Hamartophobia (fear of sinning): symptoms, causes and treatment

The fear of sinning or of doing something morally wrong can become a specific phobia.

In this article we will talk about a very little known phobia in the clinic, and little prevalent, although very curious: hamartophobia. This is a phobia of sinning or making mistakes considered "unforgivable" for the person.

We are going to see how it manifests itself, the causes that can originate it and some therapeutic options for its treatment.

Hamartophobia: what is it?

The hamartofobia is about a type of phobia quite unknown: the phobia of sinning. It is a specific phobia, since the object or situation that produces phobia can be determined (in this case, the action of sinning or committing "unforgivable" mistakes).

Thus, as such, it is defined as a persistent, abnormal and unjustified fear of committing sins. of committing sins.

Hamartophobia as a specific phobia could be included in the group of phobias to "other" stimuli, within the DSM classification.

People suffering from hamartophobia fear making unforgivable mistakes or sinning. The fear of sin often stems from the fact that the so-called "divine laws" are written in human language, and are therefore subject to a constant need for interpretation.

This leads us to think of hermeneutics, the art or theory of interpreting texts, especially sacred scriptures and philosophical and artistic texts. This tradition as a whole is underpinned by the lack of concrete and objective evidence that God or the gods actually have a plan for human beings, or that the divinities have thought out a plan for human beings. that the divinities have thought the world from moral and just motives..

The seven deadly sins

According to the early teachings of Christianity, there are seven deadly sins considered as "vices" and transmitted to educate their followers about Christian morality. Thus, hamartogobia could very well include the fear of committing one or more of these seven sins.

Let's see what they are and what they consist of:

1. Lust

This is the excessive presence of sexual thoughts, as well as possessive thoughts related to other people, whether they are close or not.

2. Gluttony

These are destructive behaviors based on abuse, craving and gluttony. It involves consuming excessive food or drinkand may include selfishness that affects interpersonal relationships.

3. Greed

This is the pinnacle of selfishness; it consists of the desire for to obtain riches, generally material, with the purpose of keeping them without sharing anything with others. with others. Greed can also involve spending all one's wealth at any time without regard for anyone else.

4. Sloth

This sin reflects a person's inability to perform or accept something. It is based on a lack of maturity, and often harms other people.

5. Anger

It is related to anger and hatred towards other people; it is an aggressive and dangerous feeling. an aggressive and dangerous feelingIt can cause irreversible damage such as homicide or murder. It also includes discrimination and sexual abuse.

6. Envy

Envy involves feeling the continual desire to possess that which another has in his or her power.. Sometimes this envy, if it intensifies, can end up leading to an obsessive disorder.

7. Pride

The seventh cardinal sin is based on this uncontrollable desire for to always try to be or show oneself to be better than others. It involves believing oneself to be physically and/or intellectually superior, overvaluing oneself in an "excessive" or dysfunctional way.

Symptoms

The symptoms of hamartophobia correspond to the symptoms of a specific phobia (defined in the DSM-5), that is to say, it is a phobia to a specific stimulus or situation (in this case, the fear of sinning). These symptoms are as follows:

• A marked and persistent fear of sinning: this fear is excessive or irrational.
• AnxietyExposure to the phobic stimulus or situation (sinning) provokes marked anxiety.
• Avoidance: the situations that can induce to sin are avoided or are endured with much discomfort.
• Interference in the normal routine.
• Duration of symptoms minimum of 6 months.

Causes

The causes of hamartophobia can be diverse. It can appear as a consequence of a rigid religious or moral educationor by feelings of guilt associated with "impure" acts, depending on the type of religion, such as sexual relations outside marriage, lying, envy, laziness, pride, anger, etc.

On the other hand, hamartophobia can also arise from classical or operant conditioning (by associating the behavior of sinning with aversive consequences, such as social rejection), or by the occurrence of traumatic experiences (direct conditioning).

Other possible causes of hamartophobia are observation (vicarious conditioning) (e.g. seeing someone sinning with very negative consequences, or feeling extremely guilty, etc.). Also can also originate from information conditioning processes (hearing cases of serious "sins", etc.). (hearing cases of serious "sins" in other people, for example).

Treatment

The psychological treatment of hamartophobia should be focused on treating a specific phobia; therapeutic options include live exposure (in this case, to situations that may lead to "sinning", e.g. lying, hitting, stealing, etc). The aim is to expose the patient to the situation without the patient engaging in avoidance behaviors. It can be accompanied by relaxation or cognitive-behavioral techniques (e.g. self-instructions).

On the other hand, exposure can also be applied in imagination or through virtual reality.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can also be used by means of cognitive restructuring, with the aim of eliminating the cognitive distortions associated with the phobia, as well as dysfunctional beliefs and the meaning attributed to the fact of sinning; i.e., reviewing with the patient "what sinning implies (for him/her)", "what is considered sin and what is not", etc.

Once the cognitive distortions have been identified, exercises can be used to replace these beliefs with more realistic alternative thoughts.

At the pharmacological level, anxiolytics (to reduce anxiety) (to reduce anxiety) and/or antidepressants can be used to treat the symptoms associated with hamartophobia (depression, malaise, somatic symptoms, etc.), although always in consultation with and under the indications of a specialist (in this case, a psychiatrist or specialized physician).

Bibliographical references:

• Caballo (2002). Manual for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of psychological disorders. Vol. 1 and 2. Siglo XXI (Chapters 1-8, 16-18).
• Belloch, A.; Sandín, B. And Ramos, F. (2010). Manual de Psicopatología. Volume I and II. Madrid: McGraw-Hill.
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Fifth edition. DSM-5. Masson, Barcelona.