People Think Cheating Is The Real Break-Up Story.

The number one reason why most couples break up is bad behaviour and not the proverbial "cheating" (Goldsmith, 2018). According to emotional fitness therapist Dr Barton Goldsmith, "The bad behaviour includes smoking, drinking, chewing tobacco or spending your child's education fund on botox or fantasy football".

Why was it that the first question our family and friends asked us when my ex and I broke up was, "who cheated?"

Cheating or being cheated on is one of the leading causes of depression and suicide. Printed, a 2017 article by Abi Millar, How an affair affects your sexual and mental health, it stated that "In some cases, being a victim of infidelity can have serious consequences for a person's mental and physical health. The situation is associated with depression, anxiety and unhealthy coping mechanisms such as disordered eating and substance misuse".

But what constitutes cheating? What are the reasons that lead men to cheat? Why do women fall into the same trap? Why do we hurt the very people we claim to love?

Cheating dates back centuries ago and has always worn beautiful fabrics called polygamy. In the African culture, polygamy was as normal as bees buzzing and birds chirping. In today's society, not only is polygamy taboo but, polyandry is making unwanted rounds among people. Polygamy and polyandry are just cheating backed up by legal documents (Mamuthubi, 2021).

We can all agree that breakups are some reasons for self-doubt and shame. But can a person find a lease on life after a breakup? Are there ways to rejuvenate your spirits after a trail of pain? My ex-girlfriend and I remained close a few years after our breakup. The friendship and bond we shared opened doors to new relationships and networks. These relationships were not only socially beneficial but were financially beneficial too.

In conclusion, we broke up because we felt that we were too similar to each other. And as a physics graduate, she always reminded me that opposites attract and positives repel.

Article by Mpho Manisa

Picture credit: https://tinybuddha.com/blog/what-ive-realized-since-being-cheated-on/