It’s estimated that 75% of men and 68% of women have cheated or will cheat at some point in their life. For people who are in a loving and committed relationship, this is a scary prospect. Settling down and dedicating a portion of your life to another person requires trust, and if there isn’t any, you could go through a messy breakup.
If you suspect your partner is having an affair, you need to get your hands on concrete evidence before accusing them of infidelity. However, certain signs are very telling, especially changes in behaviour.
Do you not know where to start? Don’t worry. This post will explore six signs that indicate your partner is having an affair.
1. Secretive phone use
Any obvious signs of cheating will naturally set off alarm bells in your mind. Unfortunately, the signs aren’t always as apparent as the lipstick on the collar you see in the movies. Your partner isn’t going to tell you outright or leave a trail of clues. Instead, it’s essential to watch out for the small symbols that signify somebody could be cheating.
Secretive phone use is an element of affairs that’s backed up by a University of Missouri report which studied the links between social media use and infidelity. The research shows a clear connection between the amount of time spent on Twitter and Instagram and couples who broke up or divorced.
While using social media isn’t a factor in itself, it is more worrying if they’re spending hours on the platforms every day and being secretive about their online activity.
2. A gut feeling
In a world where cold, hard facts are key, it’s tempting to explain your gut feeling away. That sensation in your stomach might be inexplicable, yet that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. A gut feeling is an excellent way to tell if someone is lying, according to behavioural analysts. This is because people are hardwired to spot mistruths.
Being in a relationship takes this to a new level because you know intimate details about each other, even if they aren’t obvious. That means something as basic as an eye twitch could set off signals in your mind that trigger a bad feeling in your gut.
Don’t overthink it. It’s a sign that your loved one is acting strangely, and that should be investigated in more detail by a professional.
3. Your sex life changes
Skeptical partners sometimes believe it’s easy to validate suspicions by rating the sex. If you’re still having regular intercourse, that’s a healthy sign. If you’re not, he or she may not be putting in the effort because they are up to no good with someone else.
Although this is sometimes the case, the opposite can also be true – your sexual activity with your partner may increase and mask the obvious. Elite Daily points out that you could be the reason you’re having more sex. This happens when “the person who was cheated on” is “trying to reaffirm that they are loved.”
Whatever the case, it’s vital that you analyse why you’re not having as much intercourse as usual, or why you’re having more of it.
4. Unexplained expenses
Couples, particularly married ones, share everything, including money. As a result, an affair will leave a paper trail that is hard to ignore. It could be something as glaring as a hotel room that you didn’t share, but it may also be an expensive gift or a “business” trip. The key is to watch out for large withdrawals or purchases from places that you don’t recognise.
Of course, finding out that your partner is cheating has more than an emotional effect – it also makes the future more confusing. Financially, a divorce is a considerable expense that will split up your family. Therefore, you want to be on the right side of the law when the papers are filed.
That’s one area where a private investigator can certainly help. Private investigators can make divorce a lot simpler, from proving infidelity as the grounds for divorce to increasing the changes of securing custody and limiting the pain of a prolonged legal battle.
5. Your friends agree
The person involved always finds it harder to spot the warning signs before it’s too late. You’re in love and don’t want to lose the rock that has been there through thick and thin. However, staying with a partner that you can’t trust is going to make you unhappy for the rest of your life.
It’s much better to put your long-term future ahead of your short-term happiness, and you can do that by asking a friend for their opinion.
People who don’t know you can sometimes detect when a relationship is on the brink, which means your best friends have an even greater chance. Their opinions aren’t everything, but they will confirm your suspicions by acknowledging your partner’s weird behaviour if it exists.
6. Nervous, unreliable answers
Often, the tension builds to a boiling point, and you have to act before you do something crazy. Therefore, calling out a partner that you suspect of cheating is the last resort, but it’s therapeutic too.
Aside from allowing you to get your feelings off your chest, it gives you an insight into your partner’s activities. Hopefully, they’ll be able to answer your questions coolly and calmly and provide reasonable excuses. Sadly, this may not be the case as people don’t react well under pressure, especially when the question has come out of the blue.
A partner whose voice cracks and keeps on repeating him or herself is stalling for answers. Alternatively, they will avoid the elephant in the room and deflect the wrongdoing back onto you.
Expert help from professionals
Whether your partner is acting suspiciously online or can’t account for their whereabouts, you can ensure you get the proof you need by hiring a partner investigator. OpSec Solutions provides reliable surveillance services in London, Manchester, and across the UK that will help you get the answers you need. Contact our team for more information.