Being cheated on by a romantic partner can potentially harm your long-term health. People who have experienced partner infidelity are more likely to report worse chronic health, and this effect persists even when they are in other supportive relationships.
New infidelity research shows being cheated on is linked to lasting health problems
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I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02654075241276713
From the linked article:
A new study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships has found that the negative effects of being cheated on by a romantic partner can extend beyond emotional pain to potentially harm your long-term health. Researchers found that individuals who have experienced partner infidelity are more likely to report worse chronic health, and this effect persists even when they are in other supportive relationships.
Infidelity, or the act of being cheated on by a partner, is a common and devastating form of romantic betrayal. A meta-analysis showed that about 34% of men and 24% of women have committed infidelity at some point in their lives. Given its prevalence, many researchers have explored its psychological effects, including increased anxiety, depression, and lowered self-esteem. However, the potential long-term health consequences of partner infidelity have received less attention.
The findings showed a clear link between experiencing partner infidelity and poorer chronic health outcomes. Even after controlling for factors such as age, gender, income, and education level, participants who had been cheated on were more likely to report chronic health problems, such as persistent migraines or heart issues, than those who had not experienced infidelity.
Interestingly, the study also explored whether having strong support from friends and family could buffer the health effects of infidelity. The researchers found no evidence that supportive relationships outside of the romantic partnership could protect against the long-term health consequences of being cheated on. While family and friends play a significant role in helping individuals cope with emotional stress, they were not enough to completely counteract the chronic health issues linked to infidelity.
My greatest fear in life is being cheated on. I’ve had panic attacks and I’m terribly insecure. I’ve also got ADHD only recently learned about rejection sensitive dysphoria . I’m hoping to get medicated later this year (possibly even therapy) in hopes to help with this
Also trying to cut back on weed (also learned addiction is a common trait amongst ADHD)
my girlfriend of 2.5 years cheated on me, I puked blood after hearing about it it was fucked
A broken heart is a broken everything
Cheating isn’t just heartbreak, it’s a health hazard. The scars go way deeper than trust issues and they can literally impact your body long-term.
I had a blood pressure spike so high that my aorta burst and I nearly died. Now I have seizures. Other than that I’m fine.
Does this potentially suggest that having chronic health issues increases the chances you’ll get cheated on?
My unpopular opinion is that cheating on someone is a form of abuse
Have a conversation with your SO when things get serious. Explain to them that its a 100% deal breaker, and hold to it. I’ve never cheated, my wife knows my position. We’ve been happily married 19 years, and it would still be a no questions asked, no conversation “pack your stuff” moment. Do not let people treat you this way.
I wonder alot of this is related to cortisol. Even thinking about your past causes your cortisol levels to rise.
Except when it was an unhealthy relationship.
Its sad how the long term harmful impacts of infidelity on individuals is largely overlooked and how there even fewer avenues to help them. Even worse, in some cases they are suppose to just forgive and forget especially when there are kids involved