Anxiety & Depression Friday Fix: Are You Afraid to Be Happy? By Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Published on January 27, 2023 Print Verywell / Julie Bang Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Friday Fix: Episode 233 More About the Podcast Every Friday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, shares the “Friday Fix”—a short episode featuring a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / Amazon Music Friday Fix: Episode 233 At first glance, you might wonder why someone would be afraid to be happy. But if you think about it a little longer, you might recognize a few times when you experienced an aversion to happiness. An aversion to happiness can take a toll on your well-being and life. Perhaps you won an award and felt so much pressure to live up to the achievement that you were afraid to let yourself enjoy success. Or maybe something really good happened, and you were so afraid that those happy feelings wouldn’t last that you didn’t let yourself feel happy for even a minute because you were afraid that things would come crashing down. You might have also found yourself in a tough spot in life. For example, maybe you were grieving the loss of a loved one, or you were facing some hard economic times, and you felt guilty laughing or having fun. Those are just a few reasons why it’s hard to allow ourselves to be happy sometimes. But just like it’s harmful to avoid an uncomfortable emotion like anxiety, an aversion to happiness can also take a toll on your well-being and life. On this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I share what the research says about why people are afraid of being happy, the consequences it can have on your life, and what you can do about it. More About the Podcast The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too. Links and Resources Follow Amy Morin on Instagram Check out Amy’s books on mental strength If You Liked This Episode, You Might Also Like These Episodes: Friday Fix: How to Stop Sabotaging Yourself How to Be Sad With Bestselling Author Helen Russell Friday Fix: The Difference Between Acting Tough and Being Strong Why Can't I Be Happy Even When Life Is Going Great? By Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Speak to a Therapist Online Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.