You have developed a friendship with a person of the opposite sex. You might have met them at work. Or maybe you were re-acquainted with them on Facebook after having lost touch with each other over the years. But as time goes on, and your friendship deepens, you might now be asking yourself: “Has this friendship turned into an emotional affair?

It started out innocently enough. You would accidentally meet in the kitchen at the office while getting a cup of coffee. Next thing you know you have become friends and you begin to go out to Starbuck’s for a latte. Daytime coffee turns into drinks before leaving for home at the end of the work day. Drinks after work turns into dinner and before you know it this friendship has grown into a relationship where you have become each other’s confidant, sharing personal secrets.

Now the weekend arrives and you find all sorts of reasons to connect with your “friend” by texting or instant messaging each other.

Coffee, latte, drinks, dinner, exchanged confidences and excessive contact with each other during your non-working hours. Hmmm, what exactly is going on with this “friendship”?

You seem to be thinking about this friend even when you are with your significant other and you can’t help but wonder:

“Has this friendship turned into an emotional affair”?

The answer to this question is not at all difficult to figure out. In fact, there is one simple and sure fire way to answer it.  If there is anything going on between you and your friend that you would not want your partner to know about, you have now entered the danger zone, albeit even if it is only in its infancy, of having an emotional affair. The answer is really that simple.

If you are comfortable having all your activity with your friend videotaped and sent to your partner for them to see, then your friendship with your friend is just that, a great friendship.

But if you would find yourself desperate to prevent your partner from viewing any of the activity on this videotape, you have crossed the line from friendship into an emotional affair. It is just that simple.

And, oh by way, just because you don’t have sex with your new friend does not mean the relationship is within appropriate boundaries. But that is a topic for another day.

Building Together A Relationship Filled With Love, Health & Wealth,

Dr. Patty Ann
www.drpattyann.com
www.relationshiptoolbox.com/blog
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