Have you ever wondered if an affair could happen to you or your spouse/partner? While monogamy is still the cultural standard in the U.S., as many as 25% of married men and 15% percent of married women report having had an affair at some point in their relationships.
Many of these incidents happen at work, but some of them are on the Internet, with friends, family, or acquaintances. In other words, a lot of people have been hurt by affairs, wreaking havoc in their lives and the lives of their partners.
Here's how this extra emotional stress can destroy your emotional and mental health:
The guilt
One may be content with their lover, but the shame of hurting their partner is troubling. This guilt leaves them emotionally weaker, reducing their sense of trust and self-esteem. This creates more tension and emotional upheaval.
The mental exhaustion
A relentless sense of remorse mixed with anxiety will leave one incredibly drained. Besides that, undue demands on the part of a lover will make the situation even worse. Both these aspects combined create stress and mental distress, which leads to the feeling of emotional fatigue. Plus, being romantically linked to two people at the same time can really be very overwhelming.
The fear of being caught
Fear is never a good thing for your mental health. The fear of being caught can grow on the person involved in an extramarital affair. They keep worrying about what's going to happen if they're caught, how their family's going to be affected, and what society's going to think of them. This brings behavioral and emotional distress, leaving them all the more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
Diminished self-esteem
Overthinking the effects of an extramarital affair can be particularly detrimental to one's mental health. One might end up seeing themselves as a culprit and take the blame for everything going wrong. This thought process delivers a blow to self-esteem.
Need help?
While extramarital matters raise the likelihood of divorce, it is important to remember that almost all partnerships succeed. People normally suffer a variety of psychological and emotional repercussions after an affair has struck the household.
It's crucial to have professional support through this trying time. When seeking professional assistance, ask any therapist you are considering whether or not he or she has had specific training in the treatment of extramarital cases. When a couple chooses to stay together, treatment will include making sense of the affair, establishing a solid bond of trust, and developing a better, more resilient romantic relationship.
