208. Why Does Betrayal Physically Hurt So Much?

Betrayal is emotional. So why can it make you feel physically awful?

The tight chest. The sick feeling in your stomach. The exhaustion. The tension. The racing heart. Being completely shattered but somehow unable to sleep.

None of this feels particularly "emotional" when you're the one experiencing it.

In this episode, Luke explores the relationship between emotional and physical pain, and why the distinction between the two isn't always as neat as we imagine.

More importantly, he looks at the feedback loop that can develop after betrayal: emotional distress affects your physical state, while exhaustion, poor sleep and physical tension can make your emotional experience even harder to manage.

You'll discover why your physical state matters when you're trying to make sense of what happened, why feelings can be treated as notifications rather than instructions, and why looking after your body isn't avoiding the emotional work.

Sometimes, it's what makes the emotional work possible.

In this episode:

Why betrayal can create very real physical sensations

The relationship between emotional pain and physical pain

How poor sleep, exhaustion and stress can amplify emotional distress

Why your physical state can influence the way you think about your relationship