Are you afraid of clowns? If so you are not alone, a lot of adults are. In a group of 10 adults could you guess how many are scared of clowns? A fear of clowns, in person or in images, is a real thing, it's called coulrophobia. According to Cleveland Clinic, if clowns make you anxious, make your heart race, makes you nauseous, or make you sweat, you have a legitimate fear.

Most people can avoid clowns. Some need exposure therapy, a type of psychotherapy, to help manage their reactions to clowns and clown images.

Wait, what? EXPOSURE therapy? What the heck caused such fear? It had to have been something from early childhood, right? For the sake of allowing you to get to the meat of this article, I'll spare the clown pics and throw in photos of cute kittens instead.

Kitten
iStock
loading...
Rockford's New Country Q98.5  logo
Get our free mobile app

What Triggers A Fear Of Clowns?

Apparently, the fear could derive from innocent events like birthday parties and circuses. This begs the question of how aggressive the clowns were at these places. Other triggering factors include Halloween parties and horror movies, according to WebMD.

I don't have a fear of clowns per se but they can be a little cringe at haunted houses and such. I've grimaced a few times in the presence of a creepy clown a time or two. Most recently this happened when took a shortcut through a Rockford neighborhood. In fact, I had to turn around and go back to a house that caught my eye. It was chock-full of hideous nightmare-inducing clowns.

Townsquare Media
Townsquare Media
loading...
Townsquare Media
Townsquare Media
loading...
Townsquare Media
Townsquare Media
loading...

I don't want to reveal the physical address of this home but it is in the neighborhood near the Festival of Lights. You've likely passed this home while waiting to enter Sinnissippi Park during the wintertime event.

20 Halloween Costumes That Scream Yup, I'm From Illinois

10 Illinois Ghost Tours That Guarantee To Scare Your Pants Off

More From Rockford's New Country Q98.5