Exploitive relationships can create trauma bonds—chains that link a victim to someone who is dangerous to them. Divorce, employee relations, litigation of any type, incest and child abuse, family and marital systems, domestic violence, hostage negotiations, kidnapping, professional exploitation and religious abuse are all areas of trauma bonding. All these relationships share one thing: they are situations of incredible intensity or importance where there is an exploitation of trust or power. In The Betrayal Bond Patrick Carnes presents an in-depth study of these relationships, why they form, who is most susceptible, and how they become so powerful. He shows how to recognize when traumatic bonding has occurred and gives a checklist for examining relationships. He then provides steps to safely extricate from these relationships. This is a book you will turn to again and again for inspiration and insight, while professionals will find it an invaluable reference work. Patrick J. Carnes, PhD, is an internationally known authority on addiction and recovery issues. He has authored more than twenty books, including the bestselling titles Out of the Shadows: Understanding Addiction Recovery, The Betrayal Bond, Don't Call It Love, and A Gentle Path Through the Twelve Steps. Dr. Carnes's research provides the architecture for the ""task model"" of treating addictions that is used by thousands of therapists worldwide and many well-known treatment centers, residential facilities, and hospitals. He is the founder of the Gentle Path Program, which specializes in dedicated treatment for sexual addiction.