Dear Jessa:

I can very much relate to feeling distressed simply because a person around me seems displeased, facial expressions or tone of voice. I automatically connect this to: I’ve done something wrong/ they are about to attack me.

My solution to the general distrust you described is to evaluate one person at a time. If you figure- following adequate observation, communication, evaluation, that an individual is trustworthy in a particular context (a work relationship or a personal relationship)- then trust that individual in that context.

After all, many individuals are not trustworthy, so a blanket trust is unwise.

anita