Betrayal and manipulation can take a while to recover from. It carries an unbearable type of pain that may leave the person enraged and sick to their stomach for a long time.
The heartbreak doubles if the treachery and deceit come from a close friend or family member. The man in today’s story unfortunately experienced it from his father, brothers, and people he called his friends, which ultimately ruined his marriage.
He is now left to pick up the pieces as he also recovers from an ugly encounter that turned physical.
The pain of betrayal and manipulation is much worse when it comes from friends or family
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A man experienced this ordeal from his brothers, a few friends, and most shockingly, his own father
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The manipulation was severe enough to ruin his marriage
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He later revealed that a physical confrontation with his family and friends ensued
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Despite the ugly episode, he is still determined to fix things with his former spouse
Image credits: Hunter-Winters456
Emotional manipulation from someone close can be subtle
The author’s account is quite unfortunate, especially since it was people he trusted who drove him to act unreasonably and sabotage his marriage bit by bit.
According to philosophy professor Dr. Berit Brogaard, emotional manipulation can be subtle. One of its manifestations can come in the form of compliments with a barb.
“After you run a 5K, they tell you, ‘Nice job—for someone who’s not exactly a natural runner,’ Dr. Brogaard wrote, noting that since these praises arrive tangled with a jab, the slight tends to hold more weight than the actual achievement.
In the author’s case, he claimed that his family and friends “purposely made him feel paranoid,” saying his wife wouldn’t be with him if “it wasn’t for the money.”
According to Medical News Today, familial manipulation may happen due to a few factors, including insecure attachments, a history of dysfunctionality in previous generations, and personality disorders, among others.
In turn, the person on the receiving end of such mistreatment may fall into depression, go through bouts of anxiety, and experience guilt, self-blame, and shattered self-esteem.
Dr. Brogaard adds that familial manipulation can also erode a person’s sense of safety, which is why she recommends seeking some form of therapy.
“If you see one of these patterns in your relationship, reach out for professional support: your well‑being and self‑trust depend on reclaiming your voice,” she noted.
The author did mention going through therapy, but it was unfortunate that the situation escalated into physical violence. He did, however, cut ties with his father, brothers, and friends, which was the healthy thing to do.
The author provided more information in the comments
Readers had varying reactions
The author shared an update, revealing that he got a chance to talk to his ex-wife
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He ended his second post on a sad note
Image credits: Hunter-Winters456
The author provided more information about the new developments
People in the comments were more empathetic, save for a few who rubbed in his mistake
