Pediophobia: Fear of Dolls - Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

<h4 style=' border-box;margin: 0px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.4;font-size: 24px;font-family: "Baloo Tammudu 2", cursive;color: rgb(54, 54, 54);font-style: normal;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;letter-spacing: normal;orphans: 2;text-align: left;text-indent: 0px;text-transform: none;white-space: normal;widows: 2;word-spacing: 0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;'><br></h4> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;">There are different types of phobias, some of which can be really weird. Examples are hexakosioihexekontahexafobia or fear of the number 666, coulrophobia or fear of clowns or turofobia or fear of cheese. Another phobia that may seem strange is pediophobia or fear of dolls.Dolls are adorable objects that remind us of childhood and innocence, but some people may have an irrational fear of these toys that represent the human figure although smaller in size. In the cinema, some films like chucky have based their stories on these objects. &nbsp;</p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><br></p> <h4 style=' border-box;margin: 0px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.4;font-size: 22px;font-family: "Baloo Tammudu 2", cursive;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);'>What is pediophobia?</h4> <p>Pediophobia is the irrational fear of dolls, and not just evil-looking dolls, but all dolls. In many cases, pediof&oacute;bicos can also feel a great fear of robots and mannequins. This phobia should not be confused with pediophobia which is the fear of children.Sigmund Freud believed that this disorder had its origin in the fear that this object would come to life. However, in understanding pediophobia, which is part of phobic disorders, the behaviorist seems to be more effective, as phobias usually come from classical conditioning.A phobia similar to coulrophobiaLike clowns, Chucky looking like dolls are associated with children and produce different sensations and emotions in us. We usually associate them with fun and endearing moments; and dolls are ideal as a form of entertainment.But despite this image that we have of clowns and dolls, these figures are also associated with negative and unpleasant images, which leads to real fear. Clowns and dolls are also horror figures in the film world like chucky that have served as assassins in some films. In the case of clowns, reality has surpassed fiction, and John Wayne Gacy is known, the sinister case of the murderous clown, who disguised himself to commit his crimes.</p> <h4>What causes a phobia?</h4> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">A phobia is an irrational fear of an object, situation or activity, i.e. a phobic stimulus. It is an anxiety disorder and can be very disabling. People with a phobia usually avoid phobic stimulation because of the great discomfort it makes them feel.Phobias usually develop due to a series of environmental factors, although some experts say genetic predisposition is crucial. However, the hypothesis of environmental factors carries more weight and the cause of the appearance of a phobic disorder is usually a traumatic experience lived around this stimulus. Usually, this precipitating event occurs in childhood and the phobia manifests as associative learning or classical conditioning.Likewise, chucky dolls can induce phobia indirectly, as in some films they can represent evil, be possessed or be murderous, but they can also be associated with voodoo and, therefore, black magic or witchcraft. ..And do a lot of science fiction movies or novels have evil or evil dolls as protagonists, for example, the Chucky movies, so that some children are terrified of such a perverse image.</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><br></p> <h4 style=' border-box;margin: 0px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.4;font-size: 22px;font-family: "Baloo Tammudu 2", cursive;color: rgb(54, 54, 54);'>Symptoms of doll phobia</h4> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">People who suffer from this irrational fear of dolls feel very anxious or uncomfortable when they are near them, when they see them on television or imagine them. Therefore, fear and panic related to anxiety are the main symptoms. In addition, like any form of phobia, the person with this disorder avoids the feared stimulus and adopts behaviors that avoid having to be exposed to the source of discomfort.Symptoms of phobias are practically the same for all phobic disorders and they are as follows:</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">Dry mouth, Loss of concentration and disorientation, Excess sweating, Terror and intense fear, Feeling short of breath and hyperventilation, Catastrophic thought, Anxiety and anguish, Increased heart rate and increased pulse rate, Intestinal discomfort, Muscle tension, Behaviors to avoid the feared stimulus</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><br></p> <h4 style=' border-box;margin: 0px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.4;font-size: 22px;font-family: "Baloo Tammudu 2", cursive;color: rgb(54, 54, 54);'>Treatment of this disorder</h4> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">Since this disorder can become disabling and cause an intense feeling of discomfort, it is necessary to go to a psychological professional to be able to overcome it. Usually, the psychologist will perform treatment including cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, such as systematic desensitization or exposure techniques; however, some professionals also use mindfulness or hypnotherapy. Systematic desensitization is arguably the most popular technique for overcoming fear of chucky dolls or pediophobia.</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">This technique involves slow and gradual exposure to the feared stimulus and promotes more useful coping skills in the patient. For example, the patient may start by looking at pictures of chucky dolls and normal dolls, reading books or watching movies about these toys. Once they are able to control this fear in these situations, they can expose themselves to the dreaded real stimulus. In severe cases, treatment may include medication for anxiety, but never as an alternative to psychological therapy.</span></p> <h4 style=' border-box;margin: 0px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.4;font-size: 24px;font-family: "Baloo Tammudu 2", cursive;color: rgb(54, 54, 54);font-style: normal;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;letter-spacing: normal;orphans: 2;text-align: left;text-indent: 0px;text-transform: none;white-space: normal;widows: 2;word-spacing: 0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;'><br></h4> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;">There are different types of phobias, some of which can be really weird. Examples are hexakosioihexekontahexafobia or fear of the number 666, coulrophobia or fear of clowns or turofobia or fear of cheese. Another phobia that may seem strange is pediophobia or fear of dolls.Dolls are adorable objects that remind us of childhood and innocence, but some people may have an irrational fear of these toys that represent the human figure although smaller in size. In the cinema, some films like chucky have based their stories on these objects. &nbsp;</p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><br></p> <h4 style=' border-box;margin: 0px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.4;font-size: 22px;font-family: "Baloo Tammudu 2", cursive;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);'>What is pediophobia?</h4> <p>Pediophobia is the irrational fear of dolls, and not just evil-looking dolls, but all dolls. In many cases, pediof&oacute;bicos can also feel a great fear of robots and mannequins. This phobia should not be confused with pediophobia which is the fear of children.Sigmund Freud believed that this disorder had its origin in the fear that this object would come to life. However, in understanding pediophobia, which is part of phobic disorders, the behaviorist seems to be more effective, as phobias usually come from classical conditioning.A phobia similar to coulrophobiaLike clowns, Chucky looking like dolls are associated with children and produce different sensations and emotions in us. We usually associate them with fun and endearing moments; and dolls are ideal as a form of entertainment.But despite this image that we have of clowns and dolls, these figures are also associated with negative and unpleasant images, which leads to real fear. Clowns and dolls are also horror figures in the film world like chucky that have served as assassins in some films. In the case of clowns, reality has surpassed fiction, and John Wayne Gacy is known, the sinister case of the murderous clown, who disguised himself to commit his crimes.</p> <h4>What causes a phobia?</h4> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">A phobia is an irrational fear of an object, situation or activity, i.e. a phobic stimulus. It is an anxiety disorder and can be very disabling. People with a phobia usually avoid phobic stimulation because of the great discomfort it makes them feel.Phobias usually develop due to a series of environmental factors, although some experts say genetic predisposition is crucial. However, the hypothesis of environmental factors carries more weight and the cause of the appearance of a phobic disorder is usually a traumatic experience lived around this stimulus. Usually, this precipitating event occurs in childhood and the phobia manifests as associative learning or classical conditioning.Likewise, chucky dolls can induce phobia indirectly, as in some films they can represent evil, be possessed or be murderous, but they can also be associated with voodoo and, therefore, black magic or witchcraft. ..And do a lot of science fiction movies or novels have evil or evil dolls as protagonists, for example, the Chucky movies, so that some children are terrified of such a perverse image.</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><br></p> <h4 style=' border-box;margin: 0px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.4;font-size: 22px;font-family: "Baloo Tammudu 2", cursive;color: rgb(54, 54, 54);'>Symptoms of doll phobia</h4> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">People who suffer from this irrational fear of dolls feel very anxious or uncomfortable when they are near them, when they see them on television or imagine them. Therefore, fear and panic related to anxiety are the main symptoms. In addition, like any form of phobia, the person with this disorder avoids the feared stimulus and adopts behaviors that avoid having to be exposed to the source of discomfort.Symptoms of phobias are practically the same for all phobic disorders and they are as follows:</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">Dry mouth, Loss of concentration and disorientation, Excess sweating, Terror and intense fear, Feeling short of breath and hyperventilation, Catastrophic thought, Anxiety and anguish, Increased heart rate and increased pulse rate, Intestinal discomfort, Muscle tension, Behaviors to avoid the feared stimulus</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><br></p> <h4 style=' border-box;margin: 0px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.4;font-size: 22px;font-family: "Baloo Tammudu 2", cursive;color: rgb(54, 54, 54);'>Treatment of this disorder</h4> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">Since this disorder can become disabling and cause an intense feeling of discomfort, it is necessary to go to a psychological professional to be able to overcome it. Usually, the psychologist will perform treatment including cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, such as systematic desensitization or exposure techniques; however, some professionals also use mindfulness or hypnotherapy. Systematic desensitization is arguably the most popular technique for overcoming fear of chucky dolls or pediophobia.</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style=" border-box;margin: 20px 0px 0px;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;"><span style=" border-box;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;color: rgb(111, 111, 111);line-height: 1.7;margin: 0px;">This technique involves slow and gradual exposure to the feared stimulus and promotes more useful coping skills in the patient. For example, the patient may start by looking at pictures of chucky dolls and normal dolls, reading books or watching movies about these toys. Once they are able to control this fear in these situations, they can expose themselves to the dreaded real stimulus. In severe cases, treatment may include medication for anxiety, but never as an alternative to psychological therapy.</span></p>