Each of us feels confident only when we are able to control the situation. However, there are cases when, under certain circumstances, control is lost and a sense of danger and defenselessness is clearly manifested. It is for these reasons that almost every person has at least one phobia.
Being in a dark room, it is impossible to control everything. Nothing is visible, there is a feeling of vacuum and isolation from the world. In such a situation, every rustle is perceived as more terrible than it is. It's the fear of the dark. What is the name of the disease? We will talk about this in the article.
What is nyctophobia?
What is the name of the fear of the dark? There is such a term as nyctophobia. This is the fear of night and rooms without lighting. Simply put, this term refers to the familiar fear of the dark. A phobia can appear at any time in life, and it depends on the richness of the person's fantasy and certain negative events.
Almost all of us are afraid of the dark to some extent. This factor isgenetics, since in a darkened environment, vision weakens, the ability to distinguish even surrounding objects disappears.
What is the reason for fear of the dark?
Nyctophobia most often occurs in childhood and adolescence. However, adults suffer from it no less. Nothing occurs in nature without a reason. Fear of the dark is no exception to the rule. Factors causing fear in the dark:
- Genetic factor. As mentioned earlier, the fear of the dark is passed down on a subconscious level from generation to generation. In the old days, people were even less protected and, of course, every night it was required to be in special tension, the risk of attack increased.
- Children's fears. Often, parents try to calm the child down by scaring them with made-up horror stories and fictional creepy characters. Therefore, being alone in the room, the baby begins to see the worst in the dark.
- Priority of sight. With the help of smell, touch, taste, hearing, we can study the surrounding space. But it is thanks to vision that a person receives the maximum amount of information from the outside world. In the dark, vision ceases to be a faithful assistant in studying the situation, and other senses are not enough to draw up a complete picture of what is happening.
- Based on the previous paragraph, the next reason is the unknown. Fear has big eyes, and almost everyone in a similar situation will begin to imagine the worst.
- Situations involving darkness that left strongpsychological imprint in memory. Perhaps there was an attack at night, an attempted robbery, a person or someone close to him was seriously injured. Associations with events in the past appear involuntarily, constantly reminding of themselves.
- The imaginative factor. The brain begins to take faintly visible objects in the dark for something frightening. Perhaps a horror movie was turned on before bed. No wonder, then, that an open closet door can, with the help of imagination, turn into a fearsome Freddy Krueger.
- Stressful condition. Under the influence of problems in life and strenuous attempts to cope with them, the psyche gives up. Remaining alone with himself, a person plunges into his problems and fears. This can also lead to nyctophobia.
- Lack of essential nutrients to maintain emotional stability.
- Fear of death. There is a connection between darkness and something otherworldly.
Signs of nyctophobia
To correctly identify the presence of a strong fear of the dark, you need to know the symptoms that occur when you are in adverse dark conditions. It is very important to detect signs in a child in time to provide prompt psychological assistance.
Main symptoms of a phobia
Any phobia (including fear of the dark) differs from mild anxiety in a list of symptoms. In this case, nyctophobia is characterized by:
- Intense state of terror, escalating into violent panic. Accompanied by impulsive actions. A person can run out of the room withcries for help.
- Jumping blood pressure.
- Increased heart rate.
- The occurrence of a sharp headache.
- Spastic pain in the stomach.
- Excessive sweating and tremors in the limbs.
- Loss of voice, wheezing, stuttering.
- Presyncope, muscle weakness.
Nyctophobia in adults
According to statistics, every 10th adult suffers from fear of the dark. And this is not a simple discomfort, but a panic horror. There are cases when an individual is forced to sleep with the lights on all his life. However, most nyctophobes hide their fear due to fear of judgment and ridicule from others.
Fear of the dark in adults, like other phobias, is a dangerous fear. Over time, it can flow into more serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. When symptoms of nyctophobia appear, it is necessary to consult a psychologist. In adults who suffer from fear of the dark, often such a reaction is associated with experiences of the past, negative events. A psychologist will help you choose an individual treatment that will have a beneficial moral impact.
Fear of the dark in children
At a young age, it doesn't take much to develop a phobia. Almost 80% of children suffer from this disease - fear of the dark. Even at a very tiny age, the child is afraid to be left alone in the crib without parental care. The fact of loneliness, defenselessness, fear of being abandoned is of great importance in the representation of the baby.
PoAccording to statistics, children from dysfunctional families and those who do not have brothers or sisters are most susceptible to the manifestation of nyctophobia. An interesting fact is that it is the child whose parents at one time also suffered or suffer from a fear of the dark are often worried about phobias.
Nyctophobia is also common in adolescence. Due to the transitional age, low self-esteem, conflicts with peers, misunderstanding with the older generation, dissonance with oneself, a stress factor arises. Imagination starts to work negatively.
How to get rid of a phobia?
Nyctophobia is not the fear of the dark itself, but the fear of what it can hide. A phobia lives in the mind of a person, and only he is able to get rid of fear.
Independent ways to deal with nyctophobia
There are several techniques to help manage your condition:
- The first thing to do is to determine the cause of the fear. The darkness itself will not cause harm, and each of us understands this. There are a number of possible causes that contribute to the development of fear. A person is only required to penetrate into the depths of his subconscious, to explore all the events that could lead to a phobia. Knowing the cause of panic in the dark is the first and main step in the fight against the disease.
- You need to learn how to control the phobia. The main thing is the right mood and desire. If you imagine something after turning off the light, then stop imagining. Rationally think about what kind of object it canbe, remember the arrangement of furniture in the room, reassure yourself. It will be effective to use the technique of knocking out a wedge with a wedge. With a fictitious silhouette in the dark, imagine yourself as a hunter. Have a mental shadow fight in a creative way.
- The occurrence of a phobia and its manifestation is influenced by activities during the day. When providing yourself with positive emotions, going to bed will be much calmer. Helps in raising the mood watching comedy films, having fun, talking with nice people, doing your favorite hobby.
- Hide and seek items. To accustom the child to the dark and provide positive associations, you can arrange a game with the search for toys. Hide them in bright and dark places, alternating light changes.
- Relatives and friends will help in the fight against phobia. It is the people you trust who can suggest a way out, contribute to self-knowledge and the fight against complexes. Heartfelt conversations allow you to feel the support of important people, their interest in this issue.
- You should clearly define the goal to which you will strive. Find strong motivation. Browse the Internet for articles or videos about people who also once suffered from the fear of the dark, but got rid of fears. Take an example from a bright multimedia personality or the hero of a book. In this case, imitation in moderation is only welcome.
- You can try to face fear. Spend at least a couple of minutes initially in a dark room, control the desire to run away. After a certain time after the repetition of the procedureYou will realize that nothing terrible has happened. If no one from the darkness has harmed you, then you should not be afraid.
- It will be very effective for a child to write a story in which the main character, similar to your baby, fights fear. It is advisable to first show the acting personality of the tale as a coward, but with time gaining courage and courage. In the end, of course, everything should end well.
Methods of a psychotherapist
If the symptoms of nyctophobia do not stop bothering you, and you cannot cope with fear on your own, then you need to seek help from a qualified psychologist. The doctor can offer several ways to get rid of fear, fear of the dark:
- Influence on cognitive-behavioral factors. The psychologist contributes to the discovery of hidden feelings, fears, memories, emotions of the patient. According to the behavior in moments of panic and the type of fantasy, the specialist will try to find the source of the phobia and eliminate it.
- Game method. They are used both in the treatment of children and in getting rid of phobias in adults. In the process, the doctor modulates a certain stressful situation in which the nyctophobe needs to find a way out. To help the patient, the psychologist leads to specific answers using specific questions, facts, and examples.
- The expression of fears through creativity. Sometimes a person cannot express his feelings in words, but he does it very well with the help of drawing, modeling, versification, and so on. That's why it became popular.such a method of combating nyctophobia. The study of the patient is carried out by considering his works, in which the voice of the subconscious is expressed.
- Dive into darkness. The psychologist, by certain methods, mentally places a nyctophobe in a dark environment and is always present in the imagination nearby. Thanks to the support of the doctor and his right words, fear is being eliminated.
Consequences of nyctophobia
Scientists have become seriously interested in the fear of the dark, and have found some adverse effects on humans. The fact is that constant panic attacks cause a decrease in protein particles located at the ends of chromosomes. This fact leads to early aging and thus to a decrease in life expectancy.
Also, scientists studied the statistics of cardiovascular diseases in men and women. Direct relationships have been identified between phobia and early cases of heart attack or stroke. Also, constant stress adversely affects the endocrine and nervous systems.
Conclusion
Nyctophobia is a serious phenomenon. Do not ignore the manifestations of fear of the dark in children, and you should not be ashamed of your own fear. A timely appeal to a psychologist will help to improve life and get rid of unnecessary addiction. After getting rid of a phobia, you will prevent certain he alth problems in the future and improve your professional and personal life.
