An excessive or irrational fear of pleasure, happiness, or enjoying oneself, sometimes arising from guilt or moral anxiety.
From Greek 'hedonē' (pleasure) plus 'phobos' (fear), a modern psychological term (20th century) describing pathological avoidance of enjoyable experiences due to underlying guilt or trauma.
This phobia is surprisingly common in people raised in strict religious or shame-based environments—they literally develop anxiety when attempting to relax or have fun, and therapists have to help 'reprogram' their nervous systems to allow pleasure.
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