I've been dealing with severe trust issues after years of childhood sexual abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, homelessness, abandonment and even after that I had horrible relationships due to my lack of understanding when it came to forming healthy bonds with others. I've dated drug addicts when I was on drugs, I've dated narcissists who used my kindness for their own gain and I've dated an abuser who also did the same. I do understand I've been through a lot and I've had trust issues due to an inability to differentiate good people from bad people due to my parents and older brothers behaviors towards me my entire life.. but I honestly get tired of feeling like I'm always too cautious or that I shut new people out at the first sign of anything I don't agree with. It's been extremely difficult to let myself become friends with anyone these days, because I feel people just aren't moral enough or they do things that make me feel uncomfortable due to past experiences. Does anyone know how to get through severe trust issues and/or what I can do to help ease my fear of being hurt, betrayed or abandoned per usual? I'm 35 now, I have a great job that I've been at for years, I haven't done drugs since I found out I was pregnant with my oldest 17 years ago, I'm in a stable long term relationship and I am doing great for myself aside from my ability to socialize with new people. I've been with my boyfriend for 9 years and he's literally the only person I trust, almost completely, but I'm still dealing with issues when it comes to jealousy or over protectiveness yet I know it also comes from this severe fear of impending abandonment or expected loss that I know all too well. I find that I tend to read everyone's words, actions and reactions so closely in order to see if they're worth my trust.. but I also feel awful about doing that, however I'm not sure if it's best to build strong boundaries to protect myself or give people a chance even if I've seen a slight detail that I don't agree with. I know this stems from my coping as a child which formed out of self preservation, however I also know that I don't want to continue to live in fear of people for the rest of my life. It's hard to feel like I'm paranoid, but I also feel like it's necessary to maintain everything I've built for myself throughout the years since I started living on my own at the age of 15... Is anyone else suffering from this due to the trauma they've endured? If so, do you have any reminders you tell yourself when you're triggered to react? I feel like anything will help at this point.