Emotional infidelity is almost always the first step on the road to cheating, and may well be considered cheating its own right. There is far more to a relationship than just have a physical relationship with only one person and one person only. The truly satisfying and meaningful part of a relationship is the bond you share with the other person.

The emotional connection is a deep and integral part of a relationship, which is what makes emotional infidelity so devastating. The true bond in a relationship goes far beyond just physical fidelity; it’s a large part of what makes a relationship a relationship. A relationship is about sharing your thoughts, feeling and soul with another.

Emotional infidelity is when your significant other begins to form those same kinds of bonds with another person. This almost always goes along with withdrawing from the original relationship.

You go from being your significant other’s friend and confidant to being a stranger in your own relationship. This freezing out can be difficult to deal with, and may be hard to see. You may feel that the problem is on your end and that you are the one doing something wrong.

At the same time, emotional infidelity involves the other person forming bonds with another person outside the marriage. One of the terrible things about emotional infidelity is that it can be difficult to define and identify. Because there is nothing as obvious as sleeping with another person going on, saying for certain that it is going on is trickier to prove.

One big sign is a sexual chemistry between the two people, flirting and teasing each other. It may seem innocent because there is nothing physical going on, but emotional infidelity will cause the person to behave differently.

This is a key point that you need to keep in mind when you suspect emotional infidelity. Everybody has friends; men have their best buddies, women have their girlfriends. Many people have close friends of the opposite sex, people with whom they confide much of their lives.

This isn’t emotional infidelity, and the big thing to look for is signs of guilt. The big sign that someone is becoming involved with someone else on an emotional level is the fact that your significant other feels compelled to hide it. No one hides their relationships with just friends from their significant others. When they’re hiding something, it means there is something to hide.

Emotional infidelity is a problem in and of itself, but it tends to be one of the early signs of a relationship going bad. The next step is usually physical infidelity, and this is almost always preceded by emotional infidelity. If you can recognize and do something about emotional infidelity, you may have an easier time than if you catch it at a later stage.

The two big signs are emotional disengagement and secretive behavior. If your significant other is pulling away from you, becoming distance or hostile, this is a big sign. Likewise, if they are acting suspiciously, hiding phone calls and emails, avoiding questions and just generally acting like they have a secret, this is a sign.

You need to catch emotional infidelity in its early stages an fix it. This can be tough to do, but if you suspect emotional infidelity in your relationship, then you need to seek out and advice and instruction on how to fix your relationship.

Kristi was devastated.  She wanted to get back together with ex boyfriend Thad.  Thad had told her that he needed some “space.”  Thad said that he still cared for her but didn’t want to date exclusively any more.

What should Kristi do to get back together with ex Thad?  Should she call him and text him?  Should she show up and flirt with his friends?  Should she ignore him completely?

Actually, she should do none of these.  Instead, she should listen to him.

He says that he loves her but that he needs space.  While this may seem like a cliché, the truth is that many times when people use this line they mean what they say.

Sometimes a relationship just gets ahead of a person.  They may not be ready for the responsibilities a relationship carries.  But that doesn’t mean that they don’t love their ex.  In fact, they may love him or her too much and want to take a step back.

Given that this is the case, let’s take a look at what disasterous things can happen if you handle the situation badly.

For instance, if Kristi were to endlessly pursue Thad with calls, emails and texts, she wouldn’t be giving him the space he needed to get his head on straight.  Letters, gifts, and singing songs under his window late at night would have the same effect.

One of Kristi’s friends suggested that she start flirting with all of Thad’s friends to make him jealous in an attempt to get back together with ex.  This is a common recommendation because it is assumed that men will want what other men have.  The problem is that by playing games now, Kristi would be jeopardizing her relationship in the future.  And, there is a strong likelihood that Thad would just be angry at Kristi and push her even further away.

Another option Kristi considered was just ignoring him altogether.  In some ways, because she was so hurt by Thad’s rejection, she wanted to punish him in turn.

But, if she is open and receptive but not pushy when they meet each other in social situations that are not contrived, she shows him what a wonderful woman and wonderful human being she is.  She becomes someone that he wants to spend time with.  She has allowed him to see her at her best.

Kristi has a number of options if she wants to get back together with ex.  But, her best option is simply to listen to Thad.  He’s said he needs space.  So, she should give it to him.  She should let him have the opportunity to decide whether to get back together.

My guess is that Thad will come back to Kristi and he’ll be ready to take the relationship to the next level.  If Kristi plays her cards right, she will have a stronger relationship overall.

That’s how to get ex back in a healthy way.