Disclaimer: The information provided in this article about psychology, mental shock, mental breakdown, trust issues, self-doubt, feelings of emptiness, trauma, and depression is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you are in crisis or need immediate help, please contact a mental health professional or call emergency services.
Being Cheated Leaves You Mentally Scarred
The psychological effects of being cheated on are often underestimated.
They leave a deep scar on your mind, and thus on your life.
Being cheated on is one of the worst possible things that can happen to someone in a relationship.
When you are cheated on, all the hard work you had put into your relationship, gets destroyed.
You come on the verge of losing one of the closest people to your heart.
Dark and dense clouds loom over your mind and hence over your future.
These scary clouds are a result of the negative psychological effects of being cheated on.
And as a result, you irreversibly change as a person in a matter of moments.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you cannot find your way back in life.
The awful experience of being cheated on cannot be reversed but you can certainly come out of the associated pain.
The key lies in understanding the psychological effects of being cheated on and then finding ways to minimize or even eliminate them.
So, what are the psychological effects of being cheated on and how can you overcome them?
Psychological Effects Of Being Cheated On
There are 8 devastating psychological effects of being cheated on that you need to cope with.
Being In A State Of Shock
The first among the psychological effects of being cheated on is being in a state of shock.
Nobody expects or imagines themselves to be cheated on by their partners.
But when it happens, you enter a state of utter shock and disbelief.
You are not able to accept what has happened.
You don’t know how to react to it and you feel that it cannot be happening to you.
And when you get a little better, even harder questions await you.
You start thinking ‘Why’ or ‘How’ did this even happen, which you cannot find any answers to.
This state of shock isn’t good for you if it stretches for too long.
It’s like a “Relationship Coma” or a “Betrayal Coma” that you need to get yourself out of as soon as possible as it may cause a complete mental breakdown.
Thus, to avoid it, you need to find someone to talk to.
It may be a family member or a good friend.
If you can’t find anyone close, find someone else without feeling embarrassed or ashamed about it.
Remember, you need to get words out of your mouth so that your feelings don’t remain suppressed with you.
Letting out all that is coming to mind will ensure that the state of shock is brought to an end.
Thus, being in a state of shock is the first among the psychological effects of being cheated on that you need to manage.
Being In A State Of Confusion
The second among the psychological effects of being cheated on is being in a state of confusion.
When you are cheated on, there is a long stretch of roller-coaster emotions that you have to go through.
When you come out of a state of shock or being frozen, you enter into a state of confusion.
You jump directly from spine-chilling thoughts to heated “arguments” within your mind.
Some thoughts tell you that it’s your fault whereas others tell you that it was meant to happen and you couldn’t have done anything about it.
In a particular moment, you feel you should take your partner to task and in the very next moment, you feel what’s the point in doing any of that.
Also, you are confused about whether to stay in the relationship or walk out of it at once.
Thus, you are in a state of constant confusion and turmoil which makes you jittery and indecisive.
The best thing to do in this state is not to believe any of these thoughts and not to arrive at any conclusions or decisions in that state.
It’s because anything you choose to do while you are confused will be wrong.
So, just allow yourself to calm down and come back to your senses before doing anything.
Feeling Let Down & Developing Trust Issues
The third among the psychological effects of being cheated on is feeling let down by your partner and developing trust issues.
Any relationship is based on the strong pillars of trust.
So, you also had enormous trust in your partner.
And you were sure that your partner would never break it.
But when they have cheated on you, that trust gets broken and you feel let down by them.
You do not know if you can trust them again.
You also don’t know if you will be able to trust anyone again.
When you are let down by your partner you develop trust issues and you have to learn to trust all over again.
It’s not wrong to feel let down or to develop trust issues when you are cheated on by your partner.
But you should be willing to recover quickly.
Breaking of trust by someone doesn’t mean that you close that door for everyone else too.
So, get over your trust issues and start learning to trust once again.
Feeling Of Being Disrespected
The next among the psychological effects of being cheated on is the feeling of disrespect.
Respect is as important in a relationship as trust.
When you are in a relationship, you have to respect your partner.
You have to be conscious of the fact that you do not do anything that hurts their self-respect.
But when you cheat on them, it’s the biggest sign of disrespect towards them.
It’s because by cheating on them, you are indirectly telling them that they are not good enough.
You are ignoring, trivializing, and hence, disrespecting them.
Thus, when you get cheated on by your partner, you feel highly disrespected by them.
You feel very insulted and demeaned in front of other people.
But remember, there is no reason for you to feel ashamed as it’s not you who has done anything wrong.
Your dignity has taken a hit but do not read too much into it either.
Just take it as a lesson to be learned for the future and remember to choose a partner who truly respects you.
Feelings Of Self-Doubt & Low Confidence
The next among the psychological effects of being cheated on is the rise of self-doubt within us.
When our partner cheats on us, we start doubting ourselves.
We start thinking if we lack some traits of being a good partner which forces them to cheat us.
We start listing possible things that we didn’t do correctly which may have triggered the cheating.
We start being unfair and harsh on ourselves for no reason at all.
This self-doubt percolates in various areas of our life and ruins it as a whole.
It makes us feel small and inferior which instills the feelings of being undeserving of love in the future.
To summarise, it hurts and reduces your self-esteem drastically.
Thus, it’s one of the worst psychological effects of being cheated on.
Let’s get this straight and clear, your partner cheating on you is not your fault.
And even if you did make some mistakes, remember that it’s not a crime nor does it give the other person the right or the license to cheat on you.
Everyone makes mistakes and it cannot be used against you or to do an immoral act like cheating.
So, stop taking the burden of being cheated on yourself and stop doubting yourself or your actions.
Feelings Of Emptiness Within
The next among the psychological effects of being cheated on is the feeling of emptiness within you.
Many people build their relationships like their homes where they feel safe, comfortable, and complete.
They invest every moment and every ounce of their blood and sweat into their relationship.
It won’t be an overstatement to say that for such people, their relationship is their life.
But when their partners cheat on them, everything gets shattered.
All their dreams and plans are reduced to ashes within moments.
As a result, they start feeling that there is nothing left in their life to look forward to.
They start feeling lonely on the outside and empty inside.
They experience a void that they feel will never be filled again.
But remember, life is much bigger than your relationship or your partner.
Get out of that mental zone and realize the possibilities life still has for you.
You can always get up and get going once again, irrespective of how big the last blow you took, was.
So, start filling the emptiness within with your hard work once again, and in no time you will start feeling positively fulfilled again.
Experiencing Deep Trauma
The next among the psychological effects of being cheated on is the intense experience of trauma.
Sometimes, the horrors of being cheated on don’t leave you for a long time.
It gets instilled within you and stays with you as a painful past.
You keep revisiting the traumatic past and keep getting scared by it as if it’s happening all over again.
You are not able to let it go even when you want to.
And this habit of letting the past affect your present doesn’t let you move on in life.
In such cases where being cheated on becomes a trauma for you, you should take expert help at the earliest.
The more you delay, the more the trauma gets stronger within you.
There are techniques like reiki & hypnotism among many others which can help you relax and relieve you of the trauma of being cheated on.
Falling Into A State Of Depression
The final among the psychological effects of being cheated on is a possible state of depression.
If the shock, pain, and trauma of being cheated on are controlled in time, they can take the form of depression.
When you are deeply connected to someone but have to undergo betrayal at their hands, it can land you straight into depression.
One major area of life affects the other areas negatively too which triggers a standstill in life.
You get completely off-track from your path in life and aren’t able to see any ray of hope for a revival.
Thus, this state of depression should be prevented rather than cured as it takes a lot of time and effort to come out of it once you slip into it.
It’s recommended to visit a psychologist if you have been cheated on at any point of time in your life.
It will not only allow you to discharge your feelings and emotions but will also prevent possible depression in the near future.
Thus, a state of depression is the final and the worst possible among the psychological effects of being cheated on.
Take Wise And Timely Action
It’s very important to take note of the psychological effects of being cheated on.
When you are cheated on, the mind receives the first blow.
The complete wiring of your mind may get changed depending on how attached you are to your partner.
These negative psychological effects of being cheated on may create havoc in your life.
Thus, you need to get expert help as soon as possible to ensure the situation doesn’t escalate to a graver level.
And besides everything, you have to stay mentally strong and keep believing that good things will happen to you.
When you successfully avoid or manage the negative psychological effects of being cheated on, you will realize that your self-love quotient has drastically enhanced.
And self-love will ensure that the misfortune is transformed into the biggest opportunity of your life.
Thus, minimize the negative psychological effects of being cheated on and live the life you truly deserve to live.