How Unfaithful Partners Ruin Your Mental Health
When it comes to infidelity in a relationship, you may assume people cheat on their partners because they are either unhappy in the relationship or want to hurt their partner, but it’s not always black-and-white. People may start an affair due to lack of self-esteem, anger towards their partner, dislike for commitment, or other circumstantial reasons.
Australia reports a high number of extra-marital affairs with numbers further going up during the pandemic which is why new account signups on dating ups have skyrocketed since the beginning of 2020.
Infidelity may not always end a relationship especially if your partner truly apologizes for their mistake and you decide to forgive them. However, regardless of whether or not your relationship goes back to normal, experiencing infidelity by the partner you have affection for can greatly affect your mental health.
Cheating affects everyone regardless of their gender and it takes a lot of courage to recover from the experience and overcome feelings of sadness, anger, and helplessness.
Mental Health and Infidelity
Infidelity brings along the pain of losing someone you trusted, valued, and loved, and discovering your partner’s infidelity may lead to trauma-like symptoms.
Stress
It’s common for people to experience stress and remember painful memories. It may even lead to nightmares and affect your physical and mental health.
This stress can affect your daily life and you may struggle to carry out routine tasks. However, not every person experiences these severe symptoms and many people pick themselves up and move on from the painful experience with some effort.
Low Self-Esteem
The thought of your partner breaking your trust and choosing someone else over your relationship is enough to hurt you and it may lower your self-esteem. You may feel you aren’t good enough and compare yourself with others.
Moreover, you may blame yourself for the mistakes of your partner and wonder whether you drove them away.
I should have been more caring and loving! I should have put in more effort to look good for them! These thoughts may make their way into your mind.
However, an important strategy to deal with stress after infidelity is to avoid putting yourself down and blaming yourself when you weren’t at fault or it may lead to bigger mental health problems.
Anxiety
Unfaithful partners may make it difficult for you to trust others. Even if you decide to stay together and rebuild the relationship, you may struggle to trust them again and remain anxious that they may cheat again for quite a long time.
On the other hand, if you decide to end the relationship, the idea of starting a new relationship may repel you for quite some time due to anxiety and you may think twice before trusting someone and getting into another relationship.
However, it’s important to note that the negative psychological effects of infidelity tend to depend on your mental strength and resilience. The more mentally strong you are, the better you can cope with the after-effects of infidelity by your partner.
Infidelity in a Relationship: How to Deal with It?
It’s not always easy to trust your partner after infidelity; therefore, around 54% of couples break up after cheating, 30% initially try to reconcile but ultimately fall apart, whereas only 16% of couples survive infidelity.
Your partner’s infidelity would hurt you and it’s fine to grieve. Don’t drown yourself in work, rather you need to accept it to move ahead. Taking care of your mental and physical health is the key to coping with pain.
Don’t skip meals even when you feel exhausted and rather take healthy meals. Getting good night’s sleep and regular exercise can also help you get a hold of yourself. You can gradually open up and meet your family and trusted friends to socialise and feel better in the presence of your loved ones.
Furthermore, it’s crucial to communicate with your partner about their actions and discuss the future of your relationship. Ask them honestly about the reasons behind their actions and enquire if they are remorseful.
You may meet a relationship counsellor if you plan to repair your relationship, but if you believe that continuing the relationship won’t work then you may decide to bid your farewell.
How Private Investigators Can Help
Do you have suspicions that your partner may be cheating on you? The idea of spouse infidelity ruins your mental peace and you constantly worry about your relationship. Therefore, your best bet is to contact a private investigator for further guidance.
It’s not always easy to find evidence of infidelity on your own despite the suspicious behaviour of cheating partners. However, licensed and experienced PIs can assist you in collecting evidence through which you can determine whether or not they are loyal to you and your relationship.
For this purpose, these professionals may conduct surveillance of your partner to monitor their activities and record audio/video or take photographs for evidence. Whether your suspicions are true or your partner is innocent, the investigation report can provide you with the information you need.
If they are innocent and infidelity suspicions arose due to miscommunication, then the investigation report will provide you peace of mind. However, if they are actually cheating on you, then you can decide which route to take – whether get out of the unhealthy relationship or give them another chance to make up for it.
Are you worried that your partner is unfaithful to you? Then Infidelity Investigation services can provide you with the answers you’re looking for!