What is fear of the dark
Our fundamental fear is the fear of death.
. This emotion is decisive for many of our other fears.
Even fears that seem to have nothing to do with death are determined by this feeling. If everything is clear with the fear of heights (you can fall from the balcony and get killed), then, for example, the fear of your superiors at first glance has nothing to do with leaving for another world (unless your boss is a tough mafioso, and you are his henchman).
If you build a logical chain (made your boss angry - lost your job - lack of money - died from hunger and cold), then many phobias can be linked to the fear of passing on to another world.
Fear of the dark is much more clearly related to the fear of death than negative emotions from communicating with superiors.
Despite the fact that “fear has big eyes,” we see poorly in the dark. The organs of hearing and smell cannot fully replace vision. Therefore, our primitive ancestors were distrustful of the darkness, from where an enemy or predator could unexpectedly appear.
Now this “greetings from the past” only interferes with living in everyday life. If sensitive listening to night noises is easy to justify if you spend the night in the forest, then what danger can lurk in a dark corner of your own apartment?
Manifestation of achluophobia in children
It is as a child that a person first encounters the fear of the dark - achluophobia. It manifests itself due to emotional instability and overdeveloped imagination.
Factors influencing the development of fear of the dark:
- being alone in a dark room;
- absence of a parent during moments of panic;
- overly demanding parents;
- presence of fear of the dark in one of the parents;
- excessive care and anxiety among parents;
- single-parent family;
- conflicts in the family;
- unfavorable living conditions;
- individual character traits.
Left completely alone at night, the child begins to invent the appearance of terrible monsters and strange objects. A feeling of danger arises, developing into a fear of the dark. This feeling is so strong that the baby may ask his parents not to turn off the light or stay with him until he falls asleep. Ignoring fear of the dark can lead to insomnia and depression.
If by adolescence the fear of the dark has not passed, you should consult a psychologist. When a child is unable to overcome his fear of the dark, the problem can develop into achluophobia.
There are many reasons for the development of fear of the dark in a teenager, including:
- experienced feeling of fear due to watching a horror film;
- a previously experienced unpleasant situation;
- possible fear.
If parents notice in time the development of pathological manifestations of fear of the dark, then it will be much easier to eliminate the problem in childhood. The psyche of a young child is more flexible and much easier to treat by a psychotherapist. Thanks to modern methods of combating phobias, children undergo treatment very favorably. Psychologists conduct game trainings in which the child is actively involved and completes assigned tasks. If you do not seek help in time, the harbingers of nightmares can trigger the development of psychosis.
Causes of fear of the dark
Fortunately, not everyone is afraid of unlit places. And those who have problems with it often got it in childhood or as a result of fear in adulthood.
Stress is one of the conditions for our development and reaching a new level. Therefore, we all learn fear at an early age, including the dark. This is one of the stages of awareness of the possibility of death. And much in our future life depends on how successfully we move through this stage.
And smart parents will always support their child in his difficult “relationships” with dark corners.
Unfortunately, many mothers and fathers (not to mention grandparents) often dampen a child's curiosity with a variety of horror stories. “Don’t go there, a scary old man lives there.” And they don’t think that this “baby”, superimposed on the fear of the dark, can stay with their child for life and determine many of life’s phobias and failures.
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In adult life, fear can be born as a result of severe stress that could not be overcome without consequences. What is it worth getting stuck in a dark and cramped elevator for several hours? Under certain conditions, even for a non-faint-hearted person, the consequences can be far-reaching.
Let's talk about nyctophobia: how to get rid of the fear of the dark?
Once upon a time as a child, I was caught frivolously walking around the house late at night, committing acts of vandalism. It was well after midnight, the active child did not want to sleep, so I decided to play a little with my grandmother’s favorite hydrangeas. And in order not to punish me with a belt, she took a cunning route, telling a story about monsters who hunt naughty children in the dark. I valued fantasy highly, so at 25 I still eagerly listen to the sounds of the night, afraid to stick the tips of my ears out from under the blanket...
Why the story? Often the fear of the dark is irrational in nature and has its roots in childhood, when one carelessly thrown phrase, an unexpected fright or a frightening fairy tale can leave a deep imprint on the child’s soul, leading to the formation of a stable phobia in adulthood.
Causes of nyctophobia: what are we really afraid of?
In addition to traumatic childhood experiences, darkness makes us uncomfortable for other reasons. Have you noticed that human senses are poorly adapted to work in the dark? We see worse and cannot control what is happening around us, so the psyche switches to “danger” mode. Total ignorance activates the work of fantasy: what cannot be seen, the brain begins to complete in the imagination, trying to make the picture at least somewhat clear. As a result, in the elongated outlines of the shadows we begin to see the faces of terrible monsters, and in the creaking of the neighbor’s floorboards, our consciousness catches the steps of thieves, preparing to repel the attack.
Is it possible to overcome the fear of the dark and relax? Making darkness a friend rather than an enemy? Let's figure it out.
5 Sure Ways to Get Rid of the Fear of the Dark
At some point, I was terribly tired of covering my head with a blanket and counting a little count to get from the switch to the bed. Therefore, I soberly assessed the chances of winning and decided to overcome my childhood fears at all costs. How did I make friends with the darkness? Here are some effective ways.
Find the very reason for nyctophobia
They say that in order to get rid of fear, you need to look into its face and understand what exactly you are so afraid of. For example, I had a friend who hated nights only because she felt loneliness more, fearing that no one needed her. Someone has had the experience of a night robbery or even violence, but the subconscious does not let go. Well, my reason lay in a simple children's horror story. Awareness of this fact took away some of the power of fear, making it stupid and comical.
Find the real reason. Are you afraid of thieves? Check your locks more carefully or install an alarm system. Do you love horror films or detective stories about paranormal phenomena? Think about the cost of vivid emotions for your psyche; maybe it’s better to watch something calmer? Finally, if a particular noise is alarming, find its source and eliminate it.
Create the most comfortable sleeping conditions
So that nothing would spur my imagination, I removed unnecessary objects from the bedroom, hung thick blinds on the windows and began to ventilate the room before going to bed. After all, what they say is true: the more oxygen, the better the sleep! If you have nightmares, make sure your feet are warm, don’t overeat fatty foods at night, and, of course, go to bed before 11 p.m. Although I myself often stay up until late at night, a good night’s sleep really has some kind of magic.
Get into bed in the right mood
It is quite difficult to get a pleasant feeling from sleep when you are scrolling through one negative thing in your head. To stop throwing mental gum out of worries and grievances, I made it a rule to end the evening only on a positive note. A couple of episodes of your favorite comedy series, a book with a happy ending, listening to upbeat musical compositions and the obligatory ritual of life-giving hugs with loved ones - all this has a calming effect. Another option is to put relaxation songs into your phone, put headphones in your ears and go to Morpheus with a smile. It really works!
Learn to relax your body and mind
In addition to external attributes, I advise you to resort to the practice of meditation before bed. Do you love yoga and know how to enjoy silence? Use it. I myself have not studied life-giving hosannas in practice, but I cope well with stress in an alternative way: an hour of sports activities to relieve muscle tension from sedentary work, half an hour of bliss in a bath with aromatic oils, and then a cup of soothing herbal tea from chamomile, mint, rosehip, barberry or valerian root. Such mixtures perfectly fight insomnia, having a noticeable calming effect on the body. It’s also a good idea to pamper yourself with self-massage, the effect is amazing.
Master the practice of calming breathing
If fear is stronger than you, put a night light in your room to help you control the situation, or learn the practice of deep breathing. As soon as you feel the fear creep up in your throat too much, begin to slowly and deeply inhale air through your sinuses, so that you fill your entire lungs with it. Breathe deeply for about five minutes until you completely saturate your body with oxygen, and fear will surely subside.
What to do if a child is afraid of the dark?
Try to track in your memory the moment after which the baby began to be afraid: a carelessly spoken phrase, watching a scary movie, fright? Do not make fun of your child’s fantasies under any circumstances; this is serious for him, and you are the closest person he can trust. The first thing that is best to do is to let the baby understand that he is not alone, you are nearby, so you can always protect him. Second, buy a toy that will guard his dreams, and also leave the night light on. Third, lull him to sleep with positive stories that will help him overcome his fear of monsters in the dark.
Finally, if the phobia is too serious and you can’t cope on your own, I recommend not delaying the moment and seeking help from a specialist. Who knows what constant stress can lead to. Take care of your psyche!
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This fear keeps us from being reckless
And anxiety, and greedy listening to loud sounds, and fears - all these feelings are generated by the self-defense mechanism. These fears place limits on reckless behavior. Imagine what would happen to a person if he went for a walk in the African savannah on a dark night? Giant predatory cats sneak up silently, and at the same time they have a sensitive sense of smell and acute vision, allowing them to navigate in the dark. Not a single person (even if it was Usain Bolt himself) would have had a single chance of salvation. It turns out that our night terrors are justified from an evolutionary point of view.
How to stop a child from being afraid of the dark. Why are children afraid of the dark?
Svetlana Roiz
Fear of the dark is one of the “age-related fears.” A child of about 1.5–2 years old may feel anxious in the dark. At the age of 4–5 years, fear may manifest itself more strongly, then subside.
Around 7 years of age there may be an “exacerbation”. The child stops walking along the dark corridor, is afraid to stay in the room alone, or sleep without a night light. Sometimes children are afraid to close their eyes “because it’s dark.”
After developing a fear of the dark, literally three months to six months later, a child may begin to ask questions about death (and it is important for us to prepare for these questions). This is the age of active development of the fantasy sphere. The time of “hyperactivity” of the right hemisphere of the brain, which distinguishes “all signals”, sees everything, hears everything, and still lacks the functions of the left hemisphere of the brain for analysis and explanation.
Symptoms
Nyctophobia manifests itself in children, in addition to crying and hysterics, by physiological reactions of the body:
- heart rate increases;
- stomach cramps appear, including vomiting;
- muscle weakness occurs, the child becomes lethargic;
- The child may lose his voice or begin to stutter.
Also, symptoms of scotophobia include poor, anxious sleep and nightmares.
What is the fear aimed at?
A person is afraid not so much of the dark, but of what he thinks is hidden in it. Due to the fact that we cannot see well in an unlit room, our brain perceives this as a danger signal
, imagination draws what is not there.
The person begins to feel insecure
and weaknesses.
He expects something that won't happen. Every rustle frightens and drives you into panic.
This condition can lead to pseudohallucinations - imaginary images
will begin to see each other in reality.
What is nyctophobia?
Nyctophobia (less commonly achluophobia
) - pathological fear of darkness, night time, dark rooms.
Many people believe that such fear is only inherent, but this is not so.
Most adults are embarrassed to admit it.
. Nyctophobia is one of the most common fears; people of completely different ages suffer from it. 10% of the population experiences paralyzing terror when in a dark room.
This phobia can accompany a person exclusively in childhood, and later simply disappear on its own. It happens that a person has never been afraid of the dark in his life, but suddenly he becomes afraid.
But most often, nyctophobia haunts people from childhood, and in older age it only intensifies. As a rule, it is much easier for children to get rid of a phobia; in adults, fears become more serious.
