She’s dissatisfied with her relationship
While it doesn’t make it okay, some women cheat on their partner due to feeling dissatisfied within their current relationship. Whether it’s emotionally or sexually, if their current partner isn’t treating them how they’d like, it can lead to adulterous activities. Some try to fill a void in their current relationship by sleeping elsewhere.
She has low self-esteem
Low self-esteem is cited as being one of the biggest reasons why women cheat. People that lack self esteem can become highly dependent on the affection of other people. Sometimes, the attention of just one person isn’t enough to satisfy them, leading them to seek the company of others.
Many women cheat for revenge
Revenge cheating is far more common with women than it is with men. 37% of women admitting to indulging in payback infidelity, as opposed to 31 percent of men. Many women don’t plan to cheat, but feel justified in their actions if their partner cheats on them first – aiming to hurt their other half in the same way that they hurt them.
She’s an addict
Some people claim they have a sex addiction in order to excuse their inappropriate behavior. Women with a sex addiction are likely to cheat on their spouse regardless of how perfect their relationship is – it becomes a literal obsession. If this is the case, the person in question is advised to seek therapy.
It’s a defense mechanism
Women who have been cheated on in previous relationships may cheat out of attempted self-preservation. They may be subconsciously holding onto the anxiety and anguish they encountered before. Deep down, they could believe that all men are the same, so they cheat first before they get cheated on. This behavior will only lead to misery, along with a slew of trust issues.
It’s a form a self-sabotage
Cheaters engage in an array of relationship-ruining tendencies, from emotional and physical infidelity, to consistently lying. All of these behaviors are signs of self-sabotage – ruining a good thing by their own hand before they can be ruined by external circumstances. While it isn’t right, some cheaters act out due to a fear of rejection or attachment.
Her needs aren’t fulfilled
Many women claim that they’ve cheated on their partner due to them not fulfilling their high sexual needs, needing to look elsewhere to get their rocks off. This is never okay – if your sex drives aren’t aligned, talk to one another. If they don’t match, perhaps you’re better off apart.
She strays to stay
A study showed that 455 of cheaters felt more desired after their affair, while 29% claimed that cheating helped them to regain a sense of confidence. Your girlfriend may claim that she had to cheat on you in order to stay in your relationship, needing a confidence boost. If this is the case – run for the hills. Once a cheater, always a cheater.
She’s going through a midlife crisis
Mid or late-life crises are often at the root of cheating spouses. These crises can even occur as young as 30! The realization of impending mortality through the worry of being stuck with one partner for the rest of her life can cause many women to act out, wondering if they’ve neglected sexual experiences throughout their lives.
She’s bored with her life
Often, women will cheat simply because they’re bored – it’s as simple as that. While it doesn’t make it acceptable, some women crave a wider scope of sexual variety, fed up with being tied down to one partner for the rest of their lives. Other times, they may be bored in the bedroom, looking for a sexual partner who can spice things up.
She craves attention
For some women, one partner will simply never be enough. She may forever be seeking attention from all sources, constantly used to having all eyes on her. It can be an addictive feeling, and it could be a feeling that she continues to seek throughout her whole life, forever trying to fill an empty void.
She has attachment issues
Attachment styles are based on personal values, through learned behavior. There are many different types: anxious, self-preserving, and fearful/avoidant. Someone with a fearful or avoidant attachment style may act out and cheat as it’s the only way they know how to process their complex, untended emotions.
She has unrealistic relationship expectations
In a world full of social media posts and romance movies, some women are left with unsatiable relationship expectations. She may want more from the connection, unaware that no relationship goes without a rough patch. Over time, the initial spark from your first meeting slowly fades away, which is why some women stray.
She thinks she’s too good for you
Ego complexes can oftentimes lead to women being unfaithful to their partners. If your girlfriend thinks that she’s – in every way – better than you, it may lead her to seek other partners. If that’s the case, you truly haven’t missed out on much – relationships should always be based on equality.
She’s chasing lust, not love
A cheating woman may claim that she loves her partner, but still commit acts of infidelity anyway. How can that be so? The reality is that a cheater may love their partner, but love isn’t what they’re seeking. They’re simply searching for short-term lust at another’s expense.
It gives her a thrill
For some, the thrill of an illicit affair provides a shot of adrenalin. The sneaking around, the lying, the heated moments when their partner isn’t looking can all provide a boost of serotonin to the brain; creating a serial cheater. If your partner treats you like this, it shows that she has no regard for your feelings whatsoever.
She’s a control freak
Someone may take to cheating to regain a sense of control of their sense of self. They may feel vulnerable or weak in certain areas of their life – some that may be completely unrelated to your relationship. To regain a sense of power, they take their romantic life into their own hands – no matter who it may hurt.
She can’t deal with deep communication
Instead of being an adult and facing the big issues within your relationship, your girlfriend may resort to cheating. Obviously, this isn’t okay, but in her mind it’s an easier course of action than getting truly deep and intimate with you. Avoiding communication will only lead to a lonely, miserable life.
She craves a deeper connection
Just because you’re in love, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have an emotional connection. You can love another person without truly knowing them – which is why some women cheat on their partners. It’s not due to a lack of love, it’s due to wanting more, emotionally. Of course, if she truly loved you, she’d be brave enough to discuss this issue with you…
She feels lonely
Loneliness is cited as a prime cause of infidelity. If you’re constantly at work, forever leaving your partner in the cold, she may resort to seeking other sources of affection. It doesn’t make it okay – there’s never any excuse for cheating – but some women continue to claim that loneliness causes them to be unfaithful.
She lacks self-love
In order to love somebody else, you first have to love yourself. A cheater is highly likely to have little to no self-love, which makes them act out in self-destructive ways. Cheaters are unknowingly trying to correct a mental unbalance through external means – a never-ending path that only leads to disappointment.
The cheating is a trauma response
For some, infidelity can be a sign of a deep-rooted trauma response. If she’s a survivor of unresolved trauma, the cheating may be her mind’s response to protect itself from the unfamiliar concept of being unconditionally loved, essentially destroying the relationship to feel a sense of familiarity.
She feels like you’ve grown more distant
Some women will cheat because they think their current spouse is being especially distant with them. Whether it’s physically or emotionally, feeling your partner slowly leaving you is painful – leading to adulterous activities. It may be poor reasoning, communicating with your partner is always preferred, but it’s a reason nevertheless.
She doesn’t love you
It may be hard to hear, but if your other half cheats on you, it may be that she simply doesn’t love you anymore. After all, cheating is the biggest of betrayals, and if you truly, deeply loved someone, you wouldn’t willingly inflict that pain on your supposed soul mate.
She’s a narcissist
A narcissist doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings but their own. In fact, they’re utterly incapable of empathy, meaning that they’re more than happy to lie straight to your face. Narcissists have a high sense of self-importance, expecting everyone to fawn over them and cater to their every need. This leads to unfavorable behaviors which includes – you guessed it – cheating.
She’s co-dependent
Co-dependent people are forever chasing a void they’ll never externally fill. Forever seeking the approval and company of others to make themselves feel better, they never realize that their true worth lies within. Some women cheat due to having co-dependent personalities, needing the attention of several partners to mask their insecurities.
She doesn’t trust you – or herself
If there’s no trust in the relationship, it’s doomed from the start. No matter how much you love someone, if you can’t learn to love and trust yourself it’ll be extremely hard to truly love and trust another. This distrust of the world at large can manifest as illicit behaviors.
Cheating is a way to self-soothe
When your partner is experiencing high levels of stress, she may look for ways to calm her nervous system or self-soothe. There are many options to self-soothe – some healthier than others – but some women resort to self-destructive soothing habits to make them feel better in the immediate moment.
She doesn’t think you are “the one”
Your partner may not think of you as the person of her dreams, essentially settling for you in order to not feel alone. It’s a cruel way to treat someone, but some women will string a man along to keep him as a backup option, while keeping an eye out for her true endgame.
She’s got the cheating gene
Let’s be clear: There’s no scientific evidence of the so-called cheating gene. Some claim that cheating can be linked to our genetics, absorbing DNA from our parents. It’s more likely that this is a get-out-of-jail-free card, allowing the cheat to avoid taking responsibility for her actions.
Her other partner offers her more
A sad truth: Sometimes, a woman will prefer to be with her other partner as she feels that they treat her better. Whether it’s through romantic gestures, time, or intimacy, she may have a case of thinking the grass is greener on the other side, not realizing how good she currently has it.
She thinks she won’t get caught
Cheaters – especially those who cheat multiple times – act out their fantasies due to one thing – arrogance. Every cheater thinks that they won’t get caught, indirectly thinking that their partner is too ignorant to catch onto their behavior. Unfortunately for them, the truth always comes out.
Her parents were unfaithful
History has a way of repeating itself. We grow up absorbing everything we see, almost destined to recreate it in our own futures. If your girlfriend saw her parents repeatedly cheat on each other, it sets the foundation for unhealthy relationships, explaining why she continuously indulges in illicit activities.
She doesn’t believe in monogamy
Obviously, if your girlfriend doesn’t believe in monogamy, that’s something that should have been brought up pretty early on in your relationship. However, some people don’t realize that they wish to be polyamorous until they’re already in a committed relationship, leading to pain and confusion.
She got caught up in the moment
Some women claim that they were caught up in the moment when they cheat, experiencing a moment of fleeting weakness. In reality, this is nothing more than a feeble excuse. It takes several steps and actions to cheat on someone, with multiple chances to back away from temptation.
She’s looking for a reason to end the relationship
Already disconnected from her current partner, a cheater may look for someone else to cling to before they jump ship. Their insecurities mean that they can’t break up and risk being single, meaning that they need to have another option in place before they blow up the relationship.
She didn’t realize you were exclusive
If the boundaries weren’t clear from the offset, it could explain your partner’s actions. Don’t allow her to feign ignorance if there were clear rules in place, but if you were in the early days of dating and hadn’t had the infamous talk, it could explain her behavior.
She has unresolved issues
Cheating isn’t normal – no matter how much more commonplace it seems to be nowadays. It’s a clear sign that something is wrong with the cheater, whether it’s trauma, a personality disorder, or an inability to lead a fulfilling life with healthy relationships. If she cheats, there’s something deeper at play.
She’s struggling with her mental health
Depression and anxiety can, surprisingly, lead to infidelity. Mental health conditions can lead to increased levels of impulsivity and risk-taking – including actions related to their romantic lives. Throwing logic out of the window, the only thing that comes to mind is the need for immediate gratification, no matter who it hurts.
She’s emotionally immature
It may be the case that your partner simply hasn’t grown enough mentally to have healthy, mature relationships. Being emotionally immature impacts a person’s ability to control their emotions or stick to their commitments. Instead of tackling issues head-on, they stick their head in the sand by seeking out immediate thrills.