Possibly for many, this is one of the strangest phobias that they have never heard of, especially because of how abstract it can be, even difficult to understand. However, it is something that sufferers must deal with. Cherophobia is defined as the irrational fear of being happy. However, this does not mean that these people are looking for the exact opposite, as one might think, nothing further.
Why does cherophobia develop? This fear of happiness is explained as the consequence of a fear of sadness. In other words, what you are trying to escape from is that negative feeling that is accompanied, like the other side of the coin, by happiness. Therefore, people with cherophobia do not aim to be unhappy and plunge into sadness, what happens is just the opposite, since this is what they try to avoid.
People who suffer from cherophobia see their lives affected and limited, since the main implications of this fear consist in the rejection of any type of situation that may have implicit feelings such as joy or jubilation. That is, those with cherophobia will avoid by all means being involved or present in activities, events or social gatherings that have happy connotations.
Weddings, celebrations, meetings with friends or family, all these kinds of moments of social sharing that can translate into well-being and happiness will be rejected and avoided by someone with cherophobia. And this is not the only consequence of this disorder, since any positive change will be equally unwelcome.
This disorder is highly limiting and detrimental to the life and mental health of people with cherophobia. The main obstacle to overcome it will have to do with accepting the problem, since these patients tend to hide behind a defensive attitude. But the first step to overcome it will be to accept it, with the help of the environment and professionals specialized in mental health.
