When you ask people what they are afraid of, some common answers appear: public speaking, needles, global warming, the loss of a loved one, and so on. But if we take a look at movies or social networks, you would think that everyone is terrified of sharks, dolls and clowns.
Fear of clowns, called coulrophobia can be a disturbing fear.
Symptoms
Researchers have found that portraying clowns as scary and negative characters has directly contributed to the increase in cases of intense fear and phobia towards clowns. We must clarify that fear when watching a scary movie with a clown is very different from phobia. In the first case, the strong emotions last as long as the movie lasts.
Symptoms include:
- anxiety
- panic
- sweating
- dry mouth
- tremors
- difficulty breathing
- strong heartbeat
- strong emotions such as screaming, crying, anger, etc.
What causes this phobia
Phobias often come from a variety of sources - usually a deeply traumatic and frightening event. Some possible causes are:
- Scary movies
- Traumatic experience
- Learned phobia (less likely to occur and refers to a phobia that develops as a result of someone else around you experiencing it)
This phobia can be treated through psychotherapy, meditation or tranquilizers.
Sources: Healthline, HuffPost
