30 October 2023 , 11:56
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While most of us see the celebration of ghosts, ghouls, witches and haunted houses as just a bit of fun, for many it can be a divisive time of year that can result in people needing mental help, according to a top therapist.
Wendy Quinn, who's been tackling phobias at her Dublin clinic for 18 years, said the anxiety amongst some sufferers is often overwhelming. And while some people love the chaos of it all – the trick or treating, the scary costumes and tales of ghoulish goings on – it can prove too much for many others who find it genuinely terrifying.
Wendy says she has seen an increase since the start of the month in the number of her clients presenting with 'Samhainophobia' – the technical term for a fear of Halloween. And she says their phobias are often so intense they can feel traumatised at the prospect of putting on a costume or mask or even opening up their front door to trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.
Monsters and other things associated with the spooky season can aggravate phobias (AFP via Getty Images)And according to the Irish Star she said it's not the only anxiety disorder which rears its head at this time of year, as many people present with cases of nyctophobia [an extreme fear of the dark], wiccophobia [fear of witches], phasmophobia [fear of ghosts] and coulrophobia [fear of clowns]. She said sufferers can experience sleepless nights, extreme anxiety and panic attacks from the psychological issues connected to Halloween and the supernatural world and while they know that their phobia is irrational, they are unable to control how they feel.
Ms Quinn, who uses cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy to help sufferers, said: "Phobias relating to ghosts, clowns, spirits and Halloween are very real and are absolutely terrifying for those suffering from it. They affect both children and adults and can often stem from early memories of watching a horror movie or a visit to the circus in early childhood and being scared of a clown. Fictional characters like Pennywise, the killer clown in Stephen King's 'It', and
Queen honoured in London New Year's fireworks before turning into King Charles
in Batman, can trigger these fears and they can be debilitating for sufferers."
She added: "On the whole, the number of cases like this I deal with are relatively few, maybe an average of one or two every month. But the numbers always increase at this time of year as we get closer to Halloween, and in the past couple of weeks I've had about six calls. It's a dreadful phobia. In extreme cases sufferers can't sleep at all a few days before Halloween and their fears are likely to be triggered by the sound of fireworks or seeing someone wearing a mask. But thankfully these phobias can be treated very successfully, and through therapy sufferers can rid themselves of these fears permanently."