Betrayal may cause feelings like sadness, confusion, and anger. It may also trigger psychological processes like, grief, depression, and sometimes a desire to get some sort of revenge on the person who broke our trust.

The intensity of this feeling often depends on how close we are to the person who betrays us, and the level of trust we place in them; family members, lovers, friends, colleagues, or even strangers.

After being betrayed, some of us put up emotional barriers to protect ourselves from getting hurt in the future, by avoiding relationships or engaging, consciously or not, in behaviors that endanger them.

While these behaviors may make us feel safe in the moment, they can hurt us too in the long run. Indeed, if isolation and loneliness feel preferable to betrayal, they can evolve into a victimhood mindset, or perpetuate a cycle of fear and avoidance that get in the way of our inherent need for connection and belonging.

Accepting the possibility of betrayal and learning from past experiences can help mitigate its emotional toll.