According to Psychotherapist and Counselling Directory member Beverley Blackman: "Cheating OCD is the belief or concern that you may cheat (or have already cheated) on your partner. There are many levels of this and they come about in many ways."
Cheating OCD can be debilitating for people who struggle with it, but it is highly treatable. By doing exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy with a trained mental health professional, those struggling with OCD can find more freedom and relief in their relationships.
In many cases, people think their spouse is cheating on them because either they've cheated on someone in the past or are about to. Psychologists say that projection is a low-level coping skill, where people who cheat or think of cheating are likely to project the same thoughts on their partners.
Compulsive cheating disorder (also called serial cheating) is an unofficial term that often refers to chronic infidelity. People with this disorder may identify as being addicted to sex. Sometimes, they also experience issues related to substance use, personality disorders, or other mental health problems.
People with rOCD may experience intrusive thoughts, fears, and anxiety about whether their partner is right for them, whether they are attracted to their partner or their partner is attracted to them, and intense doubt regarding whether they need to end their relationship.
People who have relationship OCD symptoms tend to be intensely preoccupied with their partner or relationship to the point that these thoughts impact how they go about their lives. Someone with ROCD might ruminate on certain thoughts, such as: whether their partner or relationship is right for them.
OCD sufferers have a heightened sense of fear and lack of security, which can manifest itself in the need for constant reassurance from their partner or spouse. On the other side of OCD, you might find yourself incessantly saying things such as, “Yes, I love you.” OR “Yes, you look beautiful”.
There are consistent associations between infidelity and each of the Big 5 traits. For example, people who cheat in romantic relationships score higher on Neuroticism, Openness to Experience, and Extraversion. They score lower on Agreeableness and Conscientiousness.
An analysis revealed eight key reasons: anger, self-esteem, lack of love, low commitment, need for variety, neglect, sexual desire, and situation or circumstance.
It's very common to worry that your boyfriend or husband might be having an affair with someone else. However, it's also common to doubt yourself when this fear crops up. You might wonder if you're misreading the signs, or if you're letting your own feelings of anxiety make you suspicious of a faithful, loving partner.
"There is nothing wrong with thinking about cheating. Taking action on those thoughts is something that can drastically change your life though. Being able to talk with someone else will help you gain perspective and clarity."
Where does proditiophobia come from? Phobias are psychological conditions characterized by an extreme fear of something, whether it's spiders (arachnophobia), being outside (agoraphobia), heights (acrophobia), or, in this case, being betrayed by someone you love (proditiophobia).
Research in the field of infidelity reveals that there are three distinct personality types correlated with a higher likelihood of cheating: sociopaths, narcissists, and lonely hearts.
According to the General Social Survey, men are more likely to cheat than women, with 20% of men and 13% of women reporting having sex with someone other than their partner while still married. However, the gender gap varies per age.
It is absolutely possible that your partner does love you, did love you before, and will continue to love you in the future. Infidelity does not mean that the love is gone or never existed. The reality is that you can love someone and still cheat on them.
Summary. Micro-cheating involves participating in inappropriate intimate connections with others outside your relationship.
Cheating can be a sign of deep relational issues
A cheater might suffer from extremely low self-esteem and a narcissistic view of seeing things. Some people have a tendency for attention-seeking and once they are satisfied with one person they might go on to another to fulfil their needs and validate themselves.
Broadly, emotional infidelity describes a situation in which an individual in a relationship develops an important emotional connection with someone other than their partner, in a way that crosses a line without necessarily becoming physical.
Research suggests there may be a link between sexual dysfunction and OCD, as OCD is associated with lower sex drive, lower satisfaction with sex, worse sexual functioning, disgust with sexual activities, dissatisfaction with a sexual partner and fear of having sex.
One of the most important things to remember if you're involved with someone with OCD is that their habits, routines, and ways of doing things may seem very different to you. You might view some of their actions and obsessive tendencies as being excessive, unnecessary, or repetitive.