How Are Trust And Love Related?
Love and trust are often seen as elements that go together in relationships, whether romantic or platonic. However, the relationship between trust and love can be complex. For example, a person may trust someone that they don't love, such as a coworker, and they might love a person even after that person has betrayed their trust. Despite this complex relationship, love and trust often do go together in healthy relationships, whether with friends, family, or life partners.
Below, we’ll look at some of the ways that love and trust go hand in hand and some of the ways that they don’t always coincide in relationships.
Trust in day-to-day and intimate relationships
Trust is typically an important part of our romantic relationships, but it’s also a factor in our platonic relationships. Although some people may tend to think of platonic relationships as being less deep than romantic relationships, some people do have very deep intimate relationships without there being a romantic or sexual side to those relationships.
Some level of trust might be thought of as an undercurrent to our daily lives and interactions with others. However, when we get to know people more, a greater level of trust tends to develop. When you start an intimate relationship with someone, you may not know them well at first. Trusting each other is something that you can build together over time and that you may need to continue to consciously work on throughout your relationship.
Love without trust
Just as trust can exist without love, love can sometimes exist without trust, but this typically happens under a specific set of circumstances. For example, we may have family that we love but don't trust on some level. Many people still have feelings of love for parents, siblings, and other family members even when they do things that betray their trust.
This can also be the case with intimate partners that we have known and loved for a long time who have done something to betray our trust. Research shows that a lack of trust can lead to challenges in romantic relationships. When an intimate partner does something untrustworthy, it can cause conflicting emotions and create difficulty for us in deciding how to handle the situation. These internal conflicts may arise because the partner who has been betrayed may still love their partner even if they are no longer certain that they can trust them.
It may involve changing our relationship with that individual so that we can continue to love them even though we might no longer trust them as we did before. In some cases, we may need to decide whether the relationship can survive the reality that there is no trust at all, and in extreme cases, we may need to consider cutting off all contact with that person.
What if I can’t trust people?
Some people experience difficulty trusting others in general. This can be for a number of reasons. If someone else has betrayed their trust in a relationship, it can be hard for them to forget what happened and build trust with others. If not taken too far, some level of caution may be useful and help a person create boundaries for their safety. However, excessive distrust can lead a person to question the trust that they place in people when they already have established relationships.
Outside of former betrayals, there are other reasons that some people experience distrust. Paranoia is characterized by distrust of others, including a fear that others are out to get you or that you are being observed by some sinister force. Severe paranoia can prevent people from forming or maintaining healthy relationships. It can also prevent them from living fulfilling lives if they are afraid to do things like leave their home. In these cases, paranoia is often a symptom of a mental health condition, but there are treatments available.
If you believe that you or a loved one is experiencing paranoia, consider speaking with a mental health professional. If paranoia makes it difficult to leave home to see a therapist, there is still help available through online therapy, which allows you to consult a licensed therapist from the comfort of home.
What if I don't love people?
Being able to give and receive love from others is typically an important part of the human experience. The people you love and the people who love you are part of a support network where you can all turn in times of need. Most of these relationships involve trust yet aren’t based on romantic love.
Some people are open to romantic relationships but haven’t yet found the right person. Other people are aromantic, which means that they typically don’t experience romantic attraction and thus tend not to be involved in romantic relationships. Aromantic people can lead happy and healthy lives that include loving relationships but without romantic love. There's nothing wrong with this, and it's perfectly natural for aromantic people.
However, if a person seems unable to love other people, including family or friends, it could be a sign that that person is experiencing a mental health challenge. For example, feeling empty and unable to give or receive love can sometimes be a symptom of depression.
People who experience depression typically have others who love them, and deep down they do often love others. However, depression can prevent a person from feeling love toward other people or feeling the love that other people show them. People experiencing depression, feelings of worthlessness, or lack of love may find it helpful to speak with a licensed therapist.
Developing trust and love
If you feel like you could benefit from developing more trust in others, there are several strategies that may help you make progress in this area. For example, Being transparent with others, communicating your needs and desires clearly, and respecting other people may reinforce the idea that you are trustworthy yourself and help you build trust in your relationships, whether with an intimate partner, with family members or friends, or with coworkers. Trust is something that usually takes time to build by getting to know the other person and allowing them to get to know you, to the degree that is appropriate for the situation.
Developing feelings of love for another person also tends to take time, and trying to force those feelings may be counterproductive. Everyone can experience relationships in different ways and at different speeds. Romantic relationships tend to have different phases that each have their own benefits and downsides. The initial passionate rush often wears off eventually, but you and your partner may develop a strong bond that will last for a long time.
Friendships typically have a different kind of love from that of romantic relationships, but this doesn’t mean that the love between friends is less important. Loving a friend is something that typically develops over time and can become a rich source of love for us throughout our lives.
When to get help
If you feel that you are unable to love or trust others, or if you are worried that you trust or develop feelings of love for others too easily, you may benefit from reaching out to a mental health professional. A licensed therapist may be able to help you work through the reasons for those feelings and help you develop healthy ways of approaching love and trust toward other people.
You can find a licensed therapist in your area for in-person sessions, or you can sign up for online counseling, which is increasingly being used as a way to connect with a licensed therapist. With online therapy, you can meet with a licensed therapist from the comfort of your home or anywhere you have an internet connection. You get to decide how to communicate with your therapist, whether by audio, video, live chat, or any combination of these methods. You can also contact your therapist in between sessions through in-app messaging, and they’ll respond as soon as they can.
Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of online therapy for a variety of mental health and relationship concerns. One study published in 2017 found that online cognitive behavioral therapy was effective for generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, phobias, depression, and substance use disorder, among other mental health challenges.
If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.
Takeaway
How are trust and love related?
Trust generally refers to knowing you can rely on someone, while love can describe a deep sense of attachment to and compassion for another person. While trust and love don’t always occur together, they can both be important parts of a healthy relationship. Trust can be especially crucial for healthy love in a romantic relationship.
It can also be important to note that you can trust someone without loving them. For example, in a professional relationship, you may trust a colleague’s judgment and know that they will make the right decisions in a business setting, but you may not love them.
Why is trust important in love, and how can I express a love and trust message?
Trust can be important in love because it typically provides a secure foundation for a healthy connection. Below, find several trust messages to express your love:
- You’re such a wonderful person and bring so much light to everyone you meet.
- You’re such an amazing person, and I’m so grateful for all your support and your caring nature.
- You’re such a special person, and I have such deep respect for you.
- You’re the most wonderful person I’ve ever met, and you bring so much joy to my life. I’d feel lost without you.
- I have such strong feelings for you and such appreciation for your loving nature.
- Your smile makes me feel like I can accomplish even impossible things.
- I deeply appreciate our strong connection.
- Although miles separate us, my heart melts when I hear your beautiful voice.
- I want the world to hear the honest truth about my feelings: You’re the most important thing in the world to me, and I’d gladly endure all your trials just to hear your sweet voice.
- The words of a simple trust message could never express the way I care for you deeply, love you even more, and hope to always stay connected.
- You deserve all the joy, all the support, and all the love in the world.
- You’ll stay forever in my heart, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.
Can there be love without trust?
It can be possible to love someone even if you don’t trust them. For example, you may not trust certain family members or friends due to behaviors they’ve displayed or past situations you’ve experienced with them. However, you may still have love for them. Similarly, if you break someone’s trust, they may still love you, but the loss of trust will likely have a negative impact on the relationship. Often, it takes consistent behavior over the long term to overcome a lack of trust and regain a very strong connection.
What breaks trust in a long-distance relationship?
Betrayal usually leads to a break in trust, and it can come in many forms, with one of the most common being emotional or physical infidelity. Other reasons for broken trust in a long-distance relationship may include a lack of communication and effort, differing expectations for the relationship, insecurity, and trust issues stemming from past experiences. In general, long-distance means that both partners must put in extra effort to enable each other to experience love and trust. When time separates two people, such as when they are in different time zones, it can be even more important to set aside time to focus on the relationship and show the other person how much they matter to you.
How important is trust in love?
Trust can be crucial for healthy love because it enables vulnerability. It can also make it easier to practice forgiveness. When you trust that a person has your best interests at heart, it tends to be easier to move past any mistakes they make. Trusting someone usually makes a relationship stronger. If one person has a belief that they cannot trust another, those two people may struggle to experience a sense of closeness. They may always be just a distance away from each other emotionally. It is often hard to open your heart completely to another person if you don’t think you can trust them.
Is love the same thing as trust?
Love and trust are two separate concepts, but they are often connected. In many cases, they are viewed as the most important things for a successful relationship.
Can I love without trust?
It can be possible to love someone without trusting them, but trust can be crucial for a healthy and happy relationship, especially a romantic one.
Why is trust stronger than love?
Trust is often viewed as a strong foundation for love. Without trust, it can be challenging for love to survive long-term. Even your goals for your relationship may be difficult to achieve if you don’t have both trust and love.
Is trust the backbone of love?
Trust can be considered the backbone of love, but it can also be possible to love someone without trusting them.
What comes first between love and trust?
Whether love or trust comes first can vary from relationship to relationship. Some people may not be able to develop love for another unless they trust them. Other individuals may find that it’s easy for them to experience love, but they struggle to trust people.
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