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Why do I always think my girlfriend is cheating?

287 Answers
Last Updated: 11/27/2023 at 4:15pm
Why do I always think my girlfriend is cheating?
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Stacy Overton, PhD.

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I am an enthusiastic life-long learner and also a professor of counseling. I have a passion for peoples stories and helping to guide and empower the human spirit.

Top Rated Answers
rin404
February 1st, 2022 12:18am
It depends on what could be making you think that. Has she showed signs of cheating or is it just you thinking that she is? It could also be your intuition trying to tell you. Some mistake it for overthinking. In the past I had someone who cheated on me and I kept thinking that they were cheating until one day they had confirmed they had been cheating. If you’re thinking that she is then I suggest you talk to her about it and get some reassurance. Sometimes, it ca be nothing. I really hope it was of help.
quercusilex
August 5th, 2021 10:01am
I had the same intuition for a really long period. I spoke to my partner and through communication I realised that I could trust them. Hence, I reflected on myself: was I confident enough with me? After an amazing journey to my worries and concerns I found that the problem was related to my self-esteem. Using disclosure I told my partner and other beloved ones which were the things that they found make of me a good person. I focused on them and then, when I felt strong enough, I began working on traits I want to improve. I am still on my way but the journey till self-love is amazing and very ful-filling!
Anonymous
July 25th, 2021 6:46am
It might be worth analysing what it is that makes you feel that way, and if you've confronted her about it, what it is that makes you believe she would be lying to you. Relationships are built on trust, and if she says she isn't cheating, you kind of have to take her word for it. If that level of trust just doesn't exist in the relationship, then maybe it's not meant to be, tough as that might be to admit. If you let your worry lie and end up at the point where you are analysing her every move and trying to catch her cheating, you won't enjoy the relationship anymore, and it'll definitely cease to be a healthy relationship if you don't trust her at all, and she feels like you're trying to catch her out.
Ukiyothepeace
July 23rd, 2021 4:11pm
Insecurities like such often stem from personal experiences either embedded long ago in childhood or due to previous relationships. Sometimes you would be experiencing these paranoias due to the previous relationship that werent healthy and your doubts had proven right later. Moreover, if you constantly follow or lookup to specific social media niche you can get insecurities that would affect the way you view your partner. The best solution is to talk to your partner and tell them how you have been feeling. Its best to tackle these insecurities at an early stage rather than hiding or ignoring them as a part of relationship. Remember communication and understanding is the key to healthy relationships.
Anonymous
July 11th, 2021 11:42pm
Sometimes we have anxiety in a relationship, and that anxiety likes to tell us something is wrong even when its not. Its important to remember this and work through a checklist in your mind: Is she acting odd? Does she seem to be lying? What evidence do I have that she cheating? etc. Another thing that is important is to communicate. Communication is important in every relationship. If she's not communicating well, then let her. And finally, unfortunately humans are humans, so some people will of course cheat. If you've noticed any odd behavior, talk with your friends. Don't straight up break up with her unless you are absolutely positive that she is cheating on you. Good luck!
takeabreathertonight
June 13th, 2021 10:12pm
What experiences or feelings has lead to this concern? It's important to start from the beginning and to gather up the facts. Has she been spending less time with you lately? Are her moods off and on, one moment she seems connected to you and the next she doesn't? Does she disappear at random times and go quiet for hours? Now, you don't need to know every second of the day what your partner is doing. What I'm saying is, it could be helpful to reflect on whether this is normal behaviour for your girlfriend or if she's recently been doing this. I know sitting down and talking about it can be difficult, as some accusations can be thrown around and you could get into an argument. But to sit down, pour one another a drink (or a hot chocolate), play some calm music in the background and just build on that neutral atmosphere. You're not here to argue, but to seek answers and understand one another more. It could even help if you prompt a discussion based on what both of you want out of the relationship, if any of your needs are or aren't being met, and to check in emotionally with one another. Maybe even ask where you see yourself in the future and to be genuinely honest with one another. Show no hatred or judgement, because you are having a open and honest conversation, not an arguement. Now if things do open up and she expresses that she has cheated, then you ask why she did this instead of talking about it with you. Ask why she had to pursue another guy, while in this relationship. If she has lost feelings for you, the fact she has cheated in the first place indicates that she is not the girl you thought she was. You can't put your trust and love into someone, who would do this behind your back. So this should help you move on, by replacing the fantasy with the reality. If it's because of anything she is remorseful over, both of you must come to a compromise. She needs to be willing to change her ways and regain your trust. Don't shut her out, but work alongside her. Make sure she has cut contact with that person. She has to show you that she's cut contact, as if she wants you in her life, she can't do this anymore. Then from there, slowly move forwards. I hope some of this helps.
SoulSearch9595
June 11th, 2021 12:34pm
These thoughts tend to come from an anxious place, have you been cheated on in the past? Try to think about what has happened in the past to make you have these thoughts. Trust issues can come from childhood, from previous relationships, or from your current circumstances. Also think about anything your girlfriend is doing to make you think she might be cheating? Is she hiding something, or are these thoughts fabricated in your mind? Communication is one of the best tools to overcome these situations. How can you build trust between you and your girlfriend? How can you communicate about these things whilst maintaining respect and openness?
luna2815
June 9th, 2021 9:42pm
This can be the effect of many different factors, including overthinking, past experiences, unbalanced emotions, and red flags. Have you had past girlfriend(s) that cheated on you? Do you tend to think a little too much on one detail you noticed? Has your girlfriend shown red flags that caused you to suspect her, including suspicious text messages to other people (that seems a little more than just a friendly conversation)? Thinking this way is quite normal, especially when you are new to romantic relationships. Try talking to her about your concerns, and still be cautious. There is a chance that things are not what they seem :)
VicJonas
April 22nd, 2021 6:26am
Love can make you feel vulnerable. Sometimes that vulnerability expresses itself in the form of fears that the object of love secretly engaging in some kind of betrayal. I had this experience in the early days of one of my long-term relationships. I found it very difficult to believe that she could love me. So, if she did not come home when expected I would get very anxious. Or if she seemed to be too friendly with another male I would feel jealousy. Building trust takes time and honest openness. So tell your girlfriend in a calm non-confrontational manner how you feel. You can then discuss together what kinds of things you could do to build that trust with each other. It may very well be that she sometimes feels the same way about you. It is definitely possible to work through this. I hope this helps.
Anonymous
April 7th, 2021 7:29pm
Good question. I think only you have the answer to that. Do you trust your girlfriend with others? Has your trust been betrayed in the past before by someone (could also be platonically)? If so it could be that you have trust issues because or previous experiences. I think the solution to trust issues is actually letting go of the control over the other person—the truth is that some people will betray you and some will cheat on you. Not everyone but again, that's *their* choice and there's nothing anyone can do about it. But it's a f/ucking terrifying thought to think that some people will betray you and break your trust. Especially if that person is close to you or means a lot to you. At the end of the day—you have to accept that sometimes people will hurt you and screw you. Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean you have to build your walls higher to ensure you don't get hurt because eventually you'll be alone then. So what is it then? Acceptance—and if you can't accept it, you have to accept that part. You'd have to accept very little things and then go bigger. You'd have to open yourself up to hurt—but still keep boundaries to protect yourself.
Pancakefeline0101
February 28th, 2021 7:38am
In the world of relationships, there can be loads of reasons for the couple to struggle. One of these are doubt, jealousy and more. You might feel like she's cheating all the time because you are doubting the actions she's making. Trust is a very powerful and important thing when it comes to making a bound strong. when you don't trust somebody the relationship between the both of you is more likely to fall apart without a fight. It's normal to get jealous but if you don't trust someone then that's a not more difficult to deal with. Let's put into conclusion that the trust you gave to a person has been broken a lot of times, you can't blame them for doing so...but sometimes it's better to give up rather than keep getting hurt.
Anonymous
January 29th, 2021 1:54am
Because she's a popular person has has a lot of friends and because I'm too worried about losing her to unknown competition that could be out there. Even though it is probably because I don't have enough confidence that I am worth her love and company, despite the thought she might not be thinking in such a way. Thinking that my girlfriend is cheating is probably a way to show my lack of confidence, having a short conversation with her to let her know of my worries and how my actions could be beyond her understanding might be good. This will allow her to understand me better and to prevent any arguments that might arise from miscommunications.
Anonymous
January 1st, 2021 11:24pm
If she gives you the reasons to think that (she acts different, weird, distant etc..) be straight forward and tell her that. But, if she doesn't and you believe it is ''all in your head'' I think it could be one (or more) of these three: you have low self-esteem, bad past experiences or you think she is out of your league. If it's first - work on your insecurities, step by step, but not to impress her, but to feel better about yourself. She is happy with you, otherwise she wouldn't be your gf and there is a huge chance she is even aware of the things that bother you. We are the worst judges of ourselves. If it's second- don't let past affect your future. Past built you stronger but you are still a person with emotions. Let someone be 'the one' :) Not every girl is like your ex. Give your gf a chance to destroy you and trust her that she will never do it. She can be prettiest, smartest, funniest ... but if you don't trust her, she isn't worth it. if it's the third- remember, she also decided to start relationship with you. It takes two, doesn't it? It isn't all about looks, there is something about the heart also.
Stillthebrighteststar
November 25th, 2020 1:53am
A short answer could simply be jealousy. And if she really isn't that's only proof more that you truly love her, and even the chance of someone else having you triggers you. But there's always the possibility that she is and she's bad at hiding it. If that's the case, it's best to end the relationship, but NEVER close yourself off to newer relationships. Being sad and lonely isn't worth the temporary pain you feel from healing from the wounds of the old relationship. Remember, when something breaks, it grows back stronger, unless you keep rubbing salt in the wound.
Anonymous
February 5th, 2020 4:39pm
Maybe because you have past issues that result in the now, possibly trust issues. Have a conversation with her about it and work on yourself for a healthy relationship. Not saying there is anything wrong with it but trust is an important factor and if you dont have the trust then that makes things difficult. Im sure its just worry but again talk to her if she trusts you enough to let you express your emotions just do what u can to work towards being able to get these thoughts out of your head. Youll be ok and you got this
Anonymous
September 8th, 2019 4:48am
Honestly it is kind of normal to form some type of paranoia feeling while in a relationship. It's just one of those things where you just think to yourself "why me?" And this makes it especially hard if you deal with insecurities. But, if you feel as if you can't trust her, then what's the point in being with her? But if you have no evidence or haven't seen anything you also don't want to risk your whole relationship over something that might not even exist. But just trust your gut on this one. Best of luck to you.
MissLisa
August 8th, 2019 12:46pm
Perhaps you have been cheated on in the past? People who have experienced cheating in the past may become worried that future relationships will result in the same way. Just try and remember that not everyone cheats during a relationship. Furthermore, maybe your girlfriend has gave you reason to believe that she is cheating. Perhaps she has flirty behaviour which you consider is crossing the line. Or maybe she has cheated in the past and you forgave yet are worried that she is cheating again? Just remember if that is the case then you forgave her and thought you could put it behind you.
Alcindo
May 16th, 2019 2:42am
Its probally you have such a nice girlfriend and fell afraid about lose her. You may think people want to take her from you. You have to understand that there is a good reason to her to stay with you. Once you give her all feelings she deserves, everything is gonna be ok. You guys also have to talk clearlly to each other about your relationship and your fears. This kind of thoughts can not help you at all. In fact, it destroys you instead. Remember : everyone is free to go and once she's decided to stay with you, you have strongly consider that.
Anonymous
May 12th, 2019 4:47pm
What is your significant other doing? What have they done to make you feel untrusting of them? What happened in your past is making you feel insecure about your current relationship? Very often, we go into a relationship and we may think we had it all. We think that this relationship is all we need. Only to discover we have been cheated one way or another. Then we enter into another relationship and get the same result. We may have gone through several relationships like this. Then we think it is us, we are not made to have a relationship. However, have we look deep enough into what happened in the original relationship to learn the lesson it was giving us? How can we blame others, when maybe we haven’t checked to see if we may have contributed to it as well? What is the lesson here?
Anonymous
October 30th, 2018 1:36am
I think this comes down to trust issues. Perhaps someone betrayed you in the past or find they don't meet your expectations? Sometimes we also have self-esteem issues and these issues bleed into relationships. If you have a low self esteem then you will expect that no one will be in a relationship with you for a long time. They will soon leave you. Self-esteem and lack of trust, I think those are the big two reasons people suspect cheating. It depends on the person of course, but everything stems from those things. Jealousy from Self Esteem etc. etc.
franciscoaparicio44
July 15th, 2018 10:58pm
It could be because you have a low sense of self-esteem and think that anyone your girlfriend/boyfriend will find will be better than you, when this may not necessarily be the case.
5thousandmiles
January 31st, 2018 8:59pm
Maybe your trust has been broken before and now you're worried you'll get hurt again. Trust is hard to repair, give her the benefit of the doubt.
Anonymous
January 14th, 2018 6:42am
"If" she has done something in the past to gain that distrust, it can be a very hard thing to heal from. "If" she has not done anything, than perhaps you are feeling anxious due to insecurities or worries in your relationship. It may be helpful to talk about some of these worries with her, and it may also be beneficial to sit back and consider what may be causing these feelings to arise. Is it your perception of yourself? Is it her behaviors? Is it general anxiety? Identifying the problem is the first step in trying to grow and have a healthy relationship. Dont be afraid to talk a out you concerns and the things that make you uneasy in the relationship. Communication and self reflection are key.~
Anonymous
December 30th, 2017 10:02am
A probable cause can be that you've faced terrible dejection in the past which has ingrained this fear within you. But you need to believe that it won't happen again. Faith.
Anonymous
December 6th, 2017 11:41am
Things have changed. We've had problems. She's distant and started a new job. She goes to work dressed up, but never did it until recently. The extra time she has in the day, seems to go unanswered for. She blames me for being dishonest or talking to other people. I just don't know, I'm scared to ask questions, because she goes crazy with attitude when I ask where she's been or about the Missing time.
Josh21
June 3rd, 2017 6:48pm
Let's rearrange that to boyfriend. So a little background I met my bf 7ish years ago. We had a short break, about a year to be exact, due to cheating. I mean it was mostly online companionship, trading of pics and videos, and one meet up where he semi-acted on his desires. I was so paranoid for years. I always thought he was cheating, I would go through his phone. I would cringe every time I heard a ringtone that wasn't familiar. He changed his tones up a lot to keep me off his trail. The thing is I was so worried yet I wasn't truly sharing that with him. Now to be fair it turned out that I have Bipolar and that had a part to play in my paranoia, due to not being treated. I started treatment and began to feel better but by that point he was to far long gone. Now that we are back together we took a new approach, direct communication. Having direct, honest, and open communication is the foundation of a relationship. Anytime I have a suspicion I ask, it calms me down and my parnoia subsides, yes I still suffer from paranoia to an extent. It doesn't follow me anymore, that could be the treatment or it could be the open communication. I'd like to think it is a combination of both. Become self aware of who you are and the role you play in this. That will help a lot, plus partners tend to appreciate self-reflection. Once done start an open dialogue. Explain why you feel this way. It may be because yall don't talk enough, maybe because yall don't spend enough time together, or possible your intimacy department has changed. It's ok. This is normal. Many people struggle with this. Take it a step at a time and don't overthink it if you want to salvage the relationship. I know I know that is easier said than done. You can do it!!! Good luck to anyone dealing with a fear of cheating situaitinon.
Positivefutuream
April 23rd, 2017 7:07am
Sounds like anxiety. Sometimes our thoughts get the best of us, but isn't always right. Anxiety like to play tricks on us I would have a nice talk with your girlfriend.
sereneStrawberry33
February 26th, 2017 1:39pm
Is it possible you have been cheated on in the past? Perhaps this person is doing things which remind you of things your cheating ex did. This could either mean that you have learned the signs of a cheater, or that you are simply assuming things based upon seeing things that look similar in this girl. Is it possible she has done something very subtle that hints that she is cheating, even though it isn't direct or obvious? I'd say the best thing is to politely and gently ask her about it. Don't assume the worst. You might be able to tell by the way she answers.
Anonymous
November 2nd, 2016 9:32pm
That's probably because of the things you see your girlfriend doing, or the feelings she expresses. But don't let those things get in the way of your relationship. You have to trust each other, even if it feels like they are cheating.
princesspenny19
August 12th, 2016 3:36pm
This is perfectly normal it can happen to anyone. This mostly happens because you might be having some trouble with your self esteem... You might think you're not good enough and so your girlfriend will find someone better and cheat on you. But the principles of every relationship are trust and honesty. So tell her how you feel and try to trust her more. Relax a little bit. And if something really happens then you know she wasn't the right girl for you. You deserve someone who loves you endlessly and who channels such confidence to you that you never think she's cheating. 💓