When it comes to serial cheaters, awareness of the impact of their actions and a desire to forge new, positive behaviors are necessary to promote change in a relationship.
In most circumstances, cheating, or infidelity, involves the formation of an emotionally intimate or sexual bond, or both, with someone other than your primary partner.
The connection occurs in a way that breaks your current relationship boundaries and redirects your attention away from your original partner’s needs.
Cheating once study found people who cheated in a previous relationship were almost three times more likely to cheat in another relationship. Cheating that happens multiple times is known as serial cheating.
Serial cheating isn’t restricted to a length of time, either. Multiple, separate situations of unfaithfulness – no matter how far they’re spaced apart- can be defined as serial cheating.
If you’re wondering about whether or not a serial cheater can change, the answer often lies in why someone repeats cheating behaviors.
Dr. David Tzall, a licensed psychologist in New York City, explains serial cheating can emerge from complex causes like trauma and insecure attachment. Cheating can also occur from psychological conditions of:
- narcissism
- impulsivity
Sometimes, serial cheating may be a reflection of the overall health of a relationship. “A lack of emotional or physical intimacy, poor communication, unresolved conflicts, or unmet expectations within a relationship can lead some individuals to seek fulfillment elsewhere,” he says. Continue reading
