Trauma Recovery

What is the typical betrayal trauma recovery timeline?

[Betrayal trauma recovery](/answers/after-the-affair/how-long-does-acute-trauma-response-last) typically follows a 2-5 year timeline with distinct pha...

What does PTSD recovery look like in marriage context?

PTSD recovery in marriage is a non-linear journey that typically takes 2-5 years for significant [healing from betrayal](/answers/after-the-affair/how...

What is 'triggered' vs. 're-traumatized'?

Being 'triggered' means experiencing an emotional or physical response to a reminder of the affair, but you maintain some ability to cope and ground y...

How do I know if I need EMDR or trauma therapy?

You likely need EMDR or trauma therapy if you're experiencing persistent [intrusive thoughts](/answers/after-the-affair/why-am-i-having-intrusive-thou...

What are the stages of betrayal trauma recovery?

[Betrayal trauma recovery](/answers/after-the-affair/how-long-does-acute-trauma-response-last) typically follows five key stages: Discovery Shock (imm...

What does 'integration' of the affair into our story look like?

Integration means the affair becomes a chapter in your marriage story rather than the whole story. It's not about forgetting or minimizing what happen...

When do triggers decrease in intensity?

Triggers typically begin to decrease in intensity around 6-12 months after starting intentional recovery work, though everyone's timeline is different...

What does full recovery actually look like?

Full recovery from affair trauma doesn't mean forgetting what happened or returning to exactly how things were before. True recovery looks like reachi...