The betrayed have many things that slam into them all at once. The loss of identity (you doubt everything you think you know about yourself and everyone else), your past as you experienced it, your self worth, your self image, your intelligence, your pride, your judgement of "good and bad", your ability to love and be loved, you loose everything that made up the person you were. You struggle to put pieces back together and they don't fit anymore. It is like some one has erased your being and you are empty and foreign inside. I equated it the first week after disclosure as if I were walking in a totally black place, no light, having to shuffle my feet in tiny steps feeling for the cliff I knew was there in the dark, waiting to fall into a black and bottomless pit. I could see no light ahead of me at all. I was paralyzed with fear and hopelessness. At that time I had no choice but to ask for mercy from The Lord, to give me the strength to walk forward and trust that He was there with me. I look back now and see how He did stay with me and He led me forward until the pain subsided for me to see that I was not empty and what was left of me was enough to go on. This is why it takes so many of us betrayed a long time "to get over it". We are rebuilding and it depends on how much was lost as to how long it takes. Karen
Betrayed
The betrayed have many things that slam into them all at once. The loss of identity (you doubt everything you think you know about yourself and everyone else), your past as you experienced it, your self worth, your self image, your intelligence, your pride, your judgement of "good and bad", your ability to love and be loved, you loose everything that made up the person you were. You struggle to put pieces back together and they don't fit anymore. It is like some one has erased your being and you are empty and foreign inside. I equated it the first week after disclosure as if I were walking in a totally black place, no light, having to shuffle my feet in tiny steps feeling for the cliff I knew was there in the dark, waiting to fall into a black and bottomless pit. I could see no light ahead of me at all. I was paralyzed with fear and hopelessness. At that time I had no choice but to ask for mercy from The Lord, to give me the strength to walk forward and trust that He was there with me. I look back now and see how He did stay with me and He led me forward until the pain subsided for me to see that I was not empty and what was left of me was enough to go on. This is why it takes so many of us betrayed a long time "to get over it". We are rebuilding and it depends on how much was lost as to how long it takes. Karen