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

In this article we will talk about a little-known phobia in the clinic, and little prevalent, although very curious: hamartophobia. It is the 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.

• Related article: "Types of Phobias: Exploring Fear Disorders"

Hamartophobia: what is it?

Hamartophobia is a fairly unknown type of phobia: the phobia of sin. It is a specific phobia, since the object or situation that produces the phobia can be determined (in this case, the action of sinning or making “unforgivable” mistakes).

Thus, as such, it is defined as a persistent, abnormal and unjustified fear to commit sins.

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

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

This leads us to think about 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 gods really have a plan for human beings, or that that the divinities have thought the world from moral and just reasons.

• You may be interested in: "Types of Anxiety Disorders and their characteristics"

The seven capital sins

According to the first teachings of Christianity, there are seven deadly sins considered as "vices" and transmitted to educate their followers about Christian morality. Thus, hamartogobia could perfectly 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

It is about the excessive presence of thoughts of a sexual nature, 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 implies consuming excessive food or drink, and can include selfishness that affects interpersonal relationships.

3. Avarice

This is the height of selfishness; consists of the desire obtain wealth, generally material, in order to keep it without sharing anything with the rest. Greed can also involve spending all wealth at any time without considering anyone.

4. Laziness

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

5. Gonna

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

6. Envy

Envy implies feeling the continuous desire to possess what another has in his power. Sometimes this envy, if it intensifies, can end up leading to an obsessive disorder.

7. Pride

The seventh deadly sin is based on that uncontrollable desire to try to always be or show yourself better than others. It implies believing yourself to be superior on a physical and/or intellectual level, overvaluing yourself 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, it is a phobia of a specific stimulus or situation (in this case, the fear of sin). These symptoms are as follows:

• Pronounced and persistent fear of sin: this fear is excessive or irrational.
• Anxiety: Exposure to a phobic stimulus or situation (sin) causes marked anxiety.
• Avoidance: situations that can lead to sin are avoided or endured with much discomfort.
• Interference in normal routine.
• Symptom Duration minimum of 6 months.

Causes

The causes of hamartophobia can be diverse. This can appear as a result of a rigid religious or moral upbringing, or by feelings of guilt associated with “impure” acts according to the type of religion, such as For example, sexual relations outside of marriage, lying, feeling envy, laziness, arrogance, 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 from the occurrence of traumatic experiences (direct conditioning).

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

Treatment

The psychological treatment of hamartophobia should focus on treating a specific phobia; as therapeutic options we find live exposure (in this case, to situations that can lead to "sin", for example, to lie, hit, steal, etc.). It is about exposing the patient to the situation without executing avoidance behaviors. It can be accompanied by relaxation or cognitive-behavioral techniques (for example, self-instructions).

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

Cognitive behavioral therapy can also be used by 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; that is, review with the patient "what sin implies (for him)", "what is considered a sin and what is not", etc.

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

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

Bibliographic references:

• Horse (2002). Manual for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of psychological disorders. Vol. 1 and 2. Madrid. 21st century (Chapters 1-8, 16-18).
• Belloch, A.; Sandin, b. And Ramos, F. (2010). Manual of Psychopathology. Volume I and II. Madrid: McGraw-Hill.
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth edition. DSM-5. Massón, Barcelona.