Defining Pediophobia
The word “pediophobia” comes from the Greek wordpaidion,which means little child.
People with pediophobia fear interaction with dolls or other inanimate objects.
Even just seeing a humanlike object may cause severepanic.
Carol Yepes / Getty Images
The reaction and response can vary significantly from person to person.
In the United States, 12.5% of adults will experience a specific phobia in their lifetime.
Like most phobias, pediophobia can cause an array of mental and physical symptoms.
More research is needed to better understand the approach.
What Causes Pediophobia?
Other causes of pedophobia include indirect experiences that stimulate and arouse fear.
This may include horror films in which dolls are depicted in a negative, harmful, or terrifying way.
Halloween can also bring on intense fear.
Examining how you think can help you choose a different thought or response.
The SSRI drugs include:
The SNRI drugs include Effexor (venlafaxine) and Cymbalta (duloxetine).
This can be difficult when these encounters come up unexpectedly.
Summary
Pediophobia is a fear of dolls or inanimate, humanlike objects.
It may be resulting from a traumatic event or a negative exposure to dolls.
Treatment and coping methods are available.
Pediophobia can be treated similarly to other phobias, such as with therapy and/or medication.
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