A relationship that threatens your marriage does not necessarily have to include physical contact. If your spouse has an emotional affair, he or she diverts love, attention and care from you to another person, such as a coworker or neighbor.
Be aware of these subtle signs that your husband or wife is having an emotional relationship that has the potential to lead to divorce.
Unusual tech behavior
Is your spouse suddenly hiding his or her phone? Changing the passwords to devices? Reacting negatively when another family member sees messages or innocently glances at the screen? These red flags often indicate that the person is having inappropriate conversations with someone else. In addition, you may notice your spouse’s time online increases significantly when he or she has developed an external relationship.
New interests and hobbies
With an emotional affair, your spouse may suddenly become interested in new pursuits, activities or events. If a couch potato begins training for a 5K or your partner’s attitude or behavior changes after joining a new club or group, it could be cause for concern (especially combined with the other signs on this list).
New friends
Sometimes when an emotional affair begins, the person will talk about their affair partner frequently while assuring their spouse that person is “just a friend.” Conversely, your spouse may clam up about someone when you express suspicion about or discomfort with that person.
Your gut feelings
If you feel like something with your partner is just off, trust your instincts. While everyone reacts differently to an emotional affair, your spouse will likely seem preoccupied, pull away from you or be unable to connect with you as intimately as they once did.
Sometimes, an emotional affair illuminates difficulties in the marriage that you and your partner can fix with time, honesty and therapy. In other cases, your spouse may be unwilling to admit to the relationship or discontinue contact with that person, ultimately leading you to file for divorce.
