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Did you know that there is a fear that prevents some people from fully flourishing? And for good reason, since this phobia, known as cherophobia, is none other than the “fear of being happy”. Difficult to achieve this in this context.
Isn’t being happy in life the goal of everyone, in their own way? Well no it seems. Some people would even be very anxious at the idea. This is the case when you have cherophobia, the phobia of being happy.
What is cherophobia?
Thus, against all expectations, the fear of achieving happiness is a reality, known to psychologists.
“Happiness phobia, or cherophobia, involves an irrational fear of being happy due to the belief that something bad will result,” details Alexander Alvarado, clinical psychologist in the magazine Well+Good. People with cherophobia inherently associate happiness with negative, bad, or dangerous thoughts. They not only anticipate negative events, they associate them with their idea of happiness.
Cherophobia can then manifest itself in several ways:
- Positive emotions are not experienced as pleasant;
- Avoidance of emotions in general, positive or not;
- Dissociation in certain situations;
- Rumination and obsessive thoughts about the association of happiness and evil or danger;
- Some depressive symptoms.
Where does this strange fear come from?
According to the Healthline website, several personality types could be affected by this fear of happiness.
- On the one hand, introverts (because they don’t think they deserve it?) would be more likely to experience it;
- Perfectionists can also develop cherophobia when they associate happiness with an unproductive experience;
- Finally, naturally, this fear can also occur in people who are trying to protect themselves, following a conflict, drama or past trauma.
According to a study dating from 2019, people who suffered trauma during childhood, particularly sexual violence, would be more concerned by this fear or the renunciation of happiness.
Finally, if this fear exists, it must still be remembered: cherophobia is not inevitable. It can in particular be treated using cognitive-behavioral therapy.
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