Coulrophobia — The Fear of Clowns

Coulrophobia

Coulrophobia is an abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns.  The condition also extends to the fear of hiding recognizable facial features with face paint.  The word Coulro is Greek for “one who sits on stilts.”  A study done by the University of Sheffield found that children are more susceptible to the phobia.

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Symptoms

Symptoms are varied from person to person however the symptoms can range from anxiety to full out panic attack.  known symptoms of Coulrophobia include excessive perspiration, trouble and erratic breathing, nausea and queasiness, feeling a detachment from reality, weak and shaky limbs, lightheaded, dry mouth and heart palpitations.

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Treatment

Treatment for Coulrophobia is much like any other type of phobia.  The three most successful types of treatment are Hypnotherapy a type of hypnosis, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) a controversial approach to psychotherapy involving interpersonal communication and Energy Psychology which addresses the relationship of energy systems to emotion, cognition, behavior and health.

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Popular Culture

Although very little is known about Coulrophobia it is ingrained in popular culture.   Coulrophobia has been the subject of many television shows including Boston Legal, Bones, Seinfeld and Frasier.  The popular movie Zombie Land features the character Columbus who overcomes his fear of clowns.

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