If someone close to you has ever broken your trust, you probably felt the sting of betrayal. This pain can leave deep wounds.
Any type of betrayal can cause emotional distress, but you might experience lingering trauma when someone you depend on to respect your needs and generally help safeguard your wellbeing violates the trust you have placed in them.
Betrayal trauma typically refers to the lingering pain and turmoil experienced after:
You might also find yourself accepting the possibility of future betrayals - something that can begin to degrade self-esteem, emotional well-being, and the ability to form attachments with others.
Childhood trauma
The effects of betrayal can show up shortly after the trauma and persist into adulthood.
Key signs include:
Infidelity trauma
Betrayal in a romantic relationship usually takes the form of infidelity, though other types of betrayal, such as financial betrayal, can also provoke a trauma response.
The discovery of infidelity often leads to:
