Pistanthrophobia: Understanding the Fear of Trust – Symptoms, Triggers, and Solutions

If a romantic partner has ever cheated on you, you likely know how difficult it can be to get over the trust issues that infidelity brewed. Dating new people after the fact can feel dang near impossible: Logically, you know that not everyone is a cheater, but having your trust broken by another can be enough to seek signs you can’t trust someone in every future partner. For most of us, that period of hypervigilance will eventually ebb, but for others, the trauma of being cheated on may develop into pistanthrophobia, aka a fear of trusting others.

Pistanthrophobia is an irrational, persistent fear of trusting other people. It falls under the wider umbrella of anxiety disorders and is classified as a specific phobia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The symptoms associated with pistanthrophobia vary from person to person but may include a strong, irrational fear of being slighted, cheated on, or otherwise harmed due to being too trusting, avoidance of intimate or romantic relationships to avoid emotional hurt, a general distrust of others’ intentions, an inability to be vulnerable with people, and anxiety or panic related to dating or intimacy.

The causes of pistanthrophobia can be traced back to three primary pathways. The first pathway is observational learning, where individuals learn fear from observing others, such as parents being hypervigilant about being cheated on. The second pathway is trauma, where past negative experiences regarding trust, such as being cheated on or deceived, lead to a fear of trusting others. The third pathway is information transmission, where individuals learn about the threat of danger from external sources like media or statistics related to infidelity.

Research shows that women are more likely to be diagnosed with specific phobias than men, and genetic factors play a role in the development of phobias. People with certain mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, substance abuse disorder, or panic disorder are also more likely to develop a phobia.

If you suspect you have pistanthrophobia, it’s essential to seek professional help. Clinical psychologists, therapists, and licensed counselors can help you navigate your fear of trusting others and provide treatment options like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. Medication, such as specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), may also be prescribed to help manage anxiety levels during therapy.

While pistanthrophobia can be challenging to overcome, with the right treatment and support, individuals can learn to trust others and build healthy relationships. If you believe you have pistanthrophobia, reaching out to a mental health professional is the first step towards healing and overcoming your fear of trusting others.