Emotional Cheating? Is It Cheating?

I have been asked if I feel as though emotional cheating is cheating on one's other half.....in my opinion--YES. Not only does it take away what you should be getting from your spouse, but it makes the other person feel the withdrawl...at least most of the time. In my situation, my spouse did not like to talk about things...we just kind of communicated daily without too much of that "bearing our inner soul" all the time, although, we DID discuss things from time to time, we had been together for a long time and at least I thought we knew each other pretty well.  I was wrong, because I began needing some of that sharing of souls through words and missed having it very much, but I never ever cheated. I spoke to my women friends to get feedback from things, but never went to other men about things because I didn't want to get caught up in the emotional side of things.I feel as though ONE  of his other women was someone who he felt he could communicate with because she spoke his language very well, and understood his customs better than I did. However, the other OTHER WOMAN did not, but she was "needy" so I am wondering if he got his needs met through both of them because I was a pretty darned independent woman...and they were not. I feel that if there is a problem in a marriage/relationship, that the couple should speak to each other about it before discussing it with others....that at least gives the two people involved a chance to try and work things out...unless, of course, it's a marriage counselor or pastor that is able to help sort out things without getting in the middle of things. Emotional cheating can really hurt both people involved, so before looking to another person of the opposite sex for what you need emotionally, try talking with your partner. It might help to save it.