Cherophobia

Something good happens. You get the job, or the test results come back fine, or a weekend goes perfectly. Instead of relief, you feel a knot of worry: this can’t last, and now something bad is coming.

Cherophobia is a name for a fear or avoidance of happiness. People who describe it may avoid fun activities or feel uneasy when life is going well. Healthline

Cherophobia isn’t listed in the DSM-5, and it hasn’t been widely researched under that name. Healthline Psychologists have studied a closely related idea called “fear of happiness,” though, and that research is more developed than you might expect.

What is fear of happiness?

Researchers define fear of happiness as feeling fear, anxiety, guilt, or discomfort when you’re happy or showing happiness, because you believe happiness might lead to bad things. Current Psychology

Psychologist Mohsen Joshanloo and colleagues built a short questionnaire to measure it. One statement people rate is “I prefer not to be too joyful, because usually joy is followed by sadness.” Journal of Happiness Studies The scale was tested in 14 national groups and held up well in 13 of them. The researchers found these beliefs, at varying levels, in all of the nations studied. Journal of Happiness Studies

Healthline lists other thoughts people with this fear may have, such as believing that showing happiness is bad for you or the people around you. Healthline

Why would anyone fear being happy?

A 2014 review by Joshanloo and philosopher Dan Weijers looked at beliefs about happiness across many cultures. They found several common reasons people give for being wary of it: Journal of Happiness Studies

• Happiness invites bad luck. Many people believe a good stretch is likely to be followed by a bad one. Proverbs in many languages say something similar, such as “after joy, sorrow.”
• Showing happiness causes trouble. In some cultures, open joy is thought to stir up envy in others or attract the “evil eye.”
• Happiness makes you a worse person. Some traditions link a lot of laughter or pleasure with being shallow or careless.
• Chasing happiness backfires. Several philosophies warn that pursuing personal pleasure directly tends to make people less happy or more selfish.

The review notes that some of these beliefs are more common in non-Western cultures, but that they turn up in Western ones too. The authors also stress that no culture holds them unanimously. Journal of Happiness Studies

Culture changes how we should read this. Being modest about good news, or knocking on wood, isn’t a disorder. A 2024 review by Joshanloo warns against treating every case of fear of happiness as a problem, and says culture and context have to be taken into account. Current Psychology

When fear of happiness becomes a problem

For some people, though, the fear does cause harm. In a 2012 study of university students in the UK, Paul Gilbert and colleagues found fear of happiness was strongly linked with depression, anxiety, stress, and self-criticism. The link with depression was especially strong. PubMed: Gilbert et al., 2012

The 2024 review also points to growing evidence connecting fear of happiness with lower well-being, depression, and anxiety. Current Psychology

These studies show a connection. They don’t prove that fearing happiness causes depression. It could work the other way, or both could come from the same roots.

What can it feel like?

Try this made-up scenario. Imagine friends invite you to a beach trip you’ve been wanting for months. You say no. You tell yourself it’s about money, but the real feeling is harder to name: if you let yourself enjoy it, something will go wrong at home while you’re away. On the rare days you do feel happy, you catch yourself bracing for bad news.

Healthline describes signs such as:

• feeling anxious about going to a party, concert, or other joyful event
• turning down good opportunities because you fear something bad will follow
• refusing to join in activities most people would call fun

Those come from Healthline.

Is it fear, or something else?

It helps to tell cherophobia apart from a few look-alikes:

• Low mood. Depression can make it hard to feel pleasure at all. That’s different from feeling pleasure and then fearing it, though the two often show up together.
• Guilt. Some people feel they don’t deserve to be happy when others are suffering. The 2014 review describes this reason too. Journal of Happiness Studies
• Superstition or caution. Not wanting to “jinx” good news is common and usually harmless.

Why might it happen?

Healthline suggests that fear of happiness can come from believing that good times are always followed by bad ones, especially after a past trauma. It also mentions perfectionism, where people may see happiness as a sign of laziness. Healthline The 2024 review lists perfectionism and self-esteem among the factors studied alongside fear of happiness. Current Psychology

Culture and family beliefs play a big part. If you grew up hearing that laughing too much brings tears, that idea can stick.

What can help?

Not everyone with this fear needs treatment. If it’s affecting your mood, relationships, or ability to work, talking to a professional can help. Healthline

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches different ways of thinking about and reacting to situations that cause anxiety. NIMH For fear of happiness, that can mean testing the belief that joy leads to disaster. Healthline also mentions relaxation methods like deep breathing or journaling, and gradually spending time in happy situations to learn that they don’t have to end badly. Healthline

Things you might try:

• write down what you expect to happen after a good day, then check later whether it did
• let yourself enjoy small things first, like a favorite song or a walk, before bigger events
• notice whether guilt, fear of bad luck, or fear of losing control is the main driver
• talk with family about where beliefs about happiness came from in your home

Helping someone who seems afraid of being happy

If someone close to you pulls back whenever life goes well, don’t call them dramatic or ungrateful. Ask what they’re afraid will happen. Celebrate in low-key ways if big celebrations feel too much for them. If they also seem low or hopeless much of the time, encourage them to talk to a doctor. Our guide on supporting someone with a phobia has more ideas.

When to talk to a professional

If fear of happiness is keeping you from things you want, or if it comes with low mood, hopelessness, or anxiety most days, talk to a doctor or therapist. You can explain it plainly: “When things go well, I get scared something bad will happen.” Our appointment preparation tool can help you plan, and our find help page lists where to start.