What Could Happen To Your Body When You Cheat On Someone
Would you still be inclined to cheat on your partner if you knew your body would pay for it? Psychologist Deborah E. Dyer tells Bustle that cheating can lead to significant stress-related troubles, both mentally and physically. Cheating involves stress-inducing activities like lying, sneaking around, covering up, and even involving innocent loved ones. According to Healthline, when your body is under prolonged stress, it becomes overworked, disrupting many bodily functions, weakening the immune system, and can lead to more severe illnesses.
Therapist Renelle. E. Nelson says gastrointestinal issues can arise from the stress of cheating, "causing sour stomach, ulcers or even loose stools," not to mention loss of appetite, adds Dr. Ramani Durvasula. Nelson also reports that your skin may suffer from stress or guilt, causing an outbreak in hives and even acne. Disturbingly, numerous studies have even found that men who cheat are more disposed to suffer from, yikes, heart attacks (per Patient).
How cheating affects your brain
Brain fog, trouble focusing, insomnia, and even panic attacks are symptoms that can occur from the stress of harboring the secret of cheating. The experts at VerywellMind agree, describing how chronic stress can harm your memory and increase mental illness. Furthermore, relationship counselor Peter Saddington tells Patient that those who cheat may already be experiencing a mental disorder such as depression or loneliness, which increases the threat of stress-induced mental illness.
Your brain's structure can also be altered by extreme stress, including killing brain cells, gray and white matter imbalances, and even causing your brain to shrink. With all the harmful ways cheating can affect your body and mind, it can be just as detrimental, and often worse, to the person who was cheated on, causing all the ailments mentioned, as well as PTSD (per Psychology Today). Harmful for all involved, cheating hardly seems worth the damage it generates.