I have a phobia of Clowns, what do you think?

Question

For as long as I can remember I have had a fear of Clowns, to my suprise many people suffer from this phobia. It was brought on by my mother constantly scaring me into not talking to strangers or taking anything from them b/c they would rape and kill me... At age 5 my school took a trip to the circus, a clown approached me and offered me some cotton candy, because of what my mother had said I was extremely scared and began hiding my face and screaming. Every since then, knowing that a clown is nearby, seeing one on TV, walking in to McDonalds, seeing a picture of one, or even being exposed to a clown doll will trigger high levels of anxiety literally causing me to have a severe panic attack and feel like I cannot breathe at one point my heart even stopped for a few seconds literally from seeing a clown on TV. Does anyone else have this fear or know someone who does that can give me some advice? Please I do not want any of the following response "that's stupid, that's immature" etc...

Answer 1

Defined as "a persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted fear of clowns", each year this surprisingly common phobia causes countless people needless distress.

To add insult to an already distressing condition, most clown phobia therapies take months or years and sometimes even require the patient to be exposed repeatedly to their fear. We believe that not only is this totally unnecessary, it will often make the condition worse. And it is particularly cruel as clown phobia can be eliminated with the right methods and just 24 hours of commitment by the phobic individual.

Known by a number of names - Coulrophobia and Fear of Clowns being the most common - the problem often significantly impacts the quality of life. It can cause panic attacks and keep people apart from loved ones and business associates. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and overall feelings of dread, although everyone experiences clown phobia in their own way and may have different symptoms. .

Though a variety of potent drugs are often prescribed for clown phobia, side effects and/or withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Moreover, drugs do not "cure" clown phobia or any other phobia. At best they temporarily suppress the symptoms through chemical interaction.

The good news is that the modern, fast, drug-free processes of The CTRN Phobia Clinic will train your mind to feel completely different about clowns, eliminating the fear so it never haunts you again.

Answer 2

I have the same fear of clown, though not as severe as yours. It's gotten better as time goes by, but I cannot stand the thought of them. My fear arose when I was very young and my aunt let me watch poltergeist. The scene with the clown under the bed attacking the kid was too much for me, especially since I had the EXACT clown doll in my bedroom. Not for long. Since then, clowns freak me out. They are inherently scary, in costume, hiding their faces, the weird makeup and behavior. All around, understandable. However, I think you should work on this fear to a point that it does not give you a panic attack. Something deeper is going on.

Answer 3

It's pretty common and definitely starts when you are a young child...same with guys dressed up as Santa Claus. I think it has something to do with the fact that kids are usually *forced* to interact with these guys, even though to a little child, they are very scary, not to mention they are strangers, like you said. Pop culture reinforces this scary clown thing with the "evil clown" figure...remember that Steven King TV movie, It?

Answer 4

It's the fault of movie-makers.

To get over it, you must expose yourself to clowns over and over again in a safe environment.

Answer 5

I read a really good answer to this question on YA. Check it out...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqXi9g1.awsmUaNx.jdkTP8jzKIX?qid=20070319121210AABrc1j

Answer 6

clowns are funny