Cherophobia In Modern Society

March 04 2024 TalktoAngel 0 comments 1578 Views

The majority of the narratives we heard as children ended here as Cherophobia. From the life lessons our grandparents taught us through our Moral Science studies, everyone emphasized the importance of finding happiness in life. There have been circumstances when a small bit of chocolate has brought me great joy. But nowadays, it seems that most happy events might not be true for people.

What is cherophobia?

A person who suffers from cherophobia has an illogical fear of being happy. The word "chero" in Greek, which means "to rejoice," is the origin of the word. When someone has cherophobia, they frequently fear being happy or engaging in activities that most others would consider to be enjoyable. This condition usually affects people who are living with a person with cherophobia.

This disorder is not well understood or the subject of extensive research. Diagnostic criteria for mental health issues are most frequently found in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) used by psychiatrists. Cherophobia is not currently recognized as a disorder by the DSM-5. However, some mental health professionals talk about this Phobia and also about the possible therapies that are used in its treatment.

Symptoms of cherophobia

Some medical health professionals categorize cherophobia as an anxiety disorder. An unreasonable or exaggerated fear response to the perceived danger is Anxiety. When you have cherophobia, your anxiety is linked to engaging in activities that are typically supposed to bring people happiness. A person with cherophobia avoids activities that could bring them happiness or joy rather than necessarily being depressed. Symptoms of cherophobia are:

Having anxiety at the thought of attending a happy social gathering, such as a party, concert, or other event

Avoiding opportunities that could change one's life for the better out of concern that something negative will happen to them

Refusing to engage in what most people would consider pleasurable activities

Some of the core concepts someone who has cherophobia may have included:

If I'm happy, bad things will surely occur to me.

You become a bad or worse person when you are happy.

It's not good for you or your friends and family to display your happiness.

It is a waste of time and energy to try to be happy.

The authors of an article published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology developed a Fear of Happiness Scale. The measure, which was developed to compare happiness and fear across 14 cultures, can also assist a patient or their doctor in determining whether they are showing signs of cherophobia. Some of the statements are:

I prefer to keep my happiness under check because, in most cases, happiness is followed by sadness.

Disasters frequently occur after good luck.

Overjoy might also have negative effects

Causes of cherophobia

When a person experiences great success or their life is going well, some people may develop cherophobia because they think that a negative event is bound to occur eventually. As a result, people could be afraid of pleasurable activities because they think they can prevent negative things from happening. When someone has gone through a past traumatic event, either physically or emotionally, this is frequently the situation. Cherophobia may be more prevalent in introverted people. An introvert is someone who likes to perform things by themselves or in small groups of one to two individuals. They are frequently perceived as thoughtful and reserved. In gatherings, loud surroundings, and locations with lots of people, they could feel threatened or uncomfortable. The perfectionist personality type is another one that might be related to cherophobia. Perfectionists could believe that happiness is a quality that only slow or incompetent individuals possess. Because they perceive these activities as being unproductive, they may avoid engaging in those that would make them happy.

Treatment for cherophobia

There are no FDA-approved drugs or effective Online Therapy for cherophobia because the illness hasn't been extensively explored or investigated as a separate or unique problem. However, a few recommended treatments are as follows:

Cognitive B ehavioural T herapy (CBT), is a form of therapy that helps in recognizing inappropriate ways of thinking and identifying actions that can change effective coping strategies such as deep breathing, writing, or exercise

Hypnotherapy

Exposure to happy situations is a way to show someone that happiness doesn't have to have bad consequences

Not everyone who hates happiness necessarily requires therapy. When they are avoiding happiness, some people feel happier and more secure. They might not even need treatment if cherophobia isn't affecting their capacity to maintain a job or their quality of life. However, treating an underlying disease may improve to treatment of cherophobia if the symptoms are connected to a past trauma.

Cherophobia frequently results from a person's attempt to defend themselves as a result of a previous conflict, tragedy, or trauma. Seeking Online Counselling from the Best Psychologist in India for treatment can frequently be helpful if cherophobia is affecting the quality of life quality. You may be able to overcome your worries with continuing treatment, even if it can take some time to change your way of thinking.

Contribution: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist, life coach & mentor TalktoAngel & Dr Sakshi Kochhar Psychologist