Your partner is showing obvious signs that they’re no longer interested in you or your relationship. You’re not certain, but the signs are there. Your friends have convinced you that he’s cheating on you. He’s spending more time with other friends. And to be honest, your communication has seemed “off” for a while now. On top of that, your partner hasn’t seemed like themself in a while. You’re worried about them, but you’re also worried they may actually be cheating on you.
Can male depression cause an emotional affair? Let’s find out!
Hopelessness
One of the most common signs of depression is hopelessness. Even if your relationship and your partner are great, depression can lead you to feel hopeless about that as well. Depression can drive a wedge between you and your partner. Even if you have no intention of ending your relationship, depression can cause you to pull away, withdraw, or even ruin your own relationship. Depression can cause you to have a hard time being able to see happiness in your life, even if your relationship was and is good.
Low Self-Worth
Depression can make someone feel bad about themselves. These feelings will only get worse over time. This can set someone up for failure in terms of their life, their career, and even their relationships. An individual struggling with depression may feel that their relationship is already set up for failure so there’s no point in trying. This can lead someone to emotionally or physically cheat on their partner.
Self-Isolation
Another common sign and symptom of depression are withdrawing or self-isolating. This can make a relationship strained. Communication is key in any type of relationship, especially romantic ones. When communication stops due to any reason, it can be difficult to remain on the same page. Plus, you can’t fix what may be broken or move forward and build your relationship to another level. Individuals suffering from depression may start to pull away from their loved ones. This can leave their partner feeling like they did something wrong. Someone with depression may push all of their loved ones away and then seek emotional or physical support from a stranger.
Self-Destructive Behavior
Men that are struggling with depression show a lot of the same signs and symptoms as women who struggle with depression. One way that men and women differ is that men often resort to negative coping mechanisms that are high-risk and even self-destructive. Men struggling with depression resort to behaviors like driving recklessly, gambling, using and abusing drugs and alcohol, practicing unsafe sex, and more. This self-destructive behavior can also drive men who are in committed relationships to be unfaithful.
Next Steps
Depression can have a negative impact on you and start to bleed into parts of your life that you once enjoyed. It doesn’t care who or what is standing in its way. Depression can even put your relationships with your loved ones at a greater risk. Male depression can lead to emotional and physical affairs, especially if it’s left untreated.
Unfortunately, depression isn’t something that can be treated on its own. Talking with a therapist is one of the best ways to help with the signs and symptoms of depression that you may be experiencing.
Therapy can be a great way for you to seek individual counseling or even couples counseling so you and your partner can work together to overcome your or your partner’s depression.
If you or your partner are showing signs of struggling with depression, contact us today to set up a consultation. Whatever you or they are dealing with, you can get through this difficult time together with the support of a trained therapist. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation to get started.
Through Therapy Collective
Our team of culturally competent therapists is here to offer a warm and safe space to help you navigate life’s hardships with a sense of encouragement and empathy. Find out more >
