Cherophobia: The fear of being happy

You know that feeling we get sometimes, that everything is going all too well? Everything seems too good to be true, everything that is happening is exactly in your favour- and it’s all too suspicious? Well, for some, this sort of pessimistic feelings tends to persistent for a consistent period of time, which leads to the development of a strong, irrational aversion to feelings of happiness, also known as Cherophobia.

We may have heard about people being afraid of heights, snakes, or insects; but someone being afraid of being happy? It sounds bizarre and is difficult to make sense of. Cherophobia is derived from the Greek word chairo, which means ‘I rejoice.’ In truth, what it means is that cherophobics are afraid of engaging in fun activities or anything that would bring them joy. It is not the activity that they are afraid of, its what they believe comes after- negative effects of disappointment, loneliness and worthlessness, all because they let go and were happy and carefree.

Hence, people with people are afraid of allowing themselves to feel the slightest feelings of joy and happiness, all because they believe that they are undeserving and hence, something negative will follow. The very basic feeling is this- happiness and pleasantness does not last long and is always followed by bad, negative luck; thus, it does not make sense to chase that feeling of happiness at all.

It is important to note that someone having cherophobia doesn’t mean that they are ‘sad’ in nature, but it is just that they tend to avoid situations that could lead to joy. Some medical experts have linked cherophobia to anxiety disorder, given that it includes having a heightened sense of fear related to a perceived threat (Nall, 2017; Healthline). Some symptoms assoctaed with the phobia include:

• Experiencing anxiety when invited to a fun social event, such as a concert or party.
• Passing on opportunities that could possibly lead to a positive change, due to the belief that something bad will follow.
• Believing that being happy is something that is bad.
• Refuse participating in joyful activities.
• Showing that you are happy will mean something bad for your family and friends.

By now, since you have read about the what of cherophobia, the why seems like a good question to ask. Why would someone fear this positive emotion? Psychiatrist Carrie Barron states that a possible link could be made to childhood events, when a strong happiness-punishment association was formed. It could stem from a conflict with a significant other, or it is possible that one might be used to noticing the bad that happens after a good event, and hence resists looking for that happiness again. If you are averse to happiness and pleasure, then perhaps somewhere along the way punishment, humiliation or wrath may have just killed your joy (Barron, 2016).

As cherophobia has not been widely studied as a separate disorder, research on definite treatment for the phobia is less. However, suggested treatments like CBT (where one is made to realise faulty, irrational lines of thought and learn behaviours that can bring a change), relaxation strategies are found to be helpful.

Starting small- indulging in ‘happy habits’- short routine ways that can increase happiness are helpful for people with cherophobia to change their perception of happiness. It includes the smallest of moments- that first sip of coffee in the morning, the sunlight falling on your face as you wake up; can all bring a bit of joy, only if allowed. Such regular moments are important for cherophobics, just positive in nature, with no risk of disappointment or a negative connotation.

Finally, it is vital for one to know for themselves- what is happiness to me? How to deal with my feelings of happiness? What helps me be happy? This is important, because after all, we all deserve to be happy.

References

Barron, C. (2016). If you fear, shun, or avoid pleasure. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-creativity-cure/201606/if-you-fear-shun-or-avoid-pleasure

Nall, R. (2017). Cherophobia: Is being too happy a thing? Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/cherophobia-causes-and-treatment#treatments