After the initial honeymoon period wears off it can be tough to keep the spark alive in a relationship. Reality soon sees the inevitable Uggs and joggers creeping out of the wardrobe and before you know it you are turning in much earlier than you used to. If warning bells start ringing, don’t be afraid to act on your feelings.

Rather than taking the respectful upper hand, many choose cheating as a way to end the relationship. Either they do it carelessly in the hope of getting caught and dumped or they do it knowing they’ll have to own up…and presumably get dumped. Either way it’s win-win for the cheater.

Rather than taking the respectful upper hand, many choose cheating as a way to end the relationship. Either they do it carelessly in the hope of getting caught and dumped or they do it knowing they’ll have to own up…and presumably get dumped. Either way it’s win-win for the cheater.

Just as a cliff diver risks snapping his neck on a protruding rock, thrill seeking cheaters crave the adrenalin rush that sneaking around gives them. Even though they may know it is wrong, the thrill of such a risk can be hard to resists for some.

“I don’t remember”… “it wasn’t me”… “he/she took advantage of me”- these are all common lines, but would this defence stand up in court? The divorce courts maybe.

This reason for cheating is often demonstrated during times of neglect. Everyone likes to feel wanted and attractive to their partner, but if the sex dwindles and egos are dented, the result can be finding someone who’ll replace that missing confidence.

Well, let’s rephrase-your partner forgives you. While forgiving a past affair can be commended, often it sends the cheating partner a destructive message: ‘please feel free to do it again; I’ll still be here’.

As you (hopefully) grow together, it’s common in a relationship to lose a sense of who you are. While a weekend drinking sesh, or a course in crocheting might do it for some, others use the sinister art of cheating to regain their independence and control.

Feeling trapped in a bad relationship isn’t healthy for anyone. If people don’t get the love and respect they crave at home, it’s understandable they might find it elsewhere, whether they’re looking or not.

While infidelity can stem from the need for intimacy, it can also result from the need to keep away from it and remain detached from a partner. For a commitment phobe, the act of cheating serves to protect them from getting too close.

Text: Bauer