top of page

Betrayal Trauma Indicator And How To Deal With It?


Betrayal trauma indicators are easy to be identified but how to deal with betrayal trauma is a major concern for most people. As there is an expectancy of having a toxic relationship experience in life, a person can experience betrayal trauma.

Getting out of it is what matters and to help you deal with such matters in life, here is a guide focusing on betrayal trauma indicators and how to deal with it. So, stick around with this blog till the end.


Betrayal Trauma In A Relationship?


When a loved one, close friend, or intimate partner betrays someone's confidence, it can result in grief and mental discomfort known as betrayal trauma. Gas-lighting and other betrayal-related traumas can happen together, which leads to depression and anxiety in an individual.

Therapy and mindfulness, however, can support your recovery and forward movement toward healthier relationships.


Types Of Betrayal Trauma


There are four different kinds of betrayal trauma a person can experience. It could be of parental, intimate partner, institutional or interpersonal.


Betrayal Trauma Indicators


Reliance on the betrayer is a key indicator of betrayal trauma. Because they are reliant on the offender to meet their physical, mental, or emotional requirements, victims of betrayal trauma feel unable to leave the circumstance they are in. Here I'll discuss key behavioral indicators, that will help you identify you are suffering from betrayal trauma.

You may experience, shame, guilt, self-blame, depression, low self-esteem, and low self-worth if you are suffering from betrayal trauma.

Moreover, you start developing negative beliefs about yourself. You may experience unexpected mood swings involving irritation, sadness, over-excited, etc., and hence have difficulty regulating your emotions.

Furthermore, you can experience mistrust and extremely cautious behavior while deciding on whom to rely. It causes a lack of trust and makes it difficult to keep relationships going or let people get close to you.


Also, because your self-esteem is being attacked in this situation, you'll find it difficult to trust your own decision. Traumatic betrayal experiences can also cause social disengagement and anxiety in the victim.


Steps To Heal From Betrayal Trauma


After identifying betrayal trauma indicators, concern of how to deal with betrayal trauma arises. Following are a few steps to heal from a betrayal trauma:



Acknowledge Instead Of Avoid


You must frequently first come to grips with what happened to heal. If you don't deal with the betrayal, your unease can spread to other aspects of your life.

No matter how hard you try to forget what happened, you can find yourself revisiting those memories when you're among friends, taking care of your kids, or taking the commute to work.


Though, accepting it enables you to start looking into the causes of it, which might start the healing process. You can start accepting underlying relationship concerns, including a lack of intimacy or communication, and look into solutions rather than being caught in a never-ending loop of self-doubt and self-criticism.


Read more: "Nobody Owns The World" A spirituality self help book that will help you view relationships struggles in a new perspective.


Understand Betrayal Trauma Triggers


When you are reminded of the initial betrayal situation, what was said and done, how you felt, etc. betrayal trauma may be triggered. People involved, specific locations or seasons, and running into a familiar face can all serve as frequent reminders of the trauma.


Identifying your trigger and associating some relaxing technique with that can help you heal from triggers of betrayal trauma.


Practice Accepting And Naming Your Emotions


A greater understanding of your emotions and naming them accordingly can then assist you in developing ways to deal with them more effectively. After a betrayal, a wide range of unpleasant feelings may surface. It is typical to feel degraded or ashamed.

Further possible emotions are rage, vengeance, sickness, and grief.

Consequently, you might find yourself trying to block or reject what occurred to prevent this distress.


Although suppressing or disguising painful or disturbing feelings may seem safe and easy, doing so can make it harder to control your emotions. You can start managing certain emotions better by giving them names, such as wrath, regret, sadness, or loss.

It can be simpler and less terrifying to sit with those emotions and gradually raise your awareness of them if you know exactly what you're dealing with.


Read more: "Nobody Owns The World" A spirituality self help book that will help you view relationships in a new perspective.


Take Care Of Your Body


Eating healthfully and scheduling time for self-care are both parts of taking care of your body. The body and mind are closely intertwined even if they may appear to be unrelated.

By continuously providing for your body's nutritional, hydration, and rest needs, you are also caring for your mind by establishing a solid foundation for your mental health and well-being.


Start by eating healthily and getting enough rest. A good diet has been linked to better mental health and is crucial throughout your life, not just during stressful times. Consume plenty of water and nutritious foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals.


To know what to anticipate each day, try to build a pattern. This consistency will be beneficial as you get closer to recovery. Taking some time each day to unwind and rejuvenate yourself may also be beneficial.

Take a walk outside, read a good book, or do something kind for someone else as an alternative to watching television.

One of the best methods to care for your body is through exercise. Regular exercise results in the release of endorphins, which improve your mood.


Also, it's a fantastic technique to release suppressed emotions. By doing so, you are reminding yourself that you are a valued person who deserves to be taken care of as you put in the time and effort necessary to meet your body's requirements.


Develop Self-Care Tools


The best self-care is the kind you do as soon as you experience a trigger or the temptation to act destructively. Without coping methods, our emotions have the power to dominate us rather than allow us to deal with them constructively.


Several people have discovered it beneficial to keep lists of coping mechanisms they can turn to when a powerful emotion is about to strike.


Crisis survival skills are a set of techniques that can be used to assist people to navigate through challenging emotions without hurting themselves or making the situation worse.

You can also create your self place and practice mindfulness to savor cherishing moments you have in your life. Moreover, practicing self-compassion/self-kindness will help you to heal from the effects of betrayal trauma.


Share Your Story


You can process your ideas and feelings in a secure setting by sharing your experiences with sympathetic and encouraging others. This could be a dependable and compassionate friend, relative, therapist, or member of a support group.


You can feel less isolated in the world by having healthy interactions that offer you a sense of connection and belonging.

When we are overwhelmed, our ability to deal with decreases, therefore we require assistance from others to prevent us from falling into destructive thought or behavior patterns that will only make our problems worse.

After a betrayal, you could find it difficult to trust others again, but it's crucial to practice doing so for those who have earned it and who demonstrate their concern for your welfare via their words and deeds.

You can journal your thoughts and go to therapy to resolve these effects.


FAQs’


How To Identify That I Have Betrayal Trauma?

If you are experiencing insomnia, fearfulness, emotional outburst, nightmares, and social withdrawals then you should consider about nature of the relationship you are involved in. These all are betrayal trauma indicators in a person.


How Long It Takes To Recover From A Betrayal Trauma?

According to research, it takes almost 2 to 3 years to recover from a betrayal trauma completely.


Read more:

bottom of page