Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns): Causes and Treatment (2024)

What is coulrophobia?

Coulrophobia (COOl-ruh-FOE-bee-uh) is a fear (phobia) of clowns. Children and adults who fear clowns may experience extreme, irrational reactions when they see clowns in person or view pictures or videos of clowns. Someone with a fear of clowns is coulrophobic. They may go out of their way to avoid any exposure to clowns.

Awareness of coulrophobia is relatively new. The term coulrophobia first appeared in the late 1990s. “Coulro” is the Greek word for stilt walkers. Recent movies featuring creepy-looking clowns, like “It” and “Joker,” made people more aware of this phobia.

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What are coulrophobia triggers?

Any event with a clown may trigger coulrophobia, such as:

  • Birthday parties, Halloween parties and trick-or-treating.
  • Circuses, fairs or festivals.
  • Fast-food restaurants that use clowns as mascots.
  • Movies, TV shows, commercials, billboards and advertisem*nts.

How common is fear of clowns?

There are few studies on coulrophobia. Some experts believe as many as 1 in 10 adults have a fear of clowns. One study on hospitalized children found that approximately 10 out of 1,000 children, most of them children assigned female at birth (AFAB), were afraid of the clowns the hospital brought in to cheer them up.

Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns): Causes and Treatment (2024)

FAQs

What are the causes of coulrophobia? ›

Our findings suggest that uncertainty of harmful intent, media influences and unpredictability of behaviour play an important role in the origins of coulrophobia. There are also multiple features of clown appearance which produce a negative experiential state and a sense of a direct threat.

What is the solution for coulrophobia? ›

Exposure therapy involves gradual and repeated exposures to images or situations that trigger coulrophobia symptoms. The process involves: Learning breathing and relaxation techniques to use before and during exposure. Viewing images or videos of clowns.

How do you stop coulrophobia? ›

How to Manage Coprophagia. Unfortunately, once dogs acquire this unsavory habit, it can be difficult to stop. You need to approach the problem systematically. Accompany your dog to the yard for his bathroom breaks and clean up the dog poop immediately, which helps to teach your dog to eliminate in one specific area.

What is the reason for coulrophobia? ›

What causes phasmophobia? Phasmophobia may begin in childhood and continue through adolescence and adulthood. Childhood experiences, such as feeling scared by stories of the supernatural, may leave a vivid impression and continue to affect people in later life.

What is the #1 phobia? ›

Glossophobia – The #1 fear in America is the fear of public speaking, with 25% saying they'd prefer to avoid speaking in front of people.

What is the rarest biggest fear? ›

What Are the Rarest Phobias?
  • Fear of Walking.
  • Fear of Vomiting.
  • Fear of Peanut Butter.
  • Fear of Mirrors.
  • Fear of Making Decisions.
  • Fear of Long Words.
  • Fear of Chewing Gum.
  • Fear of Phobias.

Can you cure coulrophobia? ›

Coulrophobia Treatment

Coulrophobia, like most other phobias, doesn't have a one-size-fits-all cure. Instead, getting over this condition involves getting psychological help, which may take some time. But there are many types of therapy, and it might be challenging to find the one right for you. Exposure therapy.

How do you neutralize fear? ›

Learning relaxation techniques can help you with the mental and physical feelings of fear. It can help just to drop your shoulders and breathe deeply. Or imagine yourself in a relaxing place. You could also try complementary therapies or exercise such as massage, t'ai chi, yoga, mindfulness techniques, or meditation.

How do you treat phobophobia? ›

Exposure and response prevention (ERP): For people with phobophobia, treatment may include ERP, to provide exposure to the physical sensations of anxiety and desensitize the individual, thereby reducing the fear of experiencing these sensations.

How do I turn off fear? ›

10 ways to fight your fears
  1. Take time out. It's difficult to think clearly when you feel scared or anxious. ...
  2. Breathe through panic. ...
  3. Face your fears. ...
  4. Remember that anxiety isn't harmful. ...
  5. Challenge unhelpful thoughts. ...
  6. Don't try to be perfect. ...
  7. Visualise a happy place. ...
  8. Talk about it.
Jun 13, 2024

Is coulrophobia a real phobia? ›

Coulrophobia is a fear of clowns. It is a specific phobia that involves a fear of a specific situation or object. It is important to note that, while many people experience discomfort with clowns, those feelings don't necessarily represent a true phobia. Clowns date back to the jester or fool of ancient times.

How do I get over Ommetaphobia? ›

Therapy and prescribed medications are likely the surest way to overcome ommetaphobia. But the affected individual can also take their own steps to cope with their fear. Some coping solutions may include: Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

What is fear of death called? ›

Thanatophobia is an extreme fear of death or the dying process. You might be scared of your own death or the death of a loved one.

What's the most unique phobia? ›

21 Rare and Weird Phobias You've Likely Never Heard Of
  • Pogonophobia (Fear of beards) ...
  • Chaetophobia (Fear of hair) ...
  • Vestiphobia (Fear of clothing) ...
  • Ergophobia (Fear of work) ...
  • Decidophobia (Fear of making decisions) ...
  • Eisoptrophobia (Fear of mirrors) ...
  • Deipnophobia (Fear of dining with others) ...
  • Phobophobia (Fear of phobias)
Jul 27, 2022

What is fear of being alone called? ›

Also known as autophobia, isolophobia, or eremophobia, monophobia is the fear of being isolated, lonely, or alone. As a phobia, this fear isn't necessarily a realistic one.

What is the cause of Coulrophilia? ›

Coulrophilia is the paraphilia involving sexual attraction to clowns, mimes and jesters. The most likely reason behind this is because of lack of childhood, but some say the attraction is because the person behind the face paint could be anybody that you may or may not know.

What triggers Phobophobia? ›

A traumatic event may also contribute to phobophobia. If that event caused a person to feel intense feelings of fear and anxiety, they may be afraid of feeling that fear again.

What causes people to have nyctophobia? ›

A traumatic experience (even one that happened during the day) can lead to nyctophobia. The memory of a scary event can return when it's dark, causing an extreme reaction.

What are some causes of thalassophobia? ›

Thalassophobia can also be caused by traumatic events. A childhood near-drowning experience, witnessing a shark attack, never learning to swim, or even being told scary stories of the ocean are just a few examples of possible events that could trigger thalassophobia.

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