A 51-year-old Maidenhead mum revealed she started an affair after noticing her mental and physical health was in a downward spiral after hitting the half-century milestone. Georgia, whose name has been changed, revealed she initially joined IllicitEncounters.com purely for physical satisfaction but found so much more in what the extramarital dating site claims is a growing phenomenon among users.

Georgia explained that she and her husband had been in a "sexless relationship" for a decade and had been living "more like housemates than a couple", even sleeping in separate bedrooms for as long as she could remember. Over more than 20 years of marriage the couple had raised two now adult children together and were living like this in harmony until she turned 50.

She recalled feeling "lonely, unseen and unheard" and was becoming extremely depressed, often turning to "alcohol and comfort foods to cope". She signed up for IllicitEncounters.com and started a secret relationship thinking some casual hookups could fill what she was missing from her husband.

However, she claimed the attention from her new lover "made me feel alive again" and improved her mental health. She also found more motivation to eat better, go to gym and cut back on drinking which has catapulted her self-confidence as the affair made her "no longer feel like I'm wasting my life".

Georgia has no regrets about her secret relationship, saying: "My affair opened my eyes to what I was missing, and it gave me the courage to focus on my well-being. It's not just about sex - it's about feeling valued and understood. I'm not sorry for it."

Sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com, Jessica Leoni, noted Georgia's story isn't unique as many users start affairs as "a way of seeking happiness and mental clarity". The expert added: It can be an opportunity for personal growth, self-discovery, and even healing... Not all affairs should be considered bad. In some cases they really are saving lives."