Being betrayed by a partner can often be traumatic. Traumatic experiences can be followed by intrusive thoughts about the event such as images, thoughts and memories. Sometimes imaginative images from the affair can become intrusive.

Infidelity can be traumatic, which can cause intensely painful emotions for the person who was cheated on. They may begin to experience symptoms that are similar to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

There are three categories of post affair reactions which include intrusion, hyperarousal, and constriction.