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Why do people cheat in a relationship?

Among issues resulting to a breakdown of the relationship is cheating on the spouse, made easy by the distance, and the span of time, working abroad, psychologists say.

Dr. Maria Jolit Angeline P. Malaya, Graduate Doctor of Philosophy, who also has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Guidance and Counselling, said people who cheat seek validation because they have self-esteem issues.

Intimacy, she stressed, is not a major driving factor.

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Dr. Maria Jolit Angeline P. Malaya

“Sex is not the primary reason people cheat. One of the reasons is that they feel incomplete, most especially if they are away from their loved ones,” said Dr. Malaya, school psychologist who works with students of determination at St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Muhainah, Dubai.

Another reason people cheat, said Dr. Malaya is the lack of emotional connection.

“Cheating happens when the person starts to feel unvalued and neglected. The person resorts to an affair to validate a sense of worthiness,” Dr. Malaya, who conducts training and workshops among OFWs across UAE, explained.

A history of childhood trauma – physical, sexual, or emotional – that has not been resolved raises the chances of cheating, she said

 

Staff Report

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