When people are asked about what are the things they are afraid of, the answer is often public speaking, needles, global warming, losing a loved one, etc. However, coulrophobia or fear of clowns is something that is completely like out of a movie.
But according to research, nearly 7.8 percent of Americans suffer from this. It makes it very hard for those people to attend any festivals, parties, and even circuses. Here is a detailed description of this unique phobia.
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All About Coulrophobia
What Is Coulrophobia And What Are The Triggers?
Coulrophobia (COOl-ruh-FOE-bee-uh) is a fear (phobia) of clowns. Children or adults suffering from it end up having a bizarre reaction to clowns in person or in pictures and even videos. These people will go to any extent in order to avoid seeing a clown. The term coulrophobia was first coined in the late 1990s. It’s derived from the Greek word “coulro”, which means stilt walkers.
Movies like ‘It’ and ‘Joker’ have also started spreading awareness about this peculiar phobia. Some experts are of the opinion that as many as 1 in 10 adults have a fear of clowns.
Any events where clowns may be present can act as a trigger for these people. For them, birthday parties, halloween parties, circuses, fairs, and even festivals are like a living nightmare. They avoid restaurants that use clowns as their mascot. Movies, TV shows, commercials, billboards, and advertisements featuring clowns are also a trigger for them.
The Causes And Risk Factors
It is believed that people who are suffering from this problem are mainly afraid of the makeup of the clowns. The whole makeup tends to distort their facial expressions adding a certain look to their face. Even though people of all sexes are affected by coulrophobia, females are more affected by it. According to researchers, this phobia has not spared even children as young as 3 years old. Other disorders or phobias increase the chances of developing this phobia even more.
Symptoms And Diagnosis
When people suffering from this phobia come across a clown, they tend to close their eyes using their hands and even try to hide behind any object. If children are comparatively young then they end up crying. Not only that just the notion that they may come across a clown ends up causing anxiety in them. Other symptoms include fast breathing and rapid heart rate, an intense feeling of terror, pale skin, profuse sweating, nausea, and even trembling or shaking.
There’s still no diagnostic criteria for this phobia as the American Psychiatric Association does not consider this as a real phobia. A psychologist may diagnose one with coulrophobia based on certain criteria they have come up with. They include fear upon seeing a clown or its image and avoidance of certain situations like parties or the movies. Not only that, they develop intense distress on seeing a clown which lasts for about six months or more.
Complications And Treatment
Complications include developing a panic attack upon seeing a clown. The heart rate increases and the person may develop noncardiac chest pain which may likely cause a heart attack. There is no treatment for this disorder but exposure therapy works as a good way of treatment. It can help about 9 out of 10 individuals. This type of therapy includes seeing images that trigger the phobia. The process involves learning breathing and relaxation techniques to use before and during exposure.
There is also viewing images or videos of clowns, gradually progressing to being in the same area as a clown and eventually, being next to a clown or holding and viewing a clown image. Anti-anxiety drugs aren’t really helpful in these diseases.
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