Life’s a Blog: Rebuilding After Betrayal

Trina Stewart

Life doesn’t fall apart at 50. It gets real. After a 24-year marriage ended in betrayal, I found myself starting over in a way I never expected. This podcast is where I talk about that. The truth of it. The grief, the anger, the healing, and everything that comes with rebuilding a life when the one you knew is gone. I talk about relationships that look solid but aren’t. The disappointment when people don’t show up the way they said they would. The work it takes to stop chasing, set boundaries, and finally choose yourself. There’s a lot out there about dating, confidence, and “moving on.” This isn’t that. This is about doing the real work so you don’t repeat the same patterns. If you’re over 40, over 50, divorced, starting again, or just tired of pretending you’re fine, you’ll get it. We’ll get into:  betrayal and what it actually does to you  healing without shortcuts  dating later in life  learning to be on your own without feeling alone  recognizing red flags and trusting yourself again  building a life that finally feels like yours  Most episodes are just me. Some include conversations. All of it is honest. Because starting over isn’t the end of your story. It’s where you finally start living it. New episodes weekly.

  1. 2d ago

    10 Signs You're Finally Through the Hard Part of Betrayal Trauma

    Send us Fan Mail After betrayal, heartbreak, or divorce, nobody tells you when you've finally turned the corner. There isn't a finish line. One day you're replaying every conversation and searching for answers. The next, you realize their name no longer controls your mood. In this episode of Life's a Blog, I share the ten signs that convinced me I was finally moving through the hardest part of betrayal trauma. From letting go of the need for answers to learning how to trust yourself again, these are the quiet shifts that signal real healing. I also talk about the headlines surrounding Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO, why betrayal changes people in ways outsiders rarely understand, and how learning to spend time alone became one of the greatest gifts of my recovery. Plus, a powerful connection to Miley Cyrus' The Climb and why healing isn't about reaching the top of the mountain—it's realizing you're strong enough to keep climbing. If you're struggling after infidelity, divorce, abandonment, or a devastating breakup, this episode is for you. Topics Discussed:  Betrayal trauma recovery  Signs you're healing after heartbreak  Learning to trust yourself again  Letting go of the need for closure  The truth about forgiveness  Being alone without feeling lonely  Jelly Roll & Bunnie XO relationship discussion  The meaning behind The Climb by Miley Cyrus #BetrayalTrauma #HealingAfterInfidelity #DivorceRecovery #HeartbreakHealing #LifesABlogPodcast #EmotionalHealing #SelfTrust #PersonalGrowth #MileyCyrus #TheClimb Support the show Just a quick note! I’m not a therapist, counsellor, or mental health professional. I’m simply sharing my personal experiences, reflections, and the things I’ve learned while navigating my own healing journey. Everything discussed on this podcast comes from my perspective and is meant for conversation and storytelling purposes. It should not be taken as professional advice. If you’re struggling or working through something difficult, I always encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. This podcast is intended for entertainment, reflection, and shared human experience.

    32 min
  2. Jun 12

    When Regret Becomes Wisdom: Healing, Growth & Why the Ride Was Worth the Fall

    Send us Fan Mail Have you ever laid awake at night wondering what would have happened if you had made a different choice? In this deeply personal episode of Life's a Blog, Trina Stewart explores the regrets that shape our lives and the lessons they leave behind. From relationships and marriage to missed opportunities, intuition, grief, addiction, family, and second chances, Trina shares her own experiences with regret and how she learned to transform shame into wisdom. Inspired by Brené Brown's quote, "Regret is a tough but fair teacher," this episode examines why regret isn't something to fear, but something to learn from. Trina reflects on:  • Staying too long in unhealthy situations  • Ignoring intuition and red flags  • Trying to save people who didn't want saving  • Moving too quickly into another relationship  • Choosing yourself later in life  • The regrets we carry after loss and grief  • How to stop asking "Why?" and start moving forward The episode also explores Cody Johnson's powerful song The Fall and the message that "the ride was worth the fall," reminding us that even our most painful experiences contribute to who we become. If you're healing from betrayal trauma, divorce, heartbreak, grief, addiction in the family, or simply reflecting on the choices that shaped your life, this conversation will remind you that regret doesn't have to define you. It can teach you. Because at the end of your life, the person you became will meet the person you could have become. Support the show Just a quick note! I’m not a therapist, counsellor, or mental health professional. I’m simply sharing my personal experiences, reflections, and the things I’ve learned while navigating my own healing journey. Everything discussed on this podcast comes from my perspective and is meant for conversation and storytelling purposes. It should not be taken as professional advice. If you’re struggling or working through something difficult, I always encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. This podcast is intended for entertainment, reflection, and shared human experience.

    28 min
  3. Jun 4

    When Looking Back Stops Serving You

    Send us Fan Mail This week on Life's a Blog, I'm sharing a conversation that made me stop and think about grief, healing, attachment, and what it really means to move forward. Sometimes what feels like loneliness isn't loneliness at all. Sometimes it's grief. Sometimes it's missing the people who loved us. And sometimes it's learning that we don't need updates about people we've already chosen to leave behind. I talk about reclaiming my trailer as my own space, the lessons my mom still teaches me, why love bombing can feel like an addiction, and how I finally stopped checking on people from my past. If you've ever wondered how to stop looking back, how to stop stalking social media, or how to let go of relationships that no longer serve you, this episode is for you. Because healing isn't found in their life. It's found in yours. Plus, I share a simple gratitude mantra that's helping me appreciate the life I'm living right now instead of wishing for the life I used to have. The song of the week is Next Thing You Know by Jordan Davis, a reminder that life keeps moving forward whether we're ready or not. Be kind to yourself. The past taught you what you needed to learn. Now it's time to build a future you're excited to wake up to. 🎙️ Life's a Blog is a podcast about healing, resilience, relationships, grief, growth, and finding your way forward one chapter at a time. Support the show Just a quick note! I’m not a therapist, counsellor, or mental health professional. I’m simply sharing my personal experiences, reflections, and the things I’ve learned while navigating my own healing journey. Everything discussed on this podcast comes from my perspective and is meant for conversation and storytelling purposes. It should not be taken as professional advice. If you’re struggling or working through something difficult, I always encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. This podcast is intended for entertainment, reflection, and shared human experience.

    31 min
  4. May 29

    From Survival Mode To Perspective With The Body Keeps The Score

    Send us Fan Mail Trauma doesn’t just sit in the past like a story you can close. It lives in the body, in the nervous system, and in the reflexes that fire before you can think. We’re talking about what The Body Keeps the Score helped me see this week while I watched someone I care about hit a breaking point, and why that kind of moment is heartbreaking not because someone is “weak,” but because it reveals how much they’ve been carrying in silence.  I wrestle with the uncomfortable middle ground between accountability and understanding. I can name betrayal, lies, and harm without pretending it didn’t matter, while also asking a deeper question that changes everything: what happened to them that created this pattern? That one shift doesn’t excuse behavior, but it does create perspective, and perspective often heals more than anger ever does. We also talk about the “debts” the body collects: chronic stress, resentment, guilt, unresolved trauma, and the way survival mode can turn normal life into constant threat detection.  Then I turn it back on myself: how many of my limits are real, and how many are just stories I repeat when I’m tired, stiff, and doubting? I share what actually helps me move from self-sabotage to self-trust, including small wins, speaking to myself with compassion, and getting real professional support. The song pick, “Save Me” by Jelly Roll, becomes a mirror for that feeling of being trapped by your own beliefs, and a reminder that healing isn’t rescue, it’s participation.  If any part of this hits close to home, listen through and then share it with someone who needs a softer, truer perspective today. Subscribe, send this to a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show, then message me with one win from your week. Support the show Just a quick note! I’m not a therapist, counsellor, or mental health professional. I’m simply sharing my personal experiences, reflections, and the things I’ve learned while navigating my own healing journey. Everything discussed on this podcast comes from my perspective and is meant for conversation and storytelling purposes. It should not be taken as professional advice. If you’re struggling or working through something difficult, I always encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. This podcast is intended for entertainment, reflection, and shared human experience.

    30 min
  5. May 23

    Trauma Bonds, Toxic Love & Learning To Be Alone

    Send us Fan Mail This week, I share one of the most emotionally eye-opening weekends I’ve had in years. What started as a simple weekend at the trailer with an old friend helping rebuild my deck turned into deep conversations about love, trauma bonds, emotional betrayal, autism, attachment, and why so many of us return to relationships that slowly destroy our peace. We talk honestly about divorce, reconciliation cycles, therapy, drinking to numb pain, emotional safety, and the terrifying process of learning how to sit alone with yourself after heartbreak instead of desperately searching for the next emotional escape. I open up about the painful realization that sometimes betrayal isn’t cheating at all — sometimes it’s discovering the person beside you allowed others to ridicule you, disrespect you, and laugh at your pain behind your back. I also reflect on why so many people rush into new relationships after heartbreak, how trauma bonds can feel like passion, and why healing often begins the moment you stop romanticizing the reconnect. Most importantly, this episode is about learning the difference between attention and safety, and why protecting your peace eventually becomes more important than chasing love that comes with chaos. Song of the Week: “I Got Better” by Morgan Wallen — a reflective country song that perfectly captures what healing after toxic love really sounds like. Not revenge. Not bitterness. Just relief. Quietly realizing that after all the heartbreak, obsession, emotional swings, and sleepless nights… you actually got better. Support the show Just a quick note! I’m not a therapist, counsellor, or mental health professional. I’m simply sharing my personal experiences, reflections, and the things I’ve learned while navigating my own healing journey. Everything discussed on this podcast comes from my perspective and is meant for conversation and storytelling purposes. It should not be taken as professional advice. If you’re struggling or working through something difficult, I always encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. This podcast is intended for entertainment, reflection, and shared human experience.

    26 min
  6. May 15

    My Wedding Anniversary Became The Day He Died

    Send us Fan Mail May 14th used to feel cursed for me. It is the date that marks what would have been my 32nd wedding anniversary, the betrayal that ended that “forever,” and the strange reality that my ex later died on the same day, at the same time as our first dance. From a trailer, with my life rebuilt piece by piece, I tell the story of what that kind of loss does to your memory, your body, and your sense of self.  We get specific about betrayal trauma: how addiction and lies can rewire your nervous system, keep you stuck in fight or flight, and leave you carrying PTSD long after the relationship ends. I talk about the uncomfortable middle, where you can love your children beyond words and still say, clearly, that you would never choose that life again. Healing is not pretty quotes or pretending you are fine. It is rebuilding identity, learning you deserve calm, and refusing to confuse chaos with passion.  We also talk about parenting with integrity after divorce and death, including why children deserve the freedom to love both parents without guilt or manipulation. Then the tone shifts to what healing can look like day to day: boundaries that feel final, community that shows up quietly, and the surprising peace of being single. The song “My Church” becomes a mirror for relief, music as honesty, and the moment your nervous system finally goes quiet.  If you are trying to recover from infidelity, emotional abuse, addiction in the family, grief, or the long tail of trauma, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, leave a review, and tell me: what does peace look like in your life right now? Support the show Just a quick note! I’m not a therapist, counsellor, or mental health professional. I’m simply sharing my personal experiences, reflections, and the things I’ve learned while navigating my own healing journey. Everything discussed on this podcast comes from my perspective and is meant for conversation and storytelling purposes. It should not be taken as professional advice. If you’re struggling or working through something difficult, I always encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. This podcast is intended for entertainment, reflection, and shared human experience.

    21 min
  7. Apr 30

    No Caller ID: The Moment You Realize They Never Chose You

    Send us Fan Mail I had a late-night realization that surprised me: I was trying to force myself to be unhappy, even though I could feel real happiness and gratitude underneath the chaos. That moment opened a bigger door, what happens when we finally sit still long enough to name the hurt, stop performing strength, and let solitude do its quiet work. I talk through the messy middle of healing after breakup pain, people-pleasing, and years of accepting dynamics that didn’t fully meet me. We get into the “quiet grief” that shows up later, when distance brings clarity and you realise you stayed longer than you should have, not because you didn’t know better, but because you hoped it would become more. We unpack boundaries, red flags, standards, and the heavy truth of forcing connection when effort isn’t matched. The goal isn’t bitterness. The goal is self-trust, the kind that lets you close the door on the past before you open a new one. Then I use Megan Moroney's “No Caller ID” as a sharp metaphor for modern relationships: access without intention, presence without accountability, and those late-night check-ins that keep the door cracked. The growth isn’t dramatic, it’s calm. It’s not romanticizing the bare minimum, not assigning meaning where there isn’t any, and finally choosing peace over confusion. It's my last episode at my self journey hideaway of peace and solitude.  Off to the trailer to experience my newly healed side. It's all part of my greater plan in life. Peace and to love me unconditionally.   Take the trip, be alone, and learn about you. It's your time! If this lands with you, subscribe for more honest conversations about healing, boundaries, self-love, and rebuilding your life after hard seasons, and please share this with someone who needs the reminder to choose themselves. Support the show Just a quick note! I’m not a therapist, counsellor, or mental health professional. I’m simply sharing my personal experiences, reflections, and the things I’ve learned while navigating my own healing journey. Everything discussed on this podcast comes from my perspective and is meant for conversation and storytelling purposes. It should not be taken as professional advice. If you’re struggling or working through something difficult, I always encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. This podcast is intended for entertainment, reflection, and shared human experience.

    28 min
  8. Apr 22

    How Comfort Keeps You Stuck In The Wrong Relationship

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Life A Blog, Trina asks a question that doesn’t come with an easy answer: are you comfortable… or are you actually happy? What looks stable on the outside can feel empty on the inside, and sometimes we stay far longer than we should—not because we’re fulfilled, but because it’s familiar. Through raw reflection, past blog entries, and deeply personal experiences with love, betrayal, and self-discovery, Trina unpacks the difference between surviving something and truly living it. This episode dives into the quiet truths we ignore, the moments we knew but stayed anyway, and the painful process of rebuilding self-trust after giving your best to someone who couldn’t receive it. It explores why comfort can keep us stuck, why letting go feels like loss, and why healing—real healing—requires us to sit in discomfort instead of running back to what we know. Featuring the song Starting Over by Chris Stapleton, this episode leans into the idea that sometimes staying the same feels heavier than beginning again. That starting over isn’t about having a perfect plan—it’s about making the decision not to stay somewhere that costs you who you are. The theme is simple, but not easy: choosing happiness over comfort, even when it asks everything of you. If you’ve ever questioned your instincts, stayed too long, or found yourself standing at the edge of a new beginning… this episode is for you. Remember, every song has a story and every story has a song. Join us next week! Support the show Just a quick note! I’m not a therapist, counsellor, or mental health professional. I’m simply sharing my personal experiences, reflections, and the things I’ve learned while navigating my own healing journey. Everything discussed on this podcast comes from my perspective and is meant for conversation and storytelling purposes. It should not be taken as professional advice. If you’re struggling or working through something difficult, I always encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. This podcast is intended for entertainment, reflection, and shared human experience.

    19 min

About

Life doesn’t fall apart at 50. It gets real. After a 24-year marriage ended in betrayal, I found myself starting over in a way I never expected. This podcast is where I talk about that. The truth of it. The grief, the anger, the healing, and everything that comes with rebuilding a life when the one you knew is gone. I talk about relationships that look solid but aren’t. The disappointment when people don’t show up the way they said they would. The work it takes to stop chasing, set boundaries, and finally choose yourself. There’s a lot out there about dating, confidence, and “moving on.” This isn’t that. This is about doing the real work so you don’t repeat the same patterns. If you’re over 40, over 50, divorced, starting again, or just tired of pretending you’re fine, you’ll get it. We’ll get into:  betrayal and what it actually does to you  healing without shortcuts  dating later in life  learning to be on your own without feeling alone  recognizing red flags and trusting yourself again  building a life that finally feels like yours  Most episodes are just me. Some include conversations. All of it is honest. Because starting over isn’t the end of your story. It’s where you finally start living it. New episodes weekly.