What Is Pupaphobia

A phobia is a kind of anxiety disorder that can cause severe panic when someone comes into contact with or even thinks about their phobic trigger.¹ The trigger can be a place, an activity, a certain situation, or an object.¹

If you’ve ever felt dread, danger, or overwhelming fear when dealing with something other people do not find worrisome, you may have a phobia.

What is pupaphobia?

Pupaphobia is the fear of puppets,² closely linked to the fear of clowns (Coulrophobia) and the fear of dolls (Pediophobia).³ Pupaphobia is a kind of specific phobia where a person is anxious around a certain animal, activity, situation, or object.¹

It’s not surprising that some people have this fear - many horror films and books have explored just how frightening puppets can be. So if you or someone you care about has fear when it comes to puppets, you’re not alone!

There’s a lot more to pupaphobia than many people think. This article will look closer at pupaphobia, its causes, its effect on the lives of people who have it, and the ways it can be treated.

What causes pupaphobia?

It’s not known exactly why some people develop phobias. However, some circumstances (mostly encountered in childhood) make it more likely that a person will become phobic of something.

Phobias happen to people all over the world⁴ across all social classes and ages, though they are more common in women than men.⁵ Usually phobias become noticeable in someone’s late teens up to about twenty years old, but they can be present in childhood.⁴

People who suffer with phobias feel as if there is great danger around the things that they are phobic of, even if they know logically that they are safe.⁵ Their body reacts to this threat by releasing adrenaline, a hormone that is released when you are in a threatening situation. This means that the reaction they have to the phobia is very real and not just a normal worry.⁶

There are three main ways for a phobia to develop.

Learn response

Some people learn from people around them that something is dangerous early in life. For example, if a close friend or family member is extremely scared of something, then a child may notice this and become frightened of it themselves.¹ This can grow into a phobia over time, affecting the individual far into their adulthood.

Traumatic experiences

If someone has a bad experience when they’re young - for example, being scared by a puppet in a horror film - then they may learn to be very scared of that same thing happening again and therefore become phobic of that thing (in this case, being around puppets in general).^1,4

Genetics

Some people inherit a tendency to be more anxious from their parents. These people are more likely to develop a phobia.^1,4

Symptoms of pupaphobia

Every person with a phobia will experience their symptoms differently. These feelings may be physical, for example:⁷

• Feeling dizzy
• A need to leave or escape 
• Shaking
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Racing heartbeat
• Difficulty breathing
• Hyperventilating
• Stomachache
• Feeling too hot or too cold
• Dry mouth
• Ringing in the ears 

Other people may have mental symptoms like:⁷

• Feeling like you are about to die
• Dread
• Feeling as though you are about to faint
• Feeling as if you have lost control

Symptoms can come on when someone is in a situation with the trigger. Sometimes, people feel ill when they think about being in that sort of situation. Professionals call this anticipatory anxiety.¹ For example, someone could have an anxiety attack while picturing themselves at a children’s birthday party where there will be a puppet show.^1,4

The symptoms of pupaphobia can be severe. Coping with these problems can affect a person’s mental health, possibly causing anxiety and depression.⁴

Living with pupaphobia

It is thought that 9.1% of American adults currently have a specific phobia, 21.9% of whom found it had a serious impact on their life.⁸ Most people with a phobia know that they have one and make adaptations to their lives because of this.⁴ 

People with severe phobias may plan their daily lives around their phobia to reduce the risk of coming into contact with the trigger.¹ For example, someone with pupaphobia may avoid going to the beach in case there is a Punch and Judy show or going to the theatre if there is a chance there will be a puppet in the performance.

Social consequences

The precautions people take to avoid their trigger can affect their lives.^1,4 If they are worried that puppets will be around a situation, they may not feel able to attend due to the anxiety they feel over possibly coming across one.

This can lead to people missing out on family events or social gatherings, such as day trips or celebrations, if they cannot be sure they will feel safe. They may even worry about watching television in case a puppet appears on screen.

Professional consequences

People with pupaphobia may find it can affect their work life too. It could feel impossible for them to attend social events with colleagues or team-building days in case puppets are present.

Diagnosis

People often find phobias difficult or embarrassing to talk about. However, phobias will not usually improve over time unless they are treated.⁴ Getting diagnosed can often be the first step to conquering the phobia.

When to seek help

It is recommended that people seek help for a phobia if:

• The phobia is affecting someone’s daily life
• Panic attacks or recurring anxiety are caused by the trigger

If you are having trouble with the symptoms listed above, contact your GP for an appointment.¹ They can refer you on to specialist care with a professional who understands pupaphobia and can help you work through it.

Treatment

Some people with pupaphobia manage their phobia by avoiding puppets. However, avoiding the trigger can actually make a phobia worse,⁴ and so other treatments are recommended.

Counselling

Speaking to a mental health professional who is used to helping people with phobias can help you with pupaphobia.⁴

Cognitive behavioural therapy

Usually, your counsellor will help you by using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).⁹ CBT works on the idea that negative thoughts and actions can lead to a person becoming stuck in a negative spiral. It teaches you to cope with your problems by breaking them into smaller, manageable pieces, which allows you to break away from your negative spiral.¹

You can use these techniques to help you change the way you think about things, letting you reduce the fear you experience around puppets. This usually takes between six and twenty appointments with your mental health professional, and most appointments last half an hour to an hour.¹ The most common way this is done to help people with phobias is with Exposure Therapy.⁴

Exposure therapy means you will gradually get used to the thing that scares you and is thought to be the most effective treatment for phobias.¹⁰ You may start with just speaking to your counsellor about puppets. This can then move to you reading about puppets. Then you may look at pictures or puppets, and then videos. Eventually, you may even hold a puppet. This will gradually help you stop feeling anxious around them.⁹

CBT can work quite quickly, allowing you to see results in a short period of time. However, it does need quite a lot of input from the person undertaking the training. There may be times early in the process where you feel anxious, for example, when you first begin your exposure therapy, but it usually helps people with pupaphobia and other phobias.¹

Medications

Counselling is usually effective at treating phobias, so medication is not normally needed. However, medications may be prescribed to help with symptoms caused by the anxiety that comes with phobias.⁹ 

If your healthcare professional thinks it is appropriate, they may prescribe you:

• Antidepressants
• Tranquillisers
• Beta-blockers

These can help with symptoms like anxiety and a racing heartbeat. However, these medications can cause side effects such as sleep problems, headaches, and stomach problems. 

If you take antidepressants or tranquillisers, it is important that you do not stop taking these medications all of a sudden, as you may experience withdrawal symptoms.⁹ You must gradually reduce the medications with the help of your GP.

Self help

Some people improve their symptoms by themselves. There are several ways you can do this:

Lifestyle changes

Making basic changes to your daily routine can help you cope with the symptoms of pupaphobia. Things you can do include:¹¹

• Avoiding caffeine
• Exercise regularly
• Getting healthy amounts of sleep 
• Eating healthily 

These small adaptations can all help with phobia symptoms.

Relaxation techniques

You can follow certain relaxation aids to help with symptoms or phobias. These include: 

• Breathing exercises
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Progressive muscle relaxation 
• Mindfulness 

These methods have all been shown to relax people with phobias.⁴

What to do if your loved one has pupaphobia

People with phobias are often reluctant to explain them.⁴ They often understand that their worries are exaggerated,⁸ but the fear that they feel is still very real.

Try to listen to your loved one in a patient, non-judgemental way. This will allow them to explain how they feel and help you to understand what they are going through.⁴

You can tell them their options, as shown above. Perhaps even show them this article so that they can decide the best course of action for their particular circumstances.

Summary

Pupaphobia is a specific phobia where people are afraid of puppets. This can be caused by a learnt response, childhood trauma, or genetic factors.

It can cause anxiety and panic attacks, dizziness, nausea, upset stomach, racing heartbeat, faintness, sweating, and other symptoms. This can happen when someone is around, or even just thinks about puppets.

This may lead to someone planning their life around avoiding puppets and may affect their social and professional lives.

Diagnosis can help with pupaphobia. Treatments include talking therapies, including CBT and exposure therapy, medications, and self-help techniques like breathing exercises, mindfulness, yoga, and meditation.

If someone you know is affected by pupaphobia, try to be understanding and non-judgemental as they tell you about their symptoms, and you can guide them to helpful resources if they are open to this.