Blindsided by the Betrayal Bandit? What is behind the mask?

We are talking about betrayal.  If you missed last week's blog, take a minute a read Blindsided by the Betrayal Bandit? Hold on...Help is on the way! Today, we are going to continue breaking through betrayal by finding out what is going on when we say the words "I feel so betrayed".  It's pretty common that when the word betrayal is mentioned, most minds go to issues of infidelity. Of course, it includes breaking trust in a relationship, but sadly there are many other kinds of betrayal .  Let's take a look and see...

 What is behind the mask of the betrayal bandit!?

As we peel away the bandit's mask, we will discover there are three faces of betrayal. When we say the words, "I feel so betrayed", we have been blindsided by one of more of them. 

#1 - We have invested into someone or something. Our investment was met with rejection or abandonment.



Rejection or Abandonment

This  investment into someone or something could be a romantic relationship, a friendship, a job or profession, an educational opportunity, a personal ability or talent, or an organization or group. Although there is connection to grief, many times the death of someone or the demise of something feels like a betrayal because of our tremendous investment and the way in which the person or thing was taken from us. Whoever or whatever it is or was - you invested of yourself and your resources - and it was dismissed, destroyed, or discarded without concern for your feelings or well-being. It is devastating.

#2 - We hold a profound trust in someone or something which is profoundly violated. 


A Violation of Trust

I am purposely using the word "profound" because we can have trust in something or someone (at a low level) and not feel betrayed.  However, when we place our innate trust into an individual who is entrusted with our well-being,  or when we build trust over time into someone or something and that profound trust is abused, violated, or manipulated to serve the needs of someone or something else - we feel betrayed. Examples of this kind of betrayal are experienced in personal violations, but also in professional, relational, legal, financial, political, environmental, medical, and spiritual abuses as well. Tragically, with this kind of betrayal, lives are robbed and redefined. The losses incurred are also profound.  


#3 -  A truth becomes a lie or a belief is shattered.


Shattered Beliefs

At first, this face of betrayal may seem just like the others. And there is cross-over.  But, there are some differences. Let's take a closer look.

* A belief  that someone or something is who he/she/it represents him/her/itself to be - but is not.
* A belief in someone or something - an expectation, a standard, a quality, a principle which proves false or less significant.
* A belief about someone or something - based on fact, history, research, or experience which is later negated. 

Regardless of the source of the betrayal, when beliefs are shattered or truths become lies, lives are changed and rearranged. What we once knew to be true is no longer. Our perspectives are altered and the  lens from which we now view our world is foreign and unfamiliar.We feel lost.

The purpose of sharing these faces of betrayal is to broaden our knowledge and awareness. To be able to name our pain and understand there is a reason behind it helps us  muster up the strength to move forward. We are not going crazy! We have every right to feel the way we do! 

I have more explanations of these faces of betrayal, along with numerous examples and client narratives in 2nd Edition Breaking Through Betrayal . Also, there are exercises designed specifically to help you identify and process the faces of your betrayal. This is the first step in breaking through betrayal. 

Let's rip off the mask, get to know what is going on with us, and then get ready to do some work!

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