I remember a quote by Al Pacino in Godfather II, “The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from an enemy.” These lines best suit a person facing betrayal in friendship.
It is true that with whom we share everything and one who knows our secrets, sometimes turns hostile and betrays us. They do more harm than an enemy. Therefore, it becomes imperative to learn ways to deal with betrayal, it can happen anytime.
If everything is going well in your friendship, you might think you have a better understanding with your friends, or they are trustworthy, but believe me, history tells us that the one who knows us most can harm us worst.
Nonetheless, if you have been facing betrayal in friendship, we got you covered. In this blog, you will learn how to deal with betrayal by friends and how to come stronger from such situations.
How to Deal With Betrayal in Friendship
There is no relationship between friends with betrayal as they are the epitome of trust. They are closest to us and remain by our side through thick and thin.
Nonetheless, some friends prove it wrong and betray us for their benefit. Such friends don’t take you seriously and were never your friends; you identified their true colours very late.
Whatever the case may be, dealing with betrayal is tough in the beginning, especially when you suffered betrayal by best friend. But as they say, “Time is the great healer,” Slowly but consistently you need to deal with it and bounce back.
There are many ways of dealing with friendship betrayal, some of them are:
Learn the Reason for Betrayal
If you know that your friend betrayed you then there is no question that you need to learn the reason. Whereas, in some cases, due to misunderstanding, miscommunication and assumptions we may feel or understand something different from reality.
In such a situation, it is better to communicate with the person involved so that everything becomes clear to you. At first, it won’t be easy for you to go to a betrayer and talk but you need to understand what if he was not at fault?
Therefore, it becomes imperative to question him and learn if he betrayed you or if it was just a misunderstanding.
Related blog- Making New Friends: 5 Awesome Ways to Try
Understand What Went Wrong
Once it is confirmed that it was a betrayal by best friend, there comes a time to understand what went wrong. Further, you need to find out why he chose to go against you. Take an explanation from him and observe if he is gaslighting or telling a lie.
Moreover, if he tries to manipulate you, comprehend if the feeling of remorse is real or if he is pretending. It won’t be tough for you as you understand him.
If you think the explanation given by him is satisfactory and he deserves a second chance then, let it be. Otherwise, separate your ways as betrayal in friendship is not justified in any condition.
Choose a Way
Once everything is clear to you and you decide to part ways, then you need to concentrate on cutting ties. You can do this by unfollowing, unfriending and blocking him on social media, moreover, erasing his contact details.
Take your valuables if he holds any and explain to him not to interfere with your personal life.
Express Your Intense Feelings
It is not easy to deal with a friend’s betrayal, your feelings and emotions are connected, as you remain in a state of shock. To recover from it, you need to vent out your anger and feelings either by sharing them with your sibling or writing them down in your diary.
Moreover, if the emotions are intense, don’t hold onto them, cry, weep and sob instead. It will make your heart light and you will feel comfortable.
Don’t Hold Grudges
Holding grudges is the worst form of hatred, which makes you abhor that person. It is not good for your mental well-being, therefore, let go of grudges and hatred against that person. You can do this by practising forgiveness.
I know it is not easy to forgive someone who betrayed you by breaking your trust. But you need to think, what benefit will you get by holding onto such a grudge? It will not harm that person but make you sick.
Reaffirm Your Faith in Your Friends
If you have had a bad experience with one of your friends, it doesn’t mean that all of your friends are unreliable. Don’t forget, they are the people who love you unconditionally and stand by you regardless of your condition.
During the healing phase, it may be tough for you to socialize with your friends, additionally, you may refrain from sharing anything with them. But as time passes, you will realise that you have treated them poorly. Therefore, it is significant that you don’t let that happen and recover from it in time so that your good friends don’t get affected.
Take the Help of a Professional
If everything fails to provide you with solace, and you believe that you can’t come out of the agony of betrayal, take professional advice. Relationship advisers and counsellors can help you get rid of your bad experiences.
By various psychological methods, they will try to make you overcome the betrayal of friendship that you had.
Also read: Toxic Friendships: 7 Signs You Need To Cut Off Your Ties