating.