The Bible says, “Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news.” This is an indication that good news is worth waiting for, and worth hearing. Most would agree that this is a truth that is universal, well almost. There are those who fear good news. They appear to thrive on the negative and have little use for positive words. This fear is known as Euphobia.
It may seem peculiar to consider that someone might actually fear good news. After all we hold out hope that we might be the next 10 million dollar winner or that our numbers will match the latest lottery picks. We love to hear that we got a raise or that family members are doing well. You may think we’ve simplyencountered an eternal pessimist, but there may be something more to it than that.
What Causes Euphobia?
This fear rests tentatively on top of a belief system that suggests that the only thing you can really count on is bad news. The only thing really trustworthy is chaos. This is the worldview of the euphobe.
It may sound backward, but this personality gains comfort from the trustworthiness of chaos. This phobic personality may equate good news with a lack of control or an incident that threw off an otherwise predictable mix of disorder with a dash of confusion.
It is in this place the euphobe finds a sense of comfort. The fear may begin when they personally experience disorder and believe this is the normal way to view life. They may also observe someone who has this fear and determine they always seem prepared for disaster so it must be a better way to live.
Instead of finding comfort and solace in life’s best moments this phobic personality not only shuns good news, but fears it’s existence simply because it throws life out of balance for them.
Symptoms of Euphobia
This phobic personality may find comfort in conspiracy theories and will often believe the worst about mankind. They will avoid television shows that feature the good things individuals are doing in their communities or for their country. If it’s good news they do not want to hear it.
Other symptoms may also include…
- Air hunger
- Trembling
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weeping
- Screaming
- Panic attacks
These individuals may select their friends based on the other’s interest in bad news. The problem is this can create a very negative cycle.
How to Overcome Euphobia
The phobic personality will need to understand that while negative news is common there are even more stories of good things that are never reported. An understanding that the good news will generally always outpace the bad is important, but may be skewed in a world where bad news always leads the newscast.
A therapist can help determine why you have such intense fear of good news and help you learn how to manage your fear response and learn to accept the very thing you have been most fearful of. This help may be needed in order to overcome your phobic response.
The fear of hearing good news is also referred to as:
- Good news fear
- Euphobia
