Pediophobia
the fear of dolls
Definition
- Unwarranted, irrational, persistent, worry of dolls
- Comes from word "paidion" which means little child in greek
- Effects adults and children
- This is an Automatonphobia- humans afraid of human like objects
Causes
- Intensely negative or traumatic incident connected to dolls
- Children have a hard time separating fantasy from reality --> dolls have staring eyes which can be considered scary to children
- Not considered phobia until it has been persistent for 6+ months
Symptoms
- Rapid breathing
- Elevated heartbeat
- Dry mouth
- Shivering, trembling
- Freezing on the spot
- Crying/Screaming
Treatment
- Hypnosis & desensitization
- Hypnosis- rationalization of fear, turns negative thoughts positive
- Desensitization- exposure to fear, familiarity with thing
Interesting facts
- There are no celebrities effected by this phobia