I have always had an intense fear of mascots and clowns and now with all of the clown sightings and violent acts perpetrated by people dressed like clowns I am honestly so afraid I feel like all of my fears are being validated right now and I'm afraid to be alone anywhere I'm afraid to go to sleep I'm shaking right now my stomach is upset and I am just so afraid and my biggest fear now is that mascots will start doing it too because I am even more afraid of mascots than clowns and idk I just feel so sick and scared what can I do???
-
We are a multilingual website again. Read the notice about this.
-
Understand AI use at MyPTSD: all AI use is explained in our AI help page. AI use is by choice here. It exists if you want it, but does nothing unless you choose to use it.
Mascot and clown phobia and current events in us
- Post starter Leisel
- Start date
- Status
Had similar one to my younger brother's & father's stellar obsession with clowns & then things that terrified me coupled with a lot of other obsessed violent psychos -
Is there anything where clowns and mascots would be safe, in a safe setting?
I started small. Thinking of clowns until I could think of the thoughts of looking at one.
Looking at one on the image I could perfectly well rip to pieces any time I wished.
When done looking at images, looking at moving images, from multiple angles.
Changing the time of the day & circumstances I was viewing those, until I stopped associating clowns=danger with all the variations of other factors that triggered me to the original traumata.
Then, safe with the images, even if they move and surprise me and startle me and make me attack 'em, approaching a clown toy. It's a stuffed thing, it can't hurt me. It's a stuffed thing, I can soo retaliate. Months of hilarious exposure & treating clowns as a mortal enemy.
Ok, got this one. Now going to the mannequins in public spaces. They just stand there. They're not moving. Suck it, McDonalds, you're not getting to me, I'm getting my burger and skyjetting out of there. Good me, I got this, I'm awesome hunter, who got the goddamn burger in peace. Shakiness for half of the day followed. :D Doing it again, until manequins are safe.
Then approaching costumed people. Then and only then, and for very short meets. Helloo. You actually look kinda cute in that costume. Nah, you don't, you look trash, but I'm not telling you, I'm looking for the cute parts. Okay. Hey, this hair dye is actually pretty interesting, where did you get this.
Followed by generalizing that. People, even if clowns, are not by default unsafe. True, they're also not safe... but it's not the same phobia. Just people being people.
So start small, baby bits, before baby steps.
Is there anything where clowns and mascots would be safe, in a safe setting?
I started small. Thinking of clowns until I could think of the thoughts of looking at one.
Looking at one on the image I could perfectly well rip to pieces any time I wished.
When done looking at images, looking at moving images, from multiple angles.
Changing the time of the day & circumstances I was viewing those, until I stopped associating clowns=danger with all the variations of other factors that triggered me to the original traumata.
Then, safe with the images, even if they move and surprise me and startle me and make me attack 'em, approaching a clown toy. It's a stuffed thing, it can't hurt me. It's a stuffed thing, I can soo retaliate. Months of hilarious exposure & treating clowns as a mortal enemy.
Ok, got this one. Now going to the mannequins in public spaces. They just stand there. They're not moving. Suck it, McDonalds, you're not getting to me, I'm getting my burger and skyjetting out of there. Good me, I got this, I'm awesome hunter, who got the goddamn burger in peace. Shakiness for half of the day followed. :D Doing it again, until manequins are safe.
Then approaching costumed people. Then and only then, and for very short meets. Helloo. You actually look kinda cute in that costume. Nah, you don't, you look trash, but I'm not telling you, I'm looking for the cute parts. Okay. Hey, this hair dye is actually pretty interesting, where did you get this.
Followed by generalizing that. People, even if clowns, are not by default unsafe. True, they're also not safe... but it's not the same phobia. Just people being people.
So start small, baby bits, before baby steps.
GrayOwl
Gold Member
Avoidance is probably a good starting point. I know I suggest the obvious, but, truly, it is. There also is truly nothing wrong with that. Plan your schedule and your day around avoiding those things and not being in areas where they may appear or be present.
Reintroduce some security in your life and your environment by feeling more confident that you are NOT where they ARE.
I definitely think some therapy sessions could help.
Redirect. If, and when, these things enter your environment, I find it helpful to redirect my vision and train of thought away from the triggering item. It is sometimes difficult as it seems that I have an almost morbid obsession to stare and engage and increase the phobia and triggering event when I know they, or "it" is "there". But I am getting better conditioned to dealing with it when those events do occur. I cannot envision and avoid every single possible triggering event. I recently knew I was going into a potentially triggering environment and yes, I did have several acute encounters,. Acute by my definition, probably not by anyone else's. My advance preparation did allow me to concentrate my redirection sharply away from the triggers and get past the situation a little better than I had expected. But I was also better prepared for the aftermath, knew I would be tense and emotional, and allowed myself to accept that and slowly unwind. I did take a quiet time, meditate, and nap afterward to help overcome the emotional stress of the encounter. I accept today, for the most part, that I have this, and can find ways to mitigate the damage, and recompose quicker afterward.
In some ways it is like a cancer. I suppose. Not happy that I have it. It's not normal, or for lack of a better term, average. But many people have fears and phobias of something. And I have one also. I accept it. I don't like it. I treat it as best I can. I can research it on the internet, find little things that help. Also my wife is well aware of it and very supportive. Perhaps have a support person to talk this over with or lean on if possible? I would think a dog might pick up on your discomfort level and be very supportive?
Thank you for being open and honest and sharing. That is truly a great direction and a great start in dealing with phobias. I am certainly not an expert. But in a moment of extreme triggering, it is very very real and very very frightening. I hope you can find ways of coping and de-stressing. Again, thanks for sharing.
Reintroduce some security in your life and your environment by feeling more confident that you are NOT where they ARE.
I definitely think some therapy sessions could help.
Redirect. If, and when, these things enter your environment, I find it helpful to redirect my vision and train of thought away from the triggering item. It is sometimes difficult as it seems that I have an almost morbid obsession to stare and engage and increase the phobia and triggering event when I know they, or "it" is "there". But I am getting better conditioned to dealing with it when those events do occur. I cannot envision and avoid every single possible triggering event. I recently knew I was going into a potentially triggering environment and yes, I did have several acute encounters,. Acute by my definition, probably not by anyone else's. My advance preparation did allow me to concentrate my redirection sharply away from the triggers and get past the situation a little better than I had expected. But I was also better prepared for the aftermath, knew I would be tense and emotional, and allowed myself to accept that and slowly unwind. I did take a quiet time, meditate, and nap afterward to help overcome the emotional stress of the encounter. I accept today, for the most part, that I have this, and can find ways to mitigate the damage, and recompose quicker afterward.
In some ways it is like a cancer. I suppose. Not happy that I have it. It's not normal, or for lack of a better term, average. But many people have fears and phobias of something. And I have one also. I accept it. I don't like it. I treat it as best I can. I can research it on the internet, find little things that help. Also my wife is well aware of it and very supportive. Perhaps have a support person to talk this over with or lean on if possible? I would think a dog might pick up on your discomfort level and be very supportive?
Thank you for being open and honest and sharing. That is truly a great direction and a great start in dealing with phobias. I am certainly not an expert. But in a moment of extreme triggering, it is very very real and very very frightening. I hope you can find ways of coping and de-stressing. Again, thanks for sharing.
I don't know if this will make you feel any better, but I'm 99% sure all this clown stuff is actually a promotional stunt for a horror film. I don't think there actually have been any violent acts, have there? Just threats and menacing behavior. To me, it seems like some really elaborate marketing scheme. If these clowns were really out to hurt people, they'd have already done so. They're about the publicity, not real violence.
I don't know if that helps. I hope it does!
I don't know if that helps. I hope it does!
We have had a few clowns in our area. I thought it might help to hear a version of events without the media sensationalizing it.
Here, they were all teens doing stuff they thought was cool. Some of the stuff they did was scary. In the end, I think that they were in more danger than they posed to the people around them. Once the police were made aware of their presence, they kept an eye out for clowns. The police talked to the ones here and confirmed that they were dumb teenagers and gave them warnings.
Here, they were all teens doing stuff they thought was cool. Some of the stuff they did was scary. In the end, I think that they were in more danger than they posed to the people around them. Once the police were made aware of their presence, they kept an eye out for clowns. The police talked to the ones here and confirmed that they were dumb teenagers and gave them warnings.
In my state, it's considered a felony if you are above age 18 to run around in a mask harassing people. We recently had two teenagers running around in clown masks in my area chasing the littler kids at their school bus stops. It was so ridiculous. Parents were freaking out and keeping their kids home from school because of it. I mean I understand completely, with all the shootings, you never know when something is just a joke anymore. Well, they arrested the two teens and we haven't seen any clowns since. Our police department has really cracked down on the clown stuff.
My theory was it's Halloween time, and those teens probably aren't in high school anymore and are bored with nothing to do. Scaring little kids is by no means ok, and they should be stopped, but I don't think it's anything serious to worry about.
My theory was it's Halloween time, and those teens probably aren't in high school anymore and are bored with nothing to do. Scaring little kids is by no means ok, and they should be stopped, but I don't think it's anything serious to worry about.
- Status
Similar posts
Donation drives
Trending content
-
-
What Are You Feeling Today? Not Thinking, Rather Feeling! Can You Identify Yours?
- goingonhope
Comments: 34K -
-
-
-
