A licensed clinical psychologist says you can develop a form of PTSD – after your partner has an affair.
Dr. Kathy Nickerson, 48, revealed a lesser-known condition you could develop after the trauma of your partner cheating on you – called PISD.
The condition – which stands for Post Infidelity Stress Disorder – can leave you with PTSD-like symptoms such as anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping and a constant sense of dread.
While it’s an informal term rather than an official diagnosis, the condition recognizes the long trauma an affair can inflict on a partner.
Nickerson, from Orange County, Calif., said: “When you’re in a committed relationship, your partner is the foundation on which so many aspects of your life are built.
“When you discover that your partner has cheated, the foundation cracks and you feel as if everything in your life is unsafe, unstable, and insecure.
“People are extremely reluctant to talk about infidelity because of the guilt, shame, and judgment they experience when they share their experiences.
“As such, most people don’t know when their friends or family have been betrayed and were unaware someone was suffering with PISD.
“There should be more awareness for PISD and more compassion for both the betrayer and the betrayed.”
Nickerson explained that the condition arises when a person chooses to stay with their partner after being cheated on by them.
There are lots of symptoms including feeling depressed, hopeless, anxious, isolated and angry – as well as struggling to sleep and having unusual eating habits.
While little-known, Nickerson said it can be more common than we realize – because of the trauma a person can go through after being cheated on.
She said: “Everything feels wrong because the world as you knew it is shattering, and that is incredibly, incredibly scary and…
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