Betrayal can have a tremendous, and lasting, impact on a person.  In this situation an individual’s trust has been violated by a person or institution that is important in their life.  While this type of betrayal trauma can be caused by anyone, in childhood this is most often caused by a parental figure or caregiver.  In adulthood this can be a romantic partner or close friend.  The impact of betrayal trauma on mental health can have a big effect.  Symptoms can range from PTSD, depression, and anxiety to substance abuse and trust issues.  It isn’t uncommon for those who have experienced betrayal trauma to dissociate their emotions and feelings.  They may choose to numb these feelings through substance abuse, food, relationships, and other unhealthy forms of distraction.

Causes of Childhood Betrayal Trauma

Abuse from a trusted caretaker in the formative childhood years can lead to betrayal trauma.  This abuse can be in the form of physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional.  This can cause children to develop PTSD, particularly when there is a lot of fear that is associated around the incident.  The aftereffects of this trauma, if left unaddressed, can follow children well into adulthood as they continue to struggle with the betrayal trauma.

Causes of Adulthood Betrayal Trauma

Betrayal trauma in adulthood is most often caused by a romantic partner, but it can also be a close friend, colleague, or family member.  Anyone that you are very close to you can cause this level of trauma when the abuse is in a way that causes the trust to be significantly breached.

Understanding Institutional Betrayal Trauma

Betrayal trauma can extend beyond people.  This can also occur when an institution that you trust and rely on, such as a workplace or school, fails to protect you from wrongdoing.  This could be caused by a sexual assault at the workplace, where the situation was not addressed properly.  This can leave you feeling just as vulnerable toward the institution as you would if the betrayal had occurred by a trusted individual.

Finding Way to Cope

The first step is to recognize that you have experienced betrayal trauma.  There are likely many feelings that will go along with this, ranging from grief and fear to anger and regret.  Writing down these feelings can provide you with a safe space to process them.  Beyond this, it is important to find help with a trained therapist to manage the feelings associated with your betrayal trauma.  Through therapy, you can recognize how this betrayal has affected your life and take the necessary steps to move forward in a healthy manner.  A trained professional can help to set boundaries if the person that betrayed you is still in your life.  This can go a long way to protecting your emotional and mental well-being from any future damage.  You can also develop tools to recognize patterns that may be present, learning to develop positive give and take relationships that are healthy.  Breaking the cycle and healing from your betrayal trauma is an important step to leading a happier, healthier life.