Nothing good can happen when you can't see clearly or at all. But I've also spent ample time in a therapist's chair and psychoanalyzing myself, and I've come to the conclusion that at least one other valid reason for my fear of the dark has to do with not feeling in control.
When I can't see while moving from room to room because I am trapped in the dark, I feel like I've lost control of my surroundings and the situation feels out of my hands.
There's no ability for me to achieve clarity not even my progressive eyeglasses can help in this case and restore my sight. At least, it feels that way. Sure, I could technically do a dance of feeling around for edges of the environment until I reach the light switch or doorway—but the dark is also paralyzing when you are thiiiis frightened.
Many children do simply outgrow their fear of the dark. But really, a fear of the dark has no age, and this is especially the case if the phobia was never treated as a kiddo, says Terri Bacow , PhD, a clinical psychologist in New York City. An untreated phobia can persist through adulthood thanks to a little something called avoidance. The more you stay away from a feared object or situation, such as refusing to go to the black basement at all costs, the more likely you are to maintain this phobia.
Also potentially at fault for an ongoing fear like this? A traumatic experience as an adult that either led to or made you revisit a particular fear, such as getting trapped in a dark elevator for hours. Some psychoanalytic writers believe that fear of the dark may be related to separation anxiety from a primary attachment figure, a phenomenon that is detailed further in a analysis on attachment and fear arousal published in the journal Psychoanalytic Dialogues.
Symptoms of nyctophobia vary from person to person and according to the severity of a particular case. In general, symptoms of nyctophobia include:. Symptoms of more severe cases of nyctophobia include:. Nyctophobia has some diagnostic criteria that are common to all phobias, which distinguishes them from simple fears.
The goal of therapy is to challenge fearful beliefs about the dark and reduce the severity of symptoms one experiences due to that fear. Many techniques for nyctophobia treatment are drawn from the cognitive-behavioral school of therapy. The treatment plan your therapist suggests for you or your child may include:. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Levos J, Zachilli TL. Nyctophobia: from imagined to realistic fears of the dark.
Psi Chi J Psychol Res. Slade A. While anxiety is deeply rooted in our psyche, it is not entirely instinctive. We also learn fear and anxiety responses from our parents. If a small child is frightened of an new or unknown object and its mother responds in a calming manner, the kid learns that the item is not a threat. If the parent responds with apprehension herself, however, the child's fears are confirmed and enhanced. This allows for offspring to rapidly learn of the dangers around themselves without actually having to be bitten by snakes, mauled by lions, or be electrocuted by a penny in the wall socket while simultaneously figuring out that everything from leaves and small rocks to thunder and scary scenes on TV aren't actual threats.
It's quite a beautiful system, really. This subtle gnawing emotion has been honed and refined over millennia by both nature and nurture into a vital survival response that remains as useful in the modern world as it did in the Neolithic.
Sure, the environmental cues have adapted somewhat, with anxiety over social interactions and property replacing those over finding shelter and not starving to death, but the basic threat response remains: Make sure you get yours live to reproduce another day. The fear of the dark, and by extension the fear of the unknown, are simply there to make sure you don't ever forget it.
The A. Relaxation treatment includes things like deep breathing and exercise. It can help people manage the stress and physical symptoms related to their phobias. If you suspect that your or your child has nyctophobia, there are many resources where you might find help. Contacting your doctor or a psychologist is a good first step toward getting treatment.
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