Cherophobia- The Fear of Happiness

Cherophobia is also known as the fear of happiness or the aversion to happiness. In this case, a person is in a position where he or she intentionally tries to avoid experiences and situations which invoke positive feelings, emotions, and happiness.

Cherophobia is derived from the Greek word ‘chero’ which means ‘to rejoice’ and phobia meaning fear. Cherophobia is a mental health condition and is pretty uncommon although curable.

Causes of Cherophobia

Cherophobia is likely to occur to people who have undergone tragic or traumatic events in their past.

It can also occur in people who are introverts by personality. Introverts generally do not interact with a lot of people. This loneliness can lead to anxiety and depression and ultimately Cherophobia. It can also be hereditary or genetical.

In Cherophobia, a person experiences the following :

1. He/ She believes that being happy will not only harm them but others as well.
2. Happiness makes you a bad person.
3. If someone is happy or tries to be happy he/she is wasting time as well as efforts.
4. Being happy will lead to bad happenings to self and surroundings.

Symptoms of Cherophobia

1. Experiencing anxiety when invited to a fun gathering.
2. Avoiding fun events and activities.
3. Skipping on events that will lead to a positive or happy life, thinking that something bad will follow.

Extreme nervousness, shortness of breath, extreme restless, fast pulse and heartbeat, unreasonable sweating are also some of the minor reasons.

Treatment for Cherophobia

Furthermore, Cherophobia has not yet been identified as a separate definite disorder. Hence, there aren’t any specific treatments and medications to cure the disorder alone.

However here are some suggested treatments:

• Hypnotherapy– it is a therapy which is an alternative medicine used to deal with many mental problems like breaking bad habits.
• Adopting relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditating, exercising.
• Undergoing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy– It is a therapy which helps to manage problems by changing the way one thinks and behaves.

The Stance on Cherophobia

Cherophobia is a quite rare and uncommon disorder. Anxiety, depression, trauma or tragedy often precede this disorder. A fear of happiness does not always mean that the person is sad.

Although medicines do not cure phobias, they can only help to suppress the systems. ‘It’s all in the mind’ and hence it is reasonable to adopt mind strategies to overcome this fear.

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