Sosa suggests that for those struggling to make a distinction between the two, there are two clear questions to ask yourself. “Ask yourself would my partner feel angry or betrayed if they found out this information on their own? [And] am I breaking the trust that has been built in the relationship?”

Many took to the comments to share their thoughts on how privacy and secrecy can affect relationships. “It’s so important to make the distinction and can save you a lot of time and heartache when the difference is clear,” one user said.

Another wrote: “Having privacy and respect for each other’s boundaries is clear in a relationship and is definitely different from withholding information that comes with secrecy. That to me is a major red flag and signifies something totally different and this post definitely makes it somewhat easier to identify the difference”.

The difference between privacy and secrecy in a relationship, according to a therapist