Betrayal often hurts in ways that feel disproportionate to the present moment. For many betrayed partners, the pain feels ancient—raw, consuming, and terrifying. If this resonates, it may be because betrayal has awakened what we call the Abandoned Inner Child . This part of you learned early what it felt like to be left—emotionally, physically, or relationally. When betrayal occurs, that old wound reopens, whispering the same fear: “I am alone again.” Understanding the Abandoned Child The Abandoned Child forms when connection was inconsistent or unsafe. Perhaps a caregiver was absent, distracted, or emotionally unavailable. As a child, you learned that love could disappear—and you learned to survive by clinging, pleasing, or bracing for loss. Betrayal doesn’t create this wound—but it re-traumatizes it. Why Betrayal Feels So Terrifying After betrayal, many women experience panic, obsessive thoughts, fear of being left, or an inability to self-soothe. This is not weakn...