“I Can’t Trust Anyone” 10 Reasons You May Think This Way

Do you often find yourself questioning your trust in a person, even someone you consider a close and trusted friend? Is it frequent for you to ask yourself, “Why can’t I trust anyone, anymore?” Well then, you might not be the only one struggling with trust issues that deep.

The idea of not being able to trust a loved one can be jarring, but when that trust is clouded by betrayal or other problems that you might not even be aware of, it could indicate something more.

Trust and respect, to me, are essential in any relationship and not having that can be disorienting. And if you ask me, trust in my dictionary is as equal a word as “vulnerability” so having the ability to trust taken away can make anyone feel disoriented and vulnerable to hurt. So, take it from me, questioning why you can’t trust anyone is normal.

Living in a world where we meet new people daily, form meaningful relationships, and let go of some relationships, trust is an important element. In every aspect of life, trusting someone makes us put our faith in their hands and when that trust is reciprocated, it makes us stronger, more confident, and more positive in life.

So, if you have found yourself wondering, “I can’t trust anyone” then don’t ignore this voice. I’ve listed some potential reasons why you might be thinking this way. Take a look!

10 Reasons You Can’t Trust Anyone

1. Childhood Trauma Hasn’t Let Go

If you’ve experienced trauma in your childhood – any events or accidents – then it has made it harder for you to cope with mistrust. You feel helpless and don’t know how to express yourself without feeling judged. If childhood trauma is the reason, then you might also feel an effect on your personality.

Trauma at an early age can make it harder for anyone to trust others. Even as adults, the trauma can drive their actions and negatively affect their health. To protect themselves from getting hurt, they believe that not trusting others is the right move.

2. You’ve Been in Unhealthy Relationships

Relationships, whether the earliest ones we form or the ones that come later in life, also leave an impact on our trusting abilities. If you’ve experienced unhealthy or toxic relationships in the past, then it might’ve altered your perception of trust in relationships.

Toxic and unhealthy relationships are often based on manipulation and mental abuse, so it’s normal for anyone coming from such relationships to lose their trust in others.

3. You’ve Been Bullied

Bullying is also another reason why you can’t trust anyone. When you’re coerced into doing something you don’t want to, you get emotionally and physically hurt, leaving you with nothing but bitterness toward the other person. This can also affect your ability to make and trust new friends.

When you recover from bullying, there’s always an underlying concern and confusion about whom to trust again. In some cases, bullying can also cause a person to develop PTSD.

4. It Could be Your Low Self-Esteem Too

Self-esteem is an important part of our overall personality and to have healthy self-esteem means that you trust yourself and the ability to trust others too. When you have low self-esteem, it can affect your trusting skills and make you question if you can or can’t trust others. You often take a negative approach to life and stop believing in yourself, let alone others.

Low self-esteem can also make you question your worthiness and make you worry that your loved ones will abandon you. It’s normal for a person with low self-esteem to wonder, “I can’t trust anyone”

5. Or an Underlying Mental Health Disorder

If you’re struggling with a mental health disorder such as depression or other psychological disorders, then it could also make you think, “I can’t trust anyone”. Mental disorders can cause severe distress and alter your social habits, making it hard for you to keep up with your social appearances and habits.

Personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, etc.; reactive attachment disorder; psychosis such as schizophrenia, etc. can be such mental health disorders causing a lack of trust.

6. You’ve Faced Rejection in The Past

Rejection in the past can also impact your trust in others. Being constantly denied attention, being ignored, or even made to feel invisible can all affect your ability to trust others. Rejections can also make you question your worthiness in others’ eyes. To protect yourself from getting hurt, it seems easy to emotionally distance yourself and not trust others.

Constant rejections and being ignored can also affect your self-talk and self-compassion. So instead of not just trusting others, you may simply begin to lose your trust in yourself.

7. Your Unhealthy Attachment Style

People with unhealthy attachment styles may also find it difficult to trust anyone. When they can’t seem to detach themselves from an unhealthy relationship, they begin to think a steady stream of, “why can’t I trust anyone” and slowly start to form an attachment that negatively affects their overall health.

By gaining a little self-awareness and self-perception, you can identify the unhealthy pattern and put yourself in priority. It’s not about detaching from someone but taking time to do what’s best for you.

8 .Your Boundaries Have Been Disrespected

When your boundaries have been disrespected one time too many, then it could make anyone lose their trust in others. When boundaries are disrespected, it makes you think that you are not respected for your time, space, or even privacy, making you slowly lose trust in others. This could be a big reason why you think “I can’t trust anyone”.

To make others respect your boundaries, you need to reinforce your boundaries, be confident in them, and let go of people who can’t seem to respect them.

9. You’ve Been Betrayed

If you’ve ever been betrayed by a close friend, then you may have experienced shock, anxiety, damaged confidence, depression, PTSD, and even grief. This traumatic experience can be enough for you to think or question, “I can’t trust anyone”. Betrayal causes trust issues that can’t be fixed easily.

It can be hard to open up to others and trust anyone again. You need to let yourself acknowledge your hurt feelings but don’t allow yourself to shut others out. If you need, take your time, but if it doesn’t help, then don’t hesitate to seek help from a professional.

10. You’ve Been Judged by Loved Ones

When you’re involved in unhealthy and toxic friendships where you’ve been judged or lied to again and again, it can also make you question your trusting abilities. In such cases, you develop insecurities and slowly begin to lose trust in your judgment. When the friends you care about should’ve kept their promises, don’t; it can leave a negative impact on your trusting abilities.

If you find yourself in such a situation, then give yourself some time and space to come to terms with the uncomfortable feelings and take all the time you need to care for your mental and emotional health.

Final Thoughts…

Trust can mean vulnerability so when your trust is broken, you feel nothing but truly helpless to do anything about it. Trust, in any relationship, is important and when that’s taken away, it can not only affect our relationships but also our mental and emotional health.

If you’re thinking or questioning, “Why can’t I trust anyone?” Lately, there could be potential reasons for that thinking. It could be betrayal or your low self-esteem behind such thinking. I’ve listed all the potential reasons why you can’t trust anyone above.

I hope the reasons listed above can help you understand why you can’t trust anyone and what to do about it. If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional. You can also write to us at info@calmsage.com or DM us on social media.

You can also comment below if you’d like to add any other reasons to the list above.

Take Care!