When people cheat in a relationship, it causes a lot of emotional pain to the loyal partner.
There are several reasons people cheat in a relationship, and there are different ways one can cheat. There is a famous saying “Once a cheater always a cheater”. Someone who is willing to cheat on you once will not have trouble doing it again.
What Is Cheating In A Relationship?
Cheating is the act of being dishonest to your partner. There are different forms of cheating and they are:
- Physical Affair
Physical affairs in relationships are more commonly known compared to other forms of cheating. It is an act of physically having a relationship with someone other than your partner.
The phrase once a cheater always a cheater is mostly used for physical affairs. If people have no conscious about cheating and being physical with other people, it is difficult to believe that they won’t cheat again.
- Emotional Affair
An emotional affair is when you have feelings for someone while being in a relationship with your partner. This includes having a crush on someone else besides your partner or fantasising about them.
This is a form of cheating as it shows that the person doesn’t truly love you. While finding someone more attractive is normal, having fantasies about them is not.
Read more about emotional affairs- How To Recognise Emotional Cheating – And What To Do Next.
- Financial infidelity
Financial infidelity is a form of financial cheating that is more common in marriage. When a partner hides their finances or savings or spends money on something very expensive without consulting the partner. Furthermore, it also includes having a secret bank account without the knowledge of the partner.
It is a form of cheating as it creates a barrier to financial planning. Studies have shown that 43% of adults admit to financial infidelity.
- Micro Cheating
Micro cheating includes flirting with another person or trying to form any kind of intimate relationship with them. It includes meeting them in secret, going on a date etc, despite being in a relationship.
Someone who is genuinely trustworthy will never even think about cheating on you or act on any temptation.
Reasons People Cheat In A Relationship
Some of the reasons people cheat in a relationship are:
- Fear Of Confrontation
One of the reasons people cheat in a relationship is that they lose feelings for their partner but they fear confrontation. It may seem ironic as the reason they fear confrontation is that they don’t wish to hurt their partner.
- Lack Of Self-Esteem
People who have low self-esteem love when they feel wanted or get attention. Hence, people with low self-esteem are more likely to cheat if they do not receive love, affection and attention from their partner.
- Lack Of Self-Control
It is normal for one to find another person attractive. However, acting on any kind of urge is wrong. Often, the reason people cheat is they have no self-control over those urges.
- Unfulfilled Desires
When one has unfulfilled desires, they seek to fulfil their desires from other people.
Nevertheless, if the partner simply communicates their desires, problems will not arise. If your partner is not comfortable with the desire you should respect their choice.
- Being In An Unhealthy Relationship
People often find breaking out of an unhealthy or toxic relationship difficult. This is because their partner may either gaslight them or emotionally manipulate them in order to stay in a relationship.
In such situations, partners fall out of love and wish to be with others. This leads them to cheat on their partner.
- Severe Heartbreak
One of the reasons people cheat in a relationship is having unresolved trauma from the past.
If your partner has been hurt in the past, they find it difficult to trust anyone else hence, they cheat. They believe it is better to hurt someone before they are hurt. However, there are no good reasons to cheat.
Suggested reading: 11 Tips On How To Get Over A Breakup
Signs Of Cheating In A Relationship
- Constant Lying
You may often find your partner telling you something that doesn’t add up or act suspiciously. Hence, if you ever find them lying to you about their whereabouts, it is a sign that they are hiding something.
- Being Secretive
If you find your partner being very secretive with their phone, it may be a sign. For example – they often leave the room when they get a call, or show signs of nervousness when you are around them.
- Getting Defensive
A person usually gets defensive when they are lying about something. It can be due to the guilt of cheating. Moreover, if they feel that you are close to discovering something, they get more defensive and may show signs of anger.
- Increased Attention
If you feel your partner has suddenly started paying more attention to you, it could be that they are compensating for their guilt. However, this is not the sole reason that they cheat in a relationship.
- Having A Gut Feeling
While having a gut feeling is not a determining factor, it will not lie to you. In this scenario, you must try to communicate with your partner and talk to them about your doubts.
These are some of the signs of cheating in a relationship that your partner may portray.
Effects Of Cheating
- Trust Issues
A person who has been cheated on may develop trust issues. This can affect their future relationships, and cause an increase in suspicion.
- Depression
If a person deeply loves their partner and is betrayed by them, they can even slip into depression.
- Physical Pain
Studies have shown that emotional pain can also cause physical pain. So people who have been hurt may show physical symptoms like chest pain, headaches, etc.
- Low Self Esteem
People who have been hurt by their partner may develop low self-esteem. Moreover, they will constantly question if they are good enough.
Also read: What Does A Healthy Relationship Look Like? & Casual Relationships: Everything You Need To Know About It
Conclusion
There is a common phrase that says “Once a cheater always a cheater”. This is because if a person cheats on you once, they are more likely to do it again as they feel like they may not be caught the second time.
While different people have different reasons for cheating on their partner, one must remember that there is never a good reason to cheat on someone.
Cheating can cause a person to lose their self-esteem and have severe trust issues. However, one can avoid heartbreak if one recognises the signs of cheating early on.