Is your spouse cheating on you? Here's how to tell

Copyright (c) 2009 Ed Opperman

Extramarital activity is at an all time high these days. Spouses are engaging in physical affairs with co-workers, people they meet online, and reconnecting with old lovers far too often. Infidelity statistics suggest that as many as 80% of marriages have one spouse who has, or will, engage in extramarital activity at least once during the course of their marriage. If you factor in non-sexual relationships, surveys suggest that this statistic is as high as 90%. With these things in mind, how can you tell if your spouse is cheating on you?

Trust your gut instinct In many cases, your gut instinct should be trusted. Maybe you don't see any signs that may indicate that your spouse is cheating on you, but if, deep down inside, you have this sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, this is something that you should listen to. It could be the air about them, the way they carry themselves, subtle changes in their attitude, or just a sense that they are different somehow. Do not ignore your internal instincts as studies suggest that they are right the majority of the time. Pay attention to their behavior

Behavioral changes are one of the most prevalent signs displayed when somebody starts an extramarital relationship. Maybe they'll become moody, indifferent, overly-affectionate, sarcastic, or critical. Because people react differently in different scenarios, there isn't one single behavioral characteristic that signifies that your spouse is cheating on you. However, what is common is that your spouse's behavior will change one way or another. If they haven't been acting like themselves recently, especially if other signs of cheating are present, this is something you definitely want to look out for.

Pay attention to their activities If your spouse is cheating on you, it's likely that their activities or schedule has changed. For instance, maybe they'll take a sudden interest in physical fitness, maybe they'll start running errands at all hours of the day or night, or maybe they'll start putting in extra hours on the job. Whatever the case may be, the end result is usually the same -- they spend less time with you and more time somewhere else.

Now, it's important to understand that just because your spouse displays signs that they could be cheating on you, this does not mean that they are. Furthermore, even if your gut is telling you that they are involved in some form of extramarital activity, this does not necessarily make it so. People go through changes, people have bad attitudes, and sometimes life just throws you a curve ball and when mixed with other factors in your life, you might behave in an unexpected manner. In other words, it's probably not a good idea to confront your spouse about cheating unless you have actual proof that they are, in fact, involved with somebody else.

If you think that your spouse is cheating on you, listen to your gut, and pay attention. If you still can't shake the feeling that something isn't right, hire a private investigator or use some kind of forensics services to dig into the situation a little bit deeper. While the feelings associated with thinking that your spouse may be cheating on you are terrible, to put it lightly, potentially ruining your relationship because you failed to get actual proof of infidelity before confronting your spouse is not something that you want to endure.