Surviving Betrayal

Betrayal can come in many forms, be it a little white lie or an affair, the feeling of betrayal kills the trust we have in another person. It could be an ever so slight change that we may not even notice at first but little by little even the smallest betrayals can lead to irreparable damage in a relationship. A parent’s trust in their child can lessen by the discovery that they were not at their friend’s house last night like they said. Where they really were may not even be the problem and isn’t even the point, it’s the lie and the lack of respect that does the damage. A trusting spouse can have their marriage destroyed by the discovery of the betrayal of an affair, even an emotional affair as opposed to an all out sexual affair.

We are all hit with some form of betrayal at stages in our lives. The things that matter to us may not matter to another person and so they could betray us without even realizing it. Imagine the scenario, a couple are very much in love, one partner enjoys flirting online and even though nothing further would ever come of it, the other partner is devastated and feels like the trust is gone. The flirting party is bewildered because their train of thought has never once led them to the conclusion that “harmless” flirting could be a betrayal of any sort, never mind anything as extreme as cheating. This is where the line gets murky as people have different feelings and morals. A situation can seem completely different to two halves of a couple, which is why communication is so important to avoid this sort of misunderstanding. If two people fully understand where the other’s point of view stands then any future occurrences would be intentional rather than a simple mistake.

Getting Past an Affair

The worst type of betrayal is disloyalty from someone you love. Without doubt, being let down by those you trust most can hurt the most. This most commonly occurs when a person discovers their partner has been cheating on them. The feeling this invokes tends to be along the lines of heart-wrenching agony. It has been likened to feeling like your heart has been ripped out of your chest and torn apart, being in so much pain and suffering that you can’t breathe or even just leaving you with an empty nothingness inside. Other emotions also rise to the surface, embarrassment and the dread that comes with the question; “Am I the last to know?”