Optimal Relationships Daily - Dating, Marriage and Parenting 2951: What is Emotional Cheating? Five Signs to Help You Know by Dr. Diana Kirschner of Love in 90 Days On Hidden Infidelity
Mar 28, 2026
A conversation about how emotional infidelity can quietly erode a partnership. Short scenes highlight five warning signs like a partner putting a “special” friend first and repeated fights you cannot resolve. It points out growing resentment, refusal to change the friendship, and the relationship suffering as attention shifts away. Urgent signals are described to help you spot trouble early.
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Emotional Cheating Is Prioritizing A Special Friend
- Emotional cheating occurs when a partner invests primary attention, energy, and responsiveness in a 'special' friend instead of their partner.
- Dr. Diana Kirschner describes the partner feeling like "number two" as a key emotional indicator of this displacement.
Notice When Your Partner Abandons You For A Friend
- Watch whether your partner responds to the special friend's needs by abandoning you or shared projects as a behavioral red flag.
- If your needs are repeatedly deprioritized when the friend calls, treat that as evidence of emotional cheating.
Repeat Fights Show A Boundary Problem Not A One Off
- Repeated unresolved fights about the special friend signal a persistent boundary problem rather than isolated conflicts.
- Kirschner notes partners may minimize the issue or blame you, which prevents resolution and escalates distance.