Below is an article recently appearing in businessinsider,com :
The
most insidious type of cheating isn't physical — here are 9 signs your partner
could be guilty
If you're getting
suspicious, here's what to look out for;
An
"emotional affair" is hard to define — it can be tricky to know
if you're having
one, and perhaps even trickier to figure out if your partner is.
That said,
there are a few red flags to look out for if you suspect that your
partner has romantic feelings for someone else, even if they haven't acted
on them physically. In her 2012 book, "Chatting or
Cheating," licensed marriage and family therapist Sheri Meyers
outlines some key indicators that your partner might be involved in an
emotional affair.
Below, Business
Insider has rounded up nine of those warning signs. Remember: Just because you
recognize some of these behaviors in your partner doesn't necessarily
mean they've been unfaithful.
But if you're
really starting to get worried, it's a good idea to articulate
your concerns to your partner and give them a chance to explain
themselves.
Your partner is
spending more time on the computer and/or phone
A sudden
strong attachment to digital devices could be a red flag.
Meyers writes:
"Your partner may 'stiffen' when you enter the room, or put the phone away
suddenly. They may have increased activity or text messaging but are more
difficult to get ahold of when out of the house."
Your
partner wants more space and time to themselves
If your partner
really is having an emotional affair, they may try to distance themselves from
you.
"They want
to do their own thing more often and become indifferent to doing things
together and offer excuses about not planning or committing to future trips,
vacations, and family visits," Meyers writes.
When
you argue, your partner's fallback position is about your relationship ending
During
conflicts, your partner may say something like, "What would you do if
our relationship ended?" or perhaps something even more alarming like,
"If anything ever happened to us, I would always love you like a
friend."
"In
general," Meyers writes, "they seem overtly negative about your
relationship," as opposed to interested in trying to repair it.
When
you ask your partner about their friendship with another person, they get
defensive or evasive
At some point,
you may start to gently probe to see what's really happening between your
partner and another person. Notice if your partner gives a suspiciously
curt — or lengthy — response.
Here's Meyers:
"They offer short, sharp responses when you ask them seemingly simple
friends about their 'friend' or associate, or they over-explain when there is
no need and their stories don't quite add up."
Your
partner is changing how they look and dress when they leave the house
You
might be confused as to why your partner is bringing along a change of
clothes that aren't for the gym.
Or, Meyers
says, you might realize that your partner has been trying to "fix
perceived insecurities by losing weight, working out, buying new clothes,
changing hair, [and] applying makeup more often."
Your
partner gets overcritical about your appearance and behavior
You may get the
sense that your partner doesn't hold you in such high esteem anymore.
Meyers says
your partner may start "criticizing things about you that he or she
once found attractive and appealing."
Your
partner's sexual interest and passion is different
Your partner's
sexual behavior toward you might fall into one of two extremes.
On the one
hand, Meyers writes, it "may seem like your partner is going through the
motions, or seems less available, affectionate or intimate with you." On
the other hand, your partner may suddenly seem more sexual or want to try
something new in bed.
Both situations
can be warning signs that they're involved with someone else.
Your
partner may increasingly reference a third party
Meyers has
noticed that, when your partner's having an emotional affair, they
"may spark conversations asking you something along the lines of ... 'Do
you believe that it's possible to love more than one person at a time?' And it
might not be a hypothetical question.
Your
gut is telling you there may be an attraction between your partner and their
'friend'
Again, your
partner's behavior might follow one of two extreme patterns, Meyers says.
Either they're
"changing the way they act whenever the other person is
around" or they "may criticize this other person
trying to make you think that type of individual would never be of interest to
them."
Ultimately,
don't dismiss your intuitions about your partner's behavior. They aren't
necessarily prophetic, but they're certainly worth exploring.
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