How to Cope With Coulrophobia
Coulrophobia, an irrational fear of clowns, plagues children and adults alike. The hidden identity of the clown or a distressing emotional association with clowns is the cause of this phobia for some. Learn how to get help and to cope with this fear.
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Instructions
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Seek professional, psychological guidance for an official diagnosis. Some symptoms of a fear of clowns include difficulty breathing, increased perspiration, feeling nauseous or experiencing anxiety when you see a clown.
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Consider different types of coping methods for coulrophobia, including drug treatment, self-help aids and psychological treatments. A good treatment addresses the cause of the clown fear which is typically an emotional and traumatic event linked to clowns in the subconscious.
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Turn to a psychiatrist if drugs are necessary to combat the fear of clowns. Several side effects and symptom withdrawals are possible with the use of drug treatments for coulrophobia. The drugs temporarily suppress the fear rather than treat it.
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Use self-help methods such as DVDs and CDs to learn proven methods to help with phobias. CD based programs are available online from companies such as Changethatrightnow. Some offer tests to diagnose whether the phobia is coulrophobia.
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Receive treatment from professionals who use methods that are most comfortable for you. One type of treatment is exposure treatment where the phobic person is exposed to a clown until the fear subsides. In counter-conditioning, the phobic person learns to substitute relaxation for fear as a response to seeing a clown.
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Try modeling as a treatment. The phobic person watches another person's relaxed reaction to seeing a clown.
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