Emotional Affair

A secret relationship that involves intimate dealings with some one other than a spouse, but without sexual activity. Emotional affairs may not necessarily lead to physical intimacy, although some do.

If a person is no longer confiding feelings and thoughts with their spouse, they may be in an emotional affair or ready for one. This type of affair is often characterized by:

• Inappropriate emotional intimacy, in which the unfaithful partner may share more intimate emotional feelings and secrets with their new partner than with their existing spouse. When an individual emotionally invests more into a relationship with someone other than their partner, then the existing partnership may suffer.
• Deception; those involved may not tell their partners about the amount of time they spend with each other. If there was really no harm in meeting with a friend, then they would feel comfortable telling their partners the truth. The deception clearly shows that those involved believe they are doing something wrong that undermines the existing relationship.

An emotional affair may injure a committed relationship more than a one night stand or casual sex.