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You are here: Home / Phobias / Fear of Roller Coasters Phobia – Coasterphobia

Fear of Roller Coasters Phobia – Coasterphobia

By Jacob Olesen 23 Comments

Coasterphobia

Coasterphobia, as the name indicates, is an intense fear of roller coasters. The arrival of summer invariably means a trip or two to theme parks, none of which is complete without a ride on a Roller coaster. While most people enjoy the “thrills and the chills” roller coasters proffer, to a Coasterphobe, simply the sight of one is enough to bring on a full blown panic attack.

Fear of Roller Coasters Phobia - Coasterphobia

The fear of roller coasters is a fairly common phobia known to affect sizeable populations in developed countries. Often these individuals want to enjoy theme parks but the thought of encountering a roller coaster hinders their plans. While this phobia does not interfere with everyday life; it can cause one to be ridiculed, teased, or bullied by friends and family.

Causes of fear of roller coasters

It is believed that the first Roller coaster was developed in the 17th century in Russia. This was pretty basic in that; its slide was a thick layer of ice sheet mounted on some wooden stairs. The contraption became so popular that the famous Catherine The Great had several of these structures installed in her gardens. The more sophisticated wheel based roller coasters were later developed in France. These consisted of wood, sets of wheels and locked-in-tracks that were installed around many Parks.

The famous roller coaster “Cyclone”, built in Crystal Beach, Ontario in 1927 had a 97 foot drop with an 85 degree right turn. On this turn, people seemingly lost a lot of personal objects including purses, hats, false teeth etc. This was way before the era of lawsuits and one young man, who did not speak English, and did not adhere to the warning signs regarding “passengers’ dangling feet” posted near the Coaster, went to retrieve his hat after his ride. He was killed instantly by being struck-in the head by a woman’s dangling feet who also suffered from a fractured leg.

The Roller coasters of the modern times are much safer though more complex, evolved and state-of-the art. They are built using steel, mathematically calculated inclines, sophisticated powering systems and chain-lifts. They are also designed to have several loops, drops and twists so as to evoke intense physical and emotional reactions.

In fact; modern theme parks compete to have the “biggest, fastest, scariest and most extreme” Roller coasters. They are also named in ways that evoke fear: “Exterminator, Death Ride, Mind Eraser, Megaphobia” are some of the famous and most extreme coasters around the world. Many include ghosts, witches and other scary themes to enhance the experience. A person might not be scared of roller coasters per se, but might have an intense fear of Halloween or ghosts causing his Coasterphobia.

Propensity to motion sickness, an aversion or fear of heights (Acrophobia), fear of closed spaces (Claustrophobia) can also be related to the fear of Roller coasters phobia.

Many people, especially youngsters, believe that they should do something ‘out-of the ordinary’ once in a while to make them feel “more alive”. Indeed; roller coasters can help achieve this goal by creating the “heart-in-the-mouth” thrilling effect. While some people love such a feeling, to a person suffering from Coasterphobia, it can be a nightmare.

Coasterphobia is aggravated when a person is forced to ride the coaster as his fear is not taken seriously enough. His friends/family might laugh at his reactions like screaming, shaking and so on.

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Typically, a negative experience related to Roller coasters is the most likely trigger of this phobia. A person might have had an embarrassing reaction like vomiting, screaming hysterically and might have been ridiculed for it.

News reports and movies (Final Destination 3) showing accidents related to roller coasters can also evoke the fear of roller coaster in anxious people.

Symptoms of Coasterphobia

Modern roller coasters are safe, but to a phobic, even the sight of one can lead to plethora of symptoms such as:

  1. Dizziness, sweating, feeling nauseated
  2. Having thoughts of death or dying
  3. Shortness of breath, elevated heart rate

These symptoms might occur even as soon as the phobic stands in line for buying the tickets to the roller coaster. Enjoying a theme park becomes difficult for the phobic due to these symptoms.

Overcoming the fear

Roller coasters are designed to be safe, at the same time; they have to be high on their thrill factor. Experts like Dr. Michael Otto have worked extensively with Universal Studios to understand this phobia. He has proven, through his experiments, that Coasterphobia can be overcome through a combination of Gradual exposure and Cognitive behavior therapies.

Dr. Otto even taught techniques such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation to a group of people with intense Coasterphobia. Screaming to release one’s fears while deep breathing helped the phobics overcome the intense anxiety experienced while on the coasters.

Dr. Otto believes that Roller Coasters are an essential part of ‘Living the American Life”. Through his therapy he has helped many people overcome their fear of Roller coasters successfully.

Comments

  1. Aiden says

    October 16, 2022 at 3:37 pm

    My family doesn’t go on vacation very often, so I recently went on my first rollercoaster, and the motion was just too much for me. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a phobia, though.

    Reply
  2. finch says

    May 14, 2019 at 12:41 am

    I have had this fear my whole life and it is pretty intense

    Reply
  3. James says

    October 18, 2017 at 6:40 pm

    I have been suffering from this fear for a long time and i am ready to cure it but dont know how any suggestions

    Reply
  4. taeo says

    July 29, 2017 at 3:38 am

    I am going into 8th grade this year and at the end of the year school trip we are going to Canada’s wonderland. Ever since I heard I was going there I have been petrified and summer break is not even over yet.

    Reply
    • Iris Pierce says

      May 3, 2019 at 3:59 am

      I have a similar situation! I’m in 8th grade and at the end of this month, our class is taking a trip to 6 Flags. If you don’t know, 6 Flags is an amusement park in New Jersey that is known for their large and frightening roller coasters. I got my fear of coasters at the age of 8 after being forced onto one against my own will. It terrified me, and as I also have a fear of heights, that didn’t help the situation. My fear of falling just made matters so much worse. Anyways, my friends are all excited about our class trip, but I could care less about the rides. They know that the only reason I am going is for cotton candy. But I swear, I am so nervous that someone is going to force me onto a roller coaster, and if they do, I’ll most likely have flashbacks to 6 years ago. Wish me luck!!

      Reply
    • charlie says

      December 19, 2022 at 9:53 pm

      I love roller coasters. I’m sorry you’re scared of them!

      Reply
  5. Eiji K. says

    March 8, 2017 at 12:21 am

    Hello, my name is Eiji and I’ve been afraid of roller coasters for a long time. I used to love them, and I’d ride them all the time when I was younger. However, I’ve recently discovered that I cannot go on them, even the older and slower ones. I honestly don’t know why, but I can’t stand them at all. I can be near them and think about them, but I can’t physically ride them without panicking.

    Reply
  6. Jannah Vincent says

    January 15, 2017 at 3:13 am

    Im afraid of rollercoasters because of two reasons:
    I have the fear of death
    I have the fear of vomiting.

    Reply
    • Iris Pierce says

      May 3, 2019 at 4:01 am

      Wow. I’m also afraid for two reasons.
      I have a fear of heights.
      I have a fear of falling.

      Reply
  7. Christina says

    September 29, 2016 at 2:23 pm

    i am terrified of rollercoasters

    Reply
  8. Hassan Faal says

    July 8, 2016 at 10:19 pm

    I’ve always been afraid of hypercoasters and I don’t know how to get over it

    Reply
    • TreehousePiplup says

      December 21, 2016 at 11:36 pm

      Me too….. DX I hate it

      Reply
  9. LMB says

    June 21, 2016 at 10:11 pm

    Oh, yes, I am very scared of roller coasters. Have been ever since I was a kid.

    Reply
    • Will Blackin says

      October 3, 2017 at 9:33 pm

      How old are you?

      Reply
  10. akbar says

    April 25, 2016 at 9:28 am

    I’m scared of life..

    Reply
  11. Shaheen says

    April 14, 2016 at 8:32 am

    Hi Jacob. I have fear of giant wheels and roller coasters. Even the sight of them makes my heart pounding. I used to enjoy it when I was below 10 years and then in one ride I found intense butterflies in my stomach and that made me so scared that I don’t dare to step in that again. I feel like I will die and my heart will stop beating if I sit in the wheel. I fear that my body will not be able to handle that feeling.

    Reply
    • Daniela Vargas says

      July 3, 2016 at 8:16 am

      I feel exactly the same as you do Shaheen! I do not become scared of the sight of them, I actually love seeing them and I wish that I could ride them and enjoy them. But I hate the feeling I get (the extreme sensation of butterflies) when I ride them. That is why I am extremely scared of that sensation, I can only tolerate it so much.

      Reply
      • Alexia says

        April 13, 2019 at 11:57 pm

        Yeah I hate the extreme sensation of butterflies. You are not the only one.

        Reply
  12. Zalieka says

    December 1, 2015 at 4:59 am

    I’m terrified of roller coasters. My boyfriend is a roller coaster fanatic. I would love to ride them with him but I’m so scared of heights and the feeling of weightlessness. I definitely want to conquer this fear.

    Reply
    • Lily says

      July 13, 2016 at 8:05 pm

      Hi this might not apply to you but my friend also had a massive phobia of roller coasters but I made her close her eyes before we got there then got on with her and told her to open when we started so she couldn’t stop also trying to understand your fear works and more people die from car crashes than roller coasters hope this helps lily

      Reply
      • Jannah Vincent says

        January 15, 2017 at 3:15 am

        I know more people die from car crashes than roller coasters. exactly why i have a fear of both. (fear of driving/fear of roller coasters)

        Reply
  13. ryan says

    August 12, 2015 at 1:07 am

    I can’t stand roller coasters. I will literally get off the ride. I did at the end of this years field trip and I jumped off the ride in 6th grade and made my way to the exit.

    Reply
  14. shy says

    May 31, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    The comment about final destination 3 is so true. I’ve watched that movie like a million times and I got scared of those kinds of roller coasters, but I still love all other roller coasters.

    Reply

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