Here's an interesting article about emotional affairs, from UK daily The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,3605,1507756,00.html

Alph.

alphin...
how UUU doin?

how do you post the story as you just did...i want to post from my harddrive

i am computer illiterate

Hi KA1,

Doin' good, thanks!

Here's a useful link: http://www.marriagebuilders.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=ubb_code_page

You know how to cut and paste, right? If not (and sorry if I'm patronising you here):

Ctrl A to highlight text from your hard drive (or select manually), then press Ctrl C, place cursor where you want text to go, then Ctrl V to paste it.

Hope this helps.

[geek]Alphin[/geek]

Even this article underplays the damage from EA's. It didn't say anything about the marriages that are destroyed by them. I've played online games for years...I know of no less than NINE marriages that have been affected by the wife getting involved with someone online...and out of those nine, I only know of TWO that appear to have survived at this point...all of the others have ended up in the marriage ending, and the wife leaving to be with her OM.

I've had several people on various sites try to make out the situation that I went through as 'less damaging than a PA'...well I can tell you that THAT idea is doodooo. My wife and I are STILL recovering from what happened. We're doing great, and we're one of the two marriages that looks like will survive this.

The damage to the marriage, to the BS, is JUST as horrific as if it had been a PA. Sometimes worse, because you're fighting with even MORE of a 'fantasy' aspect to it than you did with a PA.

Just my thoughts.

Yep, that attachment is just as damaging.

As a WW recovering from an online EA, I think the article fails to point out how easily a person can get entangled in an EA. The emotional and mental effects an EA can have are far-reaching and can be devastating to both the WS and the BS. Women, especially, seem to be susceptible to this type of attachment and are often caught up in it without realizing what is happening. Since women cannot "compartmentalize" their relationships as easily as men, many are unable to carry on a dual life and then choose the new "fantasy" relationship that is fulfilling strong emotional needs. The attachment and pull is so strong that many choose to abandon their marriages.