Betrayal trauma
You might be questioning your reality, obsessing about what really happened and what didn’t, or beating yourself up for not “catching it” sooner. You may be struggling with intrusive thoughts about your partner’s acting out or re-living the moment of discovery. You may be overwhelmed with rage one moment and blaming yourself the next. You may find yourself craving a connection with your partner one moment and wanting absolutely nothing to do with them the next. It’s also very common for old traumas, abandonments and betrayals to surface, only adding to your pain of discovery. Or perhaps you’re completely numb and avoiding it, trying to pretend like it doesn’t exist, because the pain feels too great to face.
Betrayal trauma occurs when someone is betrayed or deceived by someone they relied on and trusted. Research suggests that partners of sex addicts experience symptoms of PTSD. This pain and trauma is very real and can unfortunately often be overshadowed by the partner’s newly discovered addiction. You are not alone in this pain and confusion. There is a community of people out there doing the work to heal their betrayal trauma. We are honored to share that we have a therapist on staff that has received specialized training by the Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals, a leading organization in the treatment of sex addiction and betrayal trauma.