Psychology of Cheating

What Does Cheating Do to a Person?

Are you aware of the consequences of infidelity? It’s very easy to betray trust, but it’s far more difficult to earn it!

Cheating in a relationship can have disastrous effects, especially when a person is deeply attached. It can mentally damage a person, sometimes permanently.

Is It Wrong to Cheat?

Let's see, is cheating bad or good?

You should not deceive your better half once married or even during the courtship period. Trust is the foundation of any relationship. You have a strong link of love and trust between each other. As a result, cheating is not acceptable behavior.

Why Cheating Is Bad?

Cheating has grown commonplace in today’s world, but it is unethical because we are destroying the relationship for a momentary lapse. Infidelity, whatever the motive, can never be justified on any grounds. Affairs in the workplace and on social media have become more frequent than we ever imagined. We have no idea what it is like to be cheated on when we cheat on our spouse!

How Does Cheating Affect a Man?

Men and women are equally hurt when they are betrayed in a love relationship. The only difference is that men don’t exhibit it because they don’t want to be seen as “emotionally weak.” Instead, men constantly strive to establish that they are self-sufficient and capable of caring for themselves and others. However, this does not rule out the possibility that they go through trauma. According to the study, cheating on a woman can affect a man’s marriage, with serious consequences lasting for years.

What men think about cheating

What women say about cheating

How Does Cheating Affect a Woman?

When a woman is deeply involved in a relationship with a man and ends up being cheated on, it can reduce her self-esteem and make her suffer. According to the statement shared by Dr. Julie Gurner, women can also get affected by this in the long run. She further mentioned that it could affect a plethora of variables in life. However, the most tangible is the choice of a partner in the future. Sometimes it is observed that after being cheated, the confidence level is shattered to zero, and we start blaming ourselves. We end up settling down for less than what we deserve or putting up with more than we can handle.

How Does Cheating Affect the Brain?

Infidelity can also severely affect various body parts in multiple ways. Do you know cheating affects the brain? It creates obsession, ruminations, and addictions and sometimes ends up in a cerebral attack.

What is the effect of partner infidelity on the brain

Long-Term Effects of Being Cheated On?

Cheating can directly affect the health of an individual. The gut-wrenching pain can lead to physical symptoms like extreme nausea, chronic headache, anxiety attacks, and sometimes a severe heart attack. Some other long-term effects include:

Impact on Self-Esteem and Self-Perception

Cheating lowers self-esteem and self-perception. When someone dupes you, it lowers your self-esteem and makes you anxious.

Mental Illness and Infidelity

Mental health problems due to cheating in a couple

According to a licensed marriage and family therapist and Take Root Therapy founder, Saba Harouni Lurie, betrayal can create more damage than we can’t even imagine. The impact of cheating can crush emotional connection, break trust, and leads to long-lasting issues. Whether it is sexual or emotional infidelity, the person being cheated upon often has to struggle through hatred and anxiety.

Psychological Effects of Infidelity

What does infidelity do to a person? When the female partner in a relationship discovers being cheated on, there can be some severe long-term psychological effects of infidelity:

  • Feeling angry and guilty
  • Being in shock
  • Depression and reflection
  • Urge to bargain with the unfaithful partner
  • Being resentful
  • Self-blaming

Depression After Being Cheated On

When someone in a relationship is cheated on, they experience post-traumatic symptoms of stress, mistrust, and depression. Dr. Dennis Ortman describes this trauma response as Post-Infidelity Stress Disorder in his book. PISD sometimes has the potential to drive a person to suicide. Getting a person out of this stage becomes extremely tough. Depression counseling has become common for addressing this problem.

Sexual Health

sexual health problems in a couple

According to Peter Saddington, a relationship counselor at Relate, apart from hurting one’s mental health, infidelity can also harm one’s sexual health, especially in the event of a one-night stand. Research that compared persons in monogamous relationships with people who had been involved with several sexual partners concluded that both groups of people are at risk of STIs. The reason is infidelity. If left untreated, the aftermath can be quite daunting.

What Are Ways to Work Through Adultery?

Overcome infidelity and mend relationships

We all know that adultery may end a relationship. When our partners catch us, we often devise a long list of excuses for our behavior. But, to be honest, there is no excuse for betraying your marriage.

According to Peter Saddington, most relationships become stronger than before since the couples have been through a challenging situation that has taught them to be honest.

He added that the couple should have a meaningful discussion about what they want to do next because it is the only way to keep the relationship alive. Couple counseling and other therapies are available if both parties want to keep it going.

FAQ

Why is cheating in a relationship wrong?

It’s not right to betray someone’s trust. Both partners in a relationship are interdependent. In a connection, we work selflessly. So, cheating on your spouse for the sake of self-gratification is not at all acceptable.

Why do I always get cheated on?

We often wonder why it occurred to me and why I was the one who was betrayed. Hold on tight! It’s just a temporary situation. It’s not your fault if someone cheats on you. Things do change, and everyone gets what they deserve. So, if you’ve been duped and are now emotionally distraught, don’t lose heart! Life is an enigma that has both positive and negative aspects. It gives a place for new beginnings when the bad omens fade away.

Why does cheating hurt?

Cheating is excruciatingly painful. When we love someone truly and selflessly, the act of infidelity can serve as poison. The scenario becomes intolerable when you see your beloved person in the arms of someone else.

Are you a bad person if you cheat?

Cheating is unquestionably not a positive trait. Partners should confide in each other in a relationship. You are betraying the trust of your partner when you become connected with another person. And, certainly, a traitor cannot be termed as a good person.

Author Sergius Gardner

Sergius Gardner

Author

“When a person is betrayed, it’s like they’ve been hit by a truck. They’re stunned, and they’re left with a sense of loss.”