Complex Betrayal Trauma

The Connections Between Betrayal Trauma and Complex PTSD

Some who have experienced betrayal trauma have likened it to a wildfire blazing through an established hardwood forest. But these flames do more than scorch the trees; they burn down and damage the soil itself, rendering it barren and unable to be fruitful for the foreseeable future.

When complex betrayal trauma occurs, a person can bear deep psychological scars that require professional help to heal.

Understanding complex trauma takes empathy and an open mind. In this case, not all trauma is the same. The professionals at Catalina Behavioral Health have experience in recovering from betrayal traumas and understand the long, complicated healing process clients will undertake.

Please join us to learn more about complex betrayal trauma and how it connects to complex PTSD (CPTSD) and remember you can reach out at any time to our caring staff at Catalina for support.

What Are the Main Types of Betrayal Traumas?

Betrayal trauma theory explains how the brain processes repeated traumatic stressors, especially when caused by a trusted person.

Specifically, this person is someone they depend on for their survival. The betrayed person is often a financially dependent partner subjected to repeated abuse by the partner who provides financial needs. But it can also be someone who is physically dependent on the other person, such as people who need assistance taking care of daily personal care needs, due to some physical condition.

When the trust of an intimate partner, a family member, or even an entire family is broken, the individual begins to harbor deeply mistrustful feelings and may develop complex trauma responses.

Although betrayal traumas are not specifically listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the symptoms often fall under post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and CPTSD and are treated as such by mental health professionals.

Complex betrayal trauma can further break down into the following sub-categories of interpersonal trauma:

Infidelity Betrayal Trauma

The most frequent betrayed person we treat at Catalina Behavioral Health is the betrayed intimate partner. When people in intimate relationships cheat or repeatedly engage in emotional abuse of their romantic partners, complex betrayal trauma can result.

Our past client, ‘Rico,’ is a perfect example. His husband, Steven, seemed like the perfect partner until they’d exchanged vows. Steven was attentive and boosted Rico’s self-worth, which had previously been low. Rico caught Steven in an emotional affair with another person. That led Rico to betrayal blindness, pretending the online cheating was not real. That only emboldened Steven, who continued to inflict more trauma on Rico over the next several years.

We helped Rico recover after he came to Catalina for substance use – the result of self-medicating to deal with his emotional pain. Rico learned through therapy that he deserves healthy love and ultimately divorced Steven. For now, Rico’s single and on a path of personal growth.

Family Members and Betrayal Trauma

Parents and other family members can also contribute to a significant traumatic impact on a person’s well-being. the family, especially parents, serve as primary attachment figures during childhood. So when that security shatters, the attachment trauma can be life-altering.

An illustration of the ongoing trauma is ‘Bree,’ whose beloved grandfather had left her a generous college fund when he passed. Bree was only 18 but dreamed of becoming a pediatrician, just as her grandfather had been. Her commitment to that goal meant she worked hard, studied, and did everything possible to make that dream a reality.

But Bree didn’t realize that her father had drained her college fund to pay off some costly gambling debts. The financial deceit made her feel betrayed. The white-hot anger about the situation simmered in her. She had panic attacks and grief that she couldn’t bear.

Over the next several months, her relationship with her father deteriorated. She took a meaningless job and applied for grants – but she couldn’t forgive her dad. She didn’t know how to deal with the emotions inside. After she began to self-harm in the form of cutting her arms as a release, Bree came to Catalina to process her emotions.

After treatment, Bree applied for and earned several grants and has taken out loans to attend medical school. She is still working on forgiving her father after he betrayed her.

Institutional Betrayal Trauma

Institutional trauma is when someone becomes distrustful or harmed by an institution or organization. When we have seen this in clients, it was closely related to religious trauma.

That’s what happened to ‘Becky,’ who grew up in a fundamentalist religious community. Becky was extremely intelligent and started noticing how some of the group’s core beliefs contradicted common sense.

Other people in the community began hazing her when she went out in public. Many forms of harassment were beyond sick, they were dangerous – like the man who ran her off the road one evening. She started to feel a sense of hypervigilance and eventually left her hometown.

A local social service worker referred Becky to Catalina. Becky’s upbringing had been very sheltered, and she was experiencing anxiety, low self-esteem, and self-doubt. In treatment, Becky processed the pain of betrayal and mourned the loss of her family, who had chosen their religion over her.

Becky is doing better after treatment. She’s working full-time and attending GED classes. Her self-esteem has improved, and her coping skills are getting stronger every day.

How Does Betrayal Trauma Lead to Complex Trauma CPTSD?

Complex betrayal trauma can lead to other mental disorders, primarily complex PTSD due to the disruption it can cause in someone’s sense of safety and trust. It can be especially hard when the person depends on the one hurting them for care or support.

Over long exposure to betrayal, the body responds with complex reactions that can disrupt the person’s psychological wellness.

Spotting the Main Symptoms of Betrayal Trauma

Several emotional and physical symptoms can reveal betrayal trauma:

• Emotional distress, including anger, confusion, helplessness, or sadness
• Hypervigilant behaviors, constantly scanning for emotional or physical threats
• Flashbacks, nightmares, or other intrusive thoughts that disrupt the ability to focus
• Relationship problems due to a mistrust of other humans
• Self-blame, shame, guilt
• Emotionally numb (common in the betrayed partner)
• Headaches
• Chronic pain
• Sleep disruptions
• Stomach aches and pains
• Avoiding people; fear of being hurt in relationships again

When betrayal trauma breaks trust, the very instincts we rely on for survival significantly violate our sense of safety in relationships. That leads to complicated symptoms, which also share an overlap with complex trauma (CPTSD).

Treatment Approaches for Healing Traumatic Experiences

You’ve been betrayed. So now you ask yourself how you can release the anxiety and fear after the betrayal. The treatment team at Catalina Behavioral Health can help. Our mental health specialists use evidence-backed therapeutic strategies to help you confront your feelings and start fresh in life.

From specific psychotherapies that help you replace feelings of doom with more rational thoughts to holistic care to nurture your soul, we will plan for full emotional recovery from betrayal trauma.

Connect With Catalina for Help With Complex Trauma

If you’re ready to move on and let go of the guilt, fear, or shame you’ve been feeling, Catalina’s team of experts can help. We can help you face those emotions and discover how the most important relationship you have is the one you have with yourself.

Reach out to us now for confidential information or to book your customized program. Your healing journey can begin as soon as today.