A licensed clinical psychologist says you can develop a form of PTSD - after your partner has an affair.<br /><br />Dr Kathy Nickerson, 48, revealed a lesser-known condition you can develop after the trauma of your partner cheating on you - called PISD.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />While it's an informal term rather than an official diagnosis, the condition recognises the long-trauma an affair can inflict on a partner.<br /><br />Dr Kathy, from Orange County, California, said: "When you're in a committed relationship, your partner is the foundation on which so many aspects of your life are built.<br /><br />"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.<br /><br />"People are extremely reluctant to talk about infidelity because of the guilt, shame, and judgment they experience when they share their experiences.<br /><br />"As such, most people don't know when their friends or family have been betrayed and were unaware someone was suffering with PISD.<br /><br />"There should be more awareness for PISD and more compassion for both the betrayer and the betrayed."<br /><br />Dr Kathy explained that the condition arises when a person chooses to stay with their partner after being cheated on by them.<br /><br />There are lots of symptoms including feeling depressed, hopeless, anxious, isolated and angry - as well as struggling to sleep and having unusual eating habits.<br /><br />While little-known, Dr Kathy said it can be more common than we realise - because of the trauma a person can go through after being cheated on.<br /><br />She said: "Everything feels wrong because the world as you knew it is shattering, and that is incredibly, incredibly scary and painful.<br /><br />"But many betrayed partners are made to feel foolish, weak, and misguided by well-meaning friends and family when they disclose an affair.<br /><br />"These betrayed partners are very unlikely to share the ongoing pain they are experiencing. Out of fear of more judgment and harassment.<br /><br />"As such, most people don't know when their friends or family have been betrayed and were unaware someone was suffering with PISD."<br /><br />The psychologist and relationship expert said it is possible for a couple to overcome an affair leaving the other partner with PISD.<br /><br />But she explained it's not easy - and takes a lot of effort, time, deep conversation, transparency and reassurance.
