I don't know why but I'm genuinely afraid of people putting in effort to help or reward me.
Why does that frighten you?
People who help me always expect something from me in return.
I see your point of view.  It is important to be grateful to people who help you when you need help.
Nah. I'm going to go out of my way to make things as hard as possible for them.
Some people genuinely like helping others and you should be grateful to have these people in your life. However, if you feel odd for accepting help that you do not want to return, you can politely let the person know that you would prefer if they did not help you.