How to dump the past and move on from sexual betrayal.
ONE MORNING LAST SPRING, as my partner, AJ, and I were on our way to the park for our daily walk, we stopped for a cup of coffee. I went inside while he fed the meter. As I was adding the cream and sugar, I was suddenly seized by the fear that AJ had driven away— forever. I told myself he wouldn’t leave without me. He couldn’t; I had his keys! But I started trembling, and even after he was back at my side, I couldn’t shake my distress.
As a child, I endured sexual assault—which can, I learned in therapy, lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Only recently did I learn that PTSD can also result from infidelity, which I’ve experienced in previous relationships as well as in my current one, and which I’ve worked hard to get past with compassion, self-reflection, time for healing, and friendship.
This story is from the September 2018 edition of The Oprah Magazine.
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This story is from the September 2018 edition of The Oprah Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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