An adult is afraid of the dark. Nyctophobia - fear of the dark - causes, symptoms and treatment. Common fear or phobia

From time immemorial, humanity has experienced fears. They are associated with the instinct of self-preservation, with a feeling of horror in front of something unknown, mysterious and inexplicable. These include fear of the dark - a common phenomenon that often turns into a severe phobia. What is it expressed in and what are its causes? What could be the treatment for this pathology, and what is its nature?

Nyctophobia - fear of the dark

Fear of the dark in children and adults

Nyctophobia, achluophobia, scotophobia - this is what psychology calls the fear of dark rooms and the onset of night. The names came from Ancient Greece and became the basis for medical terms. Meanwhile, this phenomenon is not considered a disease when it comes to children. Why? According to statistics, the vast majority of children under the age of 10 one way or another showed fear of a dark room, which could go away on its own over the years and absolutely did not need behavioral correction. Children's fear of the dark is associated with their imagination and thoughts that there may be some kind of creature in the room. Often a child is simply afraid of the creatures he has invented, and his vivid imagination plays out especially strongly in the dark. This is rarely associated with a violation of the psyche and perception of reality, and over the years the baby will be able to overcome this.

Everything is completely different if we are talking about an adult. In this case, doctors diagnose nyctophobia - an irrational and strong fear of twilight and especially the night. The manifestations of such a disorder can be very different, but it is clear that this is a pathology that requires mandatory attention and help from specialists.

What is an achluophobe afraid of?

This disease means fear not so much of the dark, but of the fact that there, in an unlit room, someone will appear or has already appeared. The fear of intense darkness often gives rise to eerie images in a person’s mind that take on vivid outlines. The thought that there may be “evil” in a dark room horrifies a person and causes panic. As a rule, the patient is afraid of surprises that may await him in the darkness. As the condition worsens and the pathology develops, those who have this problem may experience even more terrible fear and a desire to run away from the room.

Over time, the pictures become a kind of hallucination. Gradually, the strong fear of the dark in adults worsens so much that the patient begins to believe that there is something in the room and even begins to “see” it.

The subconscious in such patients is so disturbed that they cannot distinguish reality from their own wild imagination, and this causes serious psychological problems.

Some experts associate intense fear and fear of the dark with thanatophobia, the name of which is also borrowed from ancient Greek. In this condition, a person is afraid of death, which leads to severe stress. In especially severe cases, the patient is afraid to fall asleep in a dark room, because he is afraid of dying in his sleep.

In a dark room, the imagination draws pictures of evil

Why is nyctophobia dangerous?

Fear of the dark and phobia are somewhat different things, so if a person can cope with his fear, then this phenomenon does not pose a danger. Everything is much worse if the pathological condition does not allow the teenager or adult to lead a normal life. When night falls, a person suffering from nyctophobia is afraid to walk down the street, and in a dark room he begins to have panic attacks, which results in harm to his health.

The danger of the disease in adults is constant stress, which does not have the best effect on the well-being of a nyctophobe. The result of regular nervous tension can be the development of cardiovascular diseases - stroke, heart attack and many others. Fear of the dark, which cannot be avoided, can also become trigger for the development of hidden diseases of the body. Among them are diabetes, joint pain of unknown etiology, gastritis and even cancer, for which adequate treatment is not always possible.

Fear of the dark keeps a person in constant tension

Causes of achluophobia

The appearance of this disease is associated with many reasons. Below are the most common ones.

1. Social reason.
2. Genetic factor.
3. Individual characteristics of the psyche.

If we talk about the social sphere, then most often we take into account upbringing and the immediate environment in which a person grows and develops. Such fear begins, for example, in a situation when a mother leaves her child in a room without light. Then anxiety may arise in the baby’s soul due to the lack loved one, which will be associated with fear later. Such an injury can worsen with age and turn into a serious illness.

The fear of terrible darkness, the reasons for which lie in genetics, is formed in the baby even in the womb.

If a pregnant woman is prone to anxiety, this will certainly affect her unborn baby and lead to the fact that in the future the growing person may develop this serious illness.

A special role is given to individual mental characteristics. In this case, the fear of darkness is determined by the individual’s perception of reality, emanating from his suspicious and anxiety-prone character. Typically, people with an unstable nervous system, prone to breakdowns, susceptible and highly emotional people are susceptible to the formation of a serious phobia.

How does a phobia manifest itself, symptoms

The peculiarity of such patients is that they try in any way to avoid dark rooms. Before evening falls, the nyctophobe turns on the lights throughout the apartment, and goes to bed exclusively with a night light. He cannot overcome his strong fear of the dark on his own.

The worst nightmare of a person with scotophobia is a power outage or failure of electrical appliances, so people suffering from the disease are always armed with additional sources of light: candles, a flashlight or mobile phone with good screen lighting. In case of absence aids nyctophobes take flight, and if they can’t escape to the light, they can suddenly panic and call for help until they reach a illuminated place.

Nyctophobia has the following symptoms:

• trembling of limbs;
• heavy sweating;
• panic;
• rapid pulse and heartbeat;
• headache;
• dry, hollow voice or stuttering.

The patient also feels stomach pain, cramps, weakness in the legs and rising blood pressure.

The patient does not go to bed without a night light

How to overcome achluophobia

Like any phobia, this disease needs to be treated. If the fear of the dark has not yet turned into an obsession and has not become a constant companion in a person’s life, then you can try to cope with this condition on your own. An excellent home therapy pleasant music, which you can listen to before bed if a person is afraid to fall asleep in a dark room.

You can tune into a pleasant mood with the help of your imagination. Imagine something aesthetically pleasing: nature, green Forest, an azure sky or a boat slowly gliding along a transparent river surface.

If the fear of darkness on the street has not become obsessive, you can use meditation techniques that will perfectly help cope with panic. This could be a deep trance, during which your consciousness will let go of fears and be filled with something positive and bright. By adding yoga and asanas such as lotus pose, you can overcome your fear of dark rooms and the night even faster.

But if you can’t deal with the problem alone, you need to consult a psychotherapist. You will be offered a variety of psychological techniques, among which hypnotherapy takes pride of place.

The Gestalt method also works well, in which it is possible not only to pull his fears out of the patient’s consciousness, but also to understand their nature.

A psychologist or psychotherapist may also suggest several exercises to help you become aware of and combat fear. One of the effective ones is the “Draw your phobia” task. The patient is asked to draw on paper what exactly worries him, after which he can discuss his fear with the doctor. Next, the doctor may recommend destroying the drawing, which will help symbolically expel nyctophobia from the patient’s mind.

Conclusion

Treatment of any phobias, including fear of dark rooms and streets, is not an easy task, but it is worth the effort, because thanks to competent therapy you can get rid of the obsessive fear of a dark room. You can be sure that after treatment it will seem to you just a room without light, in which no one “frightening” or “terrible” lies in wait for you. Everyone has a chance to overcome the disease, the main thing is to set yourself up correctly.

Chuang Tzu, famous Chinese philosopher of the Warring States era, called on people to learn to see where everything was plunged into darkness, and to hear where everything was completely quiet, because only in the darkness can one see light and only in silence can one hear true harmony... But Chuang Tzu was not the first, and far from the last person who thought about darkness and tried to understand it.

Religion, culture and science of darkness

Darkness, which is called blackness, gloom, obscurity, has constantly attracted the attention of philosophers, poets, scientists, and ordinary people, because in the darkness, as it seemed, there was always something hiding, including evil.

For example, in the Western poetic tradition, darkness was often associated with despondency and depression, with something unkind and dangerous. And almost all world religions also turn to darkness in their sacred books. If you remember the Bible, darkness is mentioned in it as one of the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 10:21), and also as a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). The Koran, holy book Muslims, says that “burning hopelessness and icy darkness” awaits those who dare to step beyond the boundaries of righteousness (Naba 78.25).

It turns out that darkness, if you follow any of the world’s religions, is the finale that awaits unrepentant sinners, that is, a kind of synonym for hell and absolute evil. Thus, the emotional perception of darkness and the emotional reaction to darkness acquires enormous metaphorical meaning in almost all world cultures.

However, science treats the concept of “darkness” much more prosaically and explains it as the opposite of brightness and as a relative absence visible light. With a more detailed explanation of what darkness is, from the point of view of perception by the organ of vision (the eye), it turns out that the rods and cones, which are known as the light detectors of the human eye and are located inside the eye, responsible for visual perception, are not stimulated in any way in the absence of light, therefore, the brain does not receive any information from the photoreceptors and the surrounding reality is perceived first as achromatic (colorless), when there is very little light, and then black (when there is no light at all)…

Is this most interesting and important information for many people closed from the general population? Not at all, this information is presented in school textbooks on physics and human anatomy, popular science films have been made about this, articles and books have been written, and these are accessible to a wide range of readers. But why does darkness still cause fear in many people today, even among adults and well-educated people?

A few general words about fear of the dark

Fear, or phobia, of the dark has scientific name, which is also used in medicine, is nyctophobia. The term "nyctophobia" comes from Greek word nyktos, which means fear, and has several synonyms of English origin: achluophobia or ecluophobia.

There is an opinion that fear of the dark is most often observed in children, and disappears with age. However, this is not always true, and the fear of the dark can not only persist for many years, but also develop into a phobia, that is, turn into a strong, pronounced and obsessive feeling of fear of the dark, into a pathological (that is, painful, unhealthy) reaction to a darkness that simply cannot be explained logically.

From the results of observations, we can conclude that the fear of the dark can persist in adults, but adults still know how to resist this feeling by leaving sources of at least minimal light in the room at night (for example, light bulbs). chargers, working computer monitor); trying to find a way not to go out dark time days outside, especially alone; without using unlit underground passages and resorting to other simple but quite effective tricks.

But still, sometimes nyctophobia can turn into real mental disorder, requiring serious medical intervention, or even treatment in a psychiatric hospital.

Interesting! Psychiatrists, as well as practicing psychologists and psychoanalysts, to this day do not have a consensus on the reasons for the formation of nyctophobia in adults.

One theory of the origin of nyctophobia is that we're talking about about genetic memory, because in ancient times darkness posed a serious danger to primitive man - fear of the dark and distrust of it persisted for hundreds of thousands of years, although times have changed many times and life has become much safer.

According to another theory, an adult’s nyctophobia arises in childhood from a child’s fear of the dark, which was not noticed and corrected by adults in time.

The third theory states that any fear of the dark is explained by the inability to navigate in the dark, therefore, according to the followers of this theory, in this phobia it is not the fear of some danger that comes first, but the unknown and the possibility of a dangerous situation.

Another theory says that nyctophobia, that is, the fear of the dark, is akin to the fear of death and fear of loneliness.

However, most likely, those experts are right who claim that the causes of nyctophobia and its roots are very individual for each person and may well be truly unique and inimitable, unlike anyone else.

But no matter how different the reasons for this state of fear or even phobia may be, its symptoms are far from unique and are similar to the symptoms of any other phobias, since darkness causes in a person who is susceptible to this phobia extremely strong psychophysical stress, which has both psychological and physical indicators .

Among the signs of psychophysical stress caused by a phobia or severe fear are extremely rapid pulse, rapid breathing, numbness of the limbs, increased sweating (and cold sweat), loss of self-control, incoherent speech and other signs of mental, psychological and physical discomfort, against which it is likely even the appearance of hallucinations, as well as fainting and loss of consciousness.

There is evidence that even a completely healthy person who is not subject to any phobias, who is forced to remain in the dark for a very long time, can be seriously damaged, especially mentally. The danger increases many times over when darkness has to be experienced indoors, and the negative consequences occur the faster the smaller the room.

Proven causes of nyctophobia, or fear of the dark

To deal with any problem, you first need to understand its nature. As for the fear of the dark or even the phobia (nyctophobia) that arose on this basis, the reasons for this condition have been of interest to scientists for more than one century.

As a result of long-term observations, research and careful analysis of the data obtained, it was possible to identify some of the reasons for the appearance of this type of fear, but the list can hardly be considered complete and exhaustive.

Reason No. 1 - Genetic predisposition. Scientists call the first reason for the fear of the dark a genetic tendency and argue that any fear, including this one, can be passed on from generation to generation at the genetic level.

Because the primitive people, that is, our distant ancestors, did not have the opportunity to protect themselves from any danger that lurked in the dark, and a small enclosed space was especially dangerous, from where it was very difficult to get out and escape, the desire to avoid darkness, and especially darkness in a small enclosed space, became vital important and was passed down from generation to generation until it became fixed at the genetic level. Also transmitted at the genetic level is a fear of unknown and dangerous objects that may suddenly appear in a dark room, on a dark street, or in any darkness at all.

Genetic memory has preserved darkness as a source of increased danger, so the instinct of self-preservation tries in every possible way to help a person avoid this dangerous situation. However, since a very significant amount of time has passed since then, for some people (fortunately, there are more and more of them), the genetically determined desire to avoid darkness weakens and begins to disappear, or is even reduced to almost zero.

Reason #2 - Limited Features human body . As is known, a huge part of the information about environment a person receives with the help of his eyes, that is, with the help of vision.

It is vision that tells a person most something that can save him from danger.

It is no secret that the sense of smell, touch and other senses are much less developed in humans than in animals, so humans are initially inferior in this regard to any representative of the animal world. And only vision allows a person to avoid danger or even just an undesirable situation. But if it is dark around, vision will not be able to help, since a person practically cannot see in darkness, unlike many animals, for example, cats.

Other animals, for example, the bats, use ultrasound, which humans are also deprived of. And exactly limited opportunities human body forced primitive man to be afraid of the dark, leaving this fear to many subsequent generations.

Reason #3 - Unknown. In the dark, a person is not able to see the danger and is not able to evaluate it, and in the dark it is impossible to understand what should be done to avoid this danger. Thus, it turns out that the desire to avoid darkness is the desire to avoid the unknown.

Interesting! JK Rowling wrote in her novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that when faced with darkness and death, people fear only the unknown, and nothing else.

Reason 4 - Childhood past or past in general. Psychologists and psychiatrists claim that a child is born without fears, which appear only with the acquisition of life experience.

It is experience that gives rise to a child’s fear of the dark: for example, the baby was punished by being left alone in a dark room, or something scared him in the dark, or he heard enough stories in the garden or in the yard about a “terrible black hand,” or something else. , what produced on little man strong impression.

It is precisely from such negative childhood impressions, sensations and experiences that complexes and fears are formed, including the fear of the dark. If adults left a child’s fear without proper attention and did not rid the child of it, then the fear could well remain and turn into nyctophobia in an adult.

Reason #5 - Feelings of loneliness and insecurity. This reason, in fact, has the same roots as the previous one: since childhood, a person could have developed a feeling of insecurity and loneliness when darkness falls, and in the absence of the necessary timely correction, such a feeling could remain for many years.

However, the same feelings may well appear in adults as a result of some strong mental shock.

Reason number 6 - Imagination. It is known that the imagination develops by about three years of a child’s life, and it is after three years that the imagination begins to play cruel jokes on the baby, turning objects in the dark that are ordinary in daylight into something scary and hostile.

It is no secret that imagination can create imaginary dangers for an adult, especially in cases where he has a rich imagination, and also when the psyche is under the influence of certain medicines, drugs or alcohol.

Reason #7 - Stress (acute or chronic). As it turned out during research, acute or chronic stress can affect the instinct of self-preservation and change its direction, that is, a person under the influence of stress can incorrectly assess any situation and perceive danger or threat in completely ordinary situations or in ordinary things or phenomena.

Exactly stressful situations seriously affect a person’s psychological and emotional perception of the world around him. As a result of stress, both acute and chronic, people with reduced stress resistance may develop various anxiety states, including phobias, including nyctophobia.

Reason number 8 - Lack of vitamins. There is an opinion that the fear of the dark, like many other fears, can arise and persist in an unstable emotional state, which, in turn, can be explained by a lack of certain vitamins, as well as micro- and macroelements in the body.

There is no doubt that for full-fledged activity nervous system, which has a decisive influence on emotional background, it is vitally important for the body to receive all the necessary nutrients in a timely manner. chemical elements Therefore, nutritious and proper nutrition is of particular importance for maintaining a person’s mental and emotional health.

Reason number 9 - Fear of death. Nyctophobia (fear of the dark) may be associated with the fear of death, since in many cultural and religious traditions death is associated specifically with darkness: death is represented as eternal darkness and eternal cold. Interestingly, people who experienced clinical death actually talked about their movement along a dark corridor towards the light. In many cultural and religious traditions (but not all), death is associated with the color black and darkness, and even funeral items are usually black.

It is interesting that in the Christian religion monasticism, which symbolizes the death of a person for social life, including for marriage, and therefore for procreation, is also associated specifically with the color black, that is, with darkness. In addition, many are associated with death and darkness. magical rituals which should be carried out only and exclusively in the dark.

Since any person receives such information from childhood, he may develop incorrect perceptions and even a phobia, especially if the information reaches a person in a distorted form, which becomes especially possible when a child is allowed to watch programs and films not intended for children, replete with deaths and cruelty.

Often, as a result of such “cultural” and “educational” viewings, children develop panic fear darkness and death, which can be very difficult and sometimes almost impossible to fight. The psyche of people who survived military operations, occupation, captivity, torture, concentration camps and other horrors of war also suffers greatly.

Thus, the fear of darkness is often perceived as a fear of death, including the instinct of self-preservation, as a result of which a person experiences an overwhelming need to avoid what may threaten life - in this case, darkness.

How to get rid of the fear of the dark?

Fear of the dark, like any other fears, can greatly reduce the quality of life and practically poison existence, because any person who is afraid of something is not able to make the right decisions, achieve success and be a true master of his life.

Psychiatrists and practicing psychologists and psychoanalysts unanimously declare that fears and, moreover, phobias must be fought, since a phobia causes deterioration not only of emotional, psychological and mental state, but also physical conditions, when vital signs, including blood pressure and pulse, deteriorate.

Undoubtedly, correct solution- this is an appeal to a specialist who can provide the necessary qualified assistance, however, many people prefer to make attempts to deal with the problem of fear on their own. Is it possible?

Many experts are of the opinion that with a certain level of self-organization and self-discipline, a person can at least try to cope with the problem on his own, and they name several ways to deal with fear.

Method number 1 - Decisive action. In world practice, this method is called “Just do it,” which means “Just do it.” What is this way of dealing with fear?

Psychologists advise developing the habit of doing everything necessary and acting without paying attention to fear. It is necessary to understand that any fear is simply the body’s response to an attempt to do something contrary to habitual patterns of behavior and contrary to beliefs.

When a person must act contrary to established beliefs and habits, he experiences discomfort, which may well take the form of fear. Therefore, an adult must honestly admit to himself that he is afraid, but tell both himself and his fear that everything necessary will be done right now.

How more people delays the implementation of necessary actions, the more fears intensify and increase. Scared to go out into the dark? Well, well, you need to take a flashlight and take a step towards the danger, which turns out to be imaginary. By the way, if you get a dog, then an evening walk will almost always take place in the dark, but it is impossible to cancel a walk with a dog, and a dog (especially a large one) is quite reliable company for a walk even in the dark.

Method No. 2 - Assessing options for the development of events. Psychologists advise not to torment yourself with fears in vain, but to imagine options for the development of events, because most of all any person fears the unknown. If the veil of uncertainty has already been lifted, at least by assumption, then fear decreases.

For example, when taking a step into the darkness, a person can imagine all his actions step by step: first turn on the flashlight, and then open the door to the dark street. Or before leaving the house, look out the window and make sure that there is no darkness on the street: the windows of the houses are lit, the lanterns are on, cars are driving and illuminating the street with their headlights, and it is almost impossible that at one moment the electricity will go out absolutely everywhere and All transport stopped running.

If a person is not afraid of darkness, but of a specific danger, for example, he was threatened, then it is much more logical to contact human rights authorities so that they neutralize the attacker.

Attention! Psychologists recommend trying to carefully assess how justified the fear is, since in this way they can trigger defense mechanisms person. If, as a result of the analysis, the fear turns out to be unfounded, then you should simply carry out the necessary actions, and if the fear has some basis, then you should evaluate the real danger and ways to overcome it.

Method number 3 - Determination. In order to overcome any fear, you need to make a firm decision - it is determination that helps to overcome any fears, since fear appears only when there is uncertainty in oneself and in one’s strengths and capabilities. Why does fear take over a person?

Because a person doubts and is unsure of himself, and against the background of this, unpleasant thoughts and pictures arise in his brain that create discomfort. If a person has made a decision about the need to do something, then the fear goes away and the time comes to focus on implementing the decision made. It’s not for nothing that they said in the old days that the eyes are afraid, but the hands do the work.

Attention! The results of many studies convincingly prove that any positive emotions help to fight fear and successfully overcome it.

Method number 4 - Analysis of fear. Psychologists say that in the fight against any fears, including the fear of darkness, it is very important to carefully analyze what exactly causes fear, why this fear arises, how real the danger that appears is, how important it is that it is impossible to do because fear, and what will happen if the job is not done.

However, even the most frank answers to any questions do not always solve the problem of fear, because fear is a very strong emotion, and it is known that emotions almost always prevail over logic. Therefore, psychologists advise imagining in as much detail as possible how and in what way fear will be overcome. If fear is overcome mentally, then it is much easier to overcome it in reality.

Attention! Courage and courage are not the denial of fear or its absence, but the ability to act in spite of fear.

Method number 5 - Courage training. Scientists say that courage can and should be trained, that is, you need to learn to overcome fear. To do this, psychologists advise first to determine exactly what causes these negative emotions, what exactly is scary, for example, in our case, in the dark.

And then, when it is completely clear what causes the fear, you need to gradually take steps to overcome it. Do you see any danger in the dark? Which exactly? What if you don’t turn on the lights at dusk? And so you can gradually make attempts to combat any fear, including the fear of darkness.

Attention! Psychologists confidently claim that excellent ways to combat any fear, including the fear of the dark, are a normal level of self-esteem, faith in God or a guardian angel, love or even falling in love, and caring for children.

conclusions

Why is a person afraid of the dark? What does he feel, what is he trying to avoid? Maybe it's just a fear of the unknown or a reluctance to make any decisions? Maybe it is the fear of death that destroys life itself? From childhood we know that any person is mortal, that any earthly path ends, but it is important what a person leaves behind: trees planted, houses built, discoveries made, talented students, children and grandchildren. What's hiding in the dark?

Evil? Or maybe it's just a secret? Or was it Ole Lukoje who opened the black umbrella so that the night would pass without dreams? The ancient eastern sages said that the most terrible evil always happens not in the dark, but in the light of day, and the most pitch-black darkness is found in the evil soul. They also advised that instead of being afraid of the dark all the time, light at least the tiniest candle...

What do you associate darkness with? Some will say with peace and serenity, while others will say with slight anxiety. And only a nycphobe will answer that he associates darkness with panic, anxiety and danger. In the first two cases we are talking about variants of the norm, in the last - about a pathological obsessive fear of the dark.

What is the phobia of fear of the dark called? This problem has several names: nyctophobia, achluophobia, scotophobia. What is it, this phobia of fear of the dark? We need to look into this in more detail.

Achluophobia is an obsessive, irrational fear of the dark. Depending on the severity of the phobia, we can talk about dark rooms in the apartment, or maybe about darkness in general: on the street, in the house, etc. According to the data medical statistics, up to 10% of the world's population suffers from scotophobia. This figure characterizes older age groups, from 16 years old. Among children, this fear is even more common: up to 60% of people from 2 to 15 years old feel uncomfortable being in the dark.

Nyctophobia

How does nyctophobia differ from simple fear?

It's quite normal to be afraid. Fear acts as a regulator of our activities and is an expression of basic human instincts. However, when such fear becomes a “dictator” and determines the entire way of life, we are talking about pathology. It is important to keep in mind that not all discomfort is nyctophobia. Each of us at least once felt uncomfortable, being in a dark room, completely alone. This is an expression of the instinct of self-preservation. So what is the difference between fear and phobia? They differ in three points:

• A phobia is an irrational fear. If you ask a healthy person why he feels uncomfortable in the dark, he will give a more or less rational answer: nothing is visible, maybe there is someone in the dark, etc. A similar question asked to a nyctophobe will remain unanswered. He himself doesn’t know exactly why he’s scared.
• The degree of obsession of the phobia of darkness is many times higher. Alien to a mentally healthy person intrusive thoughts. In the case of a nyctophobic patient, we have to talk about obsessive fear. It is impossible to “get rid of” it with logical arguments, and it is also unrealistic to switch from obsessive fear to some more constructive thoughts. A person becomes a “hostage” of his own psyche.
• Depending on the nature of the pathological process, we can talk about obsessive actions to overcome this fear. These are the compulsions that occur in OCD.

Summarize. “Healthy”, rational fear is amenable to logical explanation and control, but fear in a phobia is devoid of rational qualities, the patient is unable to cope with it on his own.

Reasons for developing a phobia

The reasons for the obsessive fear of the dark are not fully understood. Meanwhile, such fear, as already mentioned, is determined by human instincts. In primitive times, danger always lurked in the darkness. Somehow, such fear has become entrenched in the human genome and has been passed on from generation to generation for thousands of years.

Protecting yourself - main feature Problems

The basis of nyctophobia is the instinct of self-preservation.

Despite the fact that the causes of scotophobia are not thoroughly known, we can talk about the following reasons for the development of pathology:

• Psychotraumatic situation. The most “tender” age, when the psyche is just being formed, is childhood. It is known that most phobias, including such a phobia as fear of the dark, are formed at 2-3 years. However, options are possible. Sometimes obsessive fear manifests itself after a trauma suffered in adulthood. For example, after a robbery in the dark, etc.
• History of thanatophobia. The basis of the fear of darkness is the fear of death. A person is afraid not of the darkness itself, but of what could potentially be hidden in it.
• Often eluophobia (as the phobia of fear of the dark is otherwise called) occurs within the framework. In such situations, the hereditary factor plays an important role. OCD itself is not inherited; only a predisposition to mental disorders is genetically determined.
• Having depression or other mental illness in the anamnesis.

There are many reasons for the development of nyctophobia; we often have to talk about a combination of probable sources of the problem.

Symptoms

The symptoms are well expressed. The complex of manifestations includes:

• Obsessive thoughts about the dark. Sometimes the patient, even during daylight hours, cannot switch from obsessive fear to other thoughts.
• Avoidance of places and situations associated with unpleasant experiences. In the most severe cases, a person tries not to go outside unnecessarily in the dark.
• Trying to protect yourself from the darkness. The patient turns on the lights in the entire apartment, tries to sleep with a night light, etc.
• If the “root of evil” lies in OCD, ridiculous rituals aimed at reducing discomfort are observed. After completing them, the person feels better.
• in the event of a collision with an object of fear.

The symptoms are very typical, but it is important to distinguish between “pure” phobia and other diseases.

Symptoms and treatment of fear of the dark

What disorders are accompanied by obsessive fear of the dark?

Nyctophobia can occur in isolation, as an independent disorder, or it can be included “as” a symptom in the structure of other, more complex pathologies. What are these pathologies? There are four of them. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (obsessive-compulsive disorder), paranoid schizophrenia, neurosis-like schizophrenia, schichotypic disorder.

Most often in the practice of a psychotherapist we encounter patients with isolated phobia. In this case, things do not go further than fear: there are no obsessive actions or other characteristic symptoms of diseases.

Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis consult a doctor somewhat less often. It is distinguished by the presence of characteristic rituals to get rid of uncomfortable feelings (turn on and turn off the light a certain number of times, count to yourself and many other variations limited only by the patient’s imagination). In this case, the phobia of fear of the dark is pathological symptom(obsession).

With paranoid schizophrenia, in rare cases, the formation of phobias is possible, but they are even more irrational and have a bizarre nature. For example, in the practice of one psychiatrist, there was a patient with a paranoid form of schizophrenia who was afraid of the refrigerator when it was in the dark and flatly refused to go into his own kitchen. This is no longer obsession, but delirium. In addition, this terrible form of the disease is characterized by the presence of other productive symptoms: hallucinations (usually pseudohallucinations).

Delusional thoughts are different from obsessive thoughts complete dominance in the structure of the psyche, as well as the lack of a critical attitude towards them.

In the neurosis-like form of schizophrenia, as well as in schizotypal disorder, we are talking about the same obsessions, there are two differences:

• Obsessions have almost imperative properties, forcing the patient to build a life based on them.
• Unlike typical compulsions, obsessive actions in the diseases described above are absolutely ridiculous.

Only a doctor can make a differential diagnosis. Attempts at self-diagnosis will not bring any tangible effect.

Diagnostics

From a diagnostic point of view, nyctophobia does not present any difficulties. It is enough to collect anamnesis ( oral questioning patient). It is much more difficult to carry out differential diagnosis and identify the “root of evil”. Fortunately, what you usually have to deal with is a typical isolated phobia. Psychotherapists diagnose and treat phobias. OCD may require consultation with a psychiatrist.

Treatment

For isolated phobia, treatment is psychotherapeutic. If scotophobia is part of the structure of OCD, combined treatment is indicated: psychotherapy and medication. Medicines include:

• Neuroleptics.
• Antidepressants (Prozac, Fluoxetine,).
• Tranquilizers.

Important to keep in mind. Tablets are a dead end. Preference should be given to psychotherapy, and medications will be a necessary help, but nothing more. The patient’s work on himself plays a huge role.

Under no circumstances should you start taking these medications on your own.

Among psychotherapeutic techniques, the most effective are cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnosis. You can eliminate the fear of the dark in 3-4 weeks (this is 8-12 psychotherapy sessions).

Fear of the dark is a common disease. It instills in a person a lack of self-confidence and self-confidence, and interferes with a normal life. Fortunately, getting rid of this problem is quite possible. The main thing is to do this together with an experienced doctor.

At a certain age, we all face the fear of the dark. Most often this happens in childhood, and when we grow up, fears disappear. But this doesn't always happen. Sometimes, even fully grown and accomplished people suffer from this unpleasant and completely irrational fear. In truth, nyctophobia among adults is not as rare as it might seem. But most people suffering from this phobia are embarrassed to admit that they, like little ones, cannot sleep without a night light. What leads to this fear and is there a way to get rid of it?

Causes of nyctophobia

There can be many reasons for developing a fear of the dark. Often such reasons are genetically determined. In ancient times, darkness was synonymous with danger for a person, because predatory animals or representatives of an enemy tribe could be waiting for him in the dark. In the dark, a person sees poorly and is poorly oriented in space, so he feels more vulnerable to the perceived danger.

Phobias almost never occur in older people. Even if in their youth they suffered from panic fears, then with age all fears pass.

Some people have a fear of the dark since childhood. It is no secret that most children are afraid of the dark, but over time they “outgrow” this fear. For most children, this happens on its own as they grow older. Other children have to fight their fears and overcome them through sheer force of will. There is a category of people who cannot overcome this fear and carry it throughout their lives. Such people rarely admit their weakness, and only a sudden entry into a dark room can make them lose their temper and plunge them into panic.

Another reason for the fear of the dark is. Often it is the fear of death that causes the fear of the dark. If you get rid of the first, the second disappears on its own. Very often, nyctophobes themselves cannot explain and understand what scares them in the dark. Most likely, there is a fear of emptiness or the unknown, since in the dark everything becomes invisible and the person remains, as it were, in a vacuum. In such a situation, a flashlight or a telephone can save the day, even a pet, which will make you feel the presence real world.

Another one possible reason development of nyctophobia - cessation of production of the hormone melanin, which is related to the regulation emotional state.

What are we afraid of?

The peculiarity of nyctophobia is that an object is missing; a person is afraid not of the lack of light, but of his own sensations. In most cases, fear is directed at something real, but at a theoretically possible or even impossible situation. It is connected with the fact that a person, without seeing the real world, begins to imagine what could be there. Fantasy comes into play and everything depends on it.

Most serious phobias in adults develop at around 18-19 years of age and last until a maximum of 45-50 years of age.

Pictures from the imagination are superimposed on the basis of the existing discomfort from the lack of light, and the nycphobe begins to perceive darkness as a danger. Everyone understands perfectly well that there are no bloodthirsty tigers or zombies from a horror movie in the apartment, but knowing and feeling are slightly different things. Fear of the dark is irrational.

Most normal people you still manage to somehow curb your imagination and convince yourself that there is no threat in a dark visit, but sometimes, with an unfavorable course of the phobia, the pictures become so fixed in the head that they can turn into persistent visual pseudo-hallucinations. Usually this is caused by violations in the volitional sphere of a person.

How does fear of the dark manifest itself?

The first attacks of nyctophobia can appear at any age. Most often it appears in childhood. If a child gets scared in a dark room, then over time he may forget about this event, but the fear of the dark often remains with him. long years. An ordinary healthy adult person experiences uncertainty and discomfort in the dark, which leads to anxiety. A nyctophobe reacts much more violently in such a situation; he experiences strong feeling fear, which often turns into panic. Strong fear pushes such a person to do very stupid things, for example, running away somewhere, just away from the darkness, screaming, frantically searching for light.

Women are more susceptible to various phobias than men, including nyctophobia. The ratio is approximately 65% ​​women to 35% men. Doctors attribute this, first of all, to hormonal status.

Most adults try to hide the presence of this phobia, and they explain their strange behavior by the inability to orient themselves in space, poor eyesight in the dark and for other reasons that may look very convincing. Most often, those around them believe them and can only suspect something if they themselves observe a strong panic reaction.

Often such people are betrayed by too thorough preparation for bed and the night. They can turn on night lights and lamps throughout the house, and in case of a power outage, there is always a flashlight, candle or other alternative energy source near the bed. In addition, they often try to create the illusion of the presence of other people in the apartment by turning on the TV or radio and leaving it on all night.

Characteristic symptoms

Manifestations of nyctophobia usually have a paroxysmal character. The characteristic physical and emotional symptoms of this disorder become noticeable when a traumatic situation approaches - darkness. During an attack of nyctophobia, most of the characteristic symptoms are observed, this is acceleration heart rate and surges in blood pressure, severe headache and stomach cramps, trembling and chills, as well as sweating. The person may experience wobbly legs, muscle weakness throughout the body, stuttering, or complete loss of voice.

Sometimes the fear of the dark is provoked by a lack of certain vitamins, which are responsible for the stability of the emotional state. Therefore, when fears arise, it will be useful to eat citrus fruits, persimmons, and grapefruits. You can also drink soothing herbal teas.

There are also many emotional symptoms of this disorder. These include nightmares and bad dream at all. And among the behavioral symptoms, it is especially worth noting nervous habits and a noticeable increase in motor activity when darkness falls, this is how the subconscious desire to escape is manifested.

How to get rid of fear

Methods for getting rid of nyctophobia depend on the complexity of the situation. Very often you can solve the problem yourself. If the fear of the dark does not cause serious problems and doesn't interfere much Everyday life, then you can choose simple ways getting rid of it. To do this, you need to stop watching scary movies and TV shows, spend more time outdoors and communicate more with positive people. You also need to remember about relaxation and... All this together will help cope with the anxious feelings that arise in the dark.

Sigmund Freud argued that the fear of the dark is caused by childhood psychological trauma. For example, a quarrel between parents at night behind a closed door can lead to a child’s fear of the dark.

If such simple methods If they don’t help, then you’ll have to see a psychologist. While you are searching for a suitable specialist, you need to remember when the attacks of fear began and what caused them. In most cases, it is a specific event that becomes the impetus for the development of a phobia. It is very important to inform the psychologist about this event. If anxiety appears as if on its own, without a specific reason, then in such a situation it is worth contacting a psychotherapist.

What treatment can be recommended for such a disorder? Most often, conversations with a psychologist and increased physical activity swimming or gymnastics classes. Spa treatments and massages are often helpful. If the situation is too complex, an appointment may be needed. medicines, for example, sedatives, antipsychotics, antidepressants and sleeping pills. Such drugs can be prescribed purely individually by the attending psychotherapist and transferring them to other persons is strictly prohibited, so as not to harm them.

To reduce the level of anxiety, many psychologists recommend carefully examining the entire room, feeling all the objects in it and inspecting everything before turning off the lights. This will help get rid of the subconscious fear that danger may lurk in the dark. It is very important to remove from the apartment everything that can cause unpleasant associations or simply frighten. At night, you can turn on a small night light, but not too bright. Also, at first, a radio will not hurt. But you need to turn it on very quietly, otherwise it will interfere with sleep, lead to fatigue and increase anxiety.

An ordinary flashlight often helps get rid of nyctophobia. As soon as it becomes scary, you need to illuminate and examine the source of your fear. After several such inspections, it will become clear that there is nothing scary in the dark.

It is also very important to try to fill your life with positivity. The more pleasant experiences there are in life, the less room there will be for fears. You can try to find a new hobby or new friends, or go to a new place. If a person is constantly busy with something, then fears may fade into the background.

In addition, you must try to create a cheerful atmosphere around you. It is necessary to give preference to light interior items in cheerful shades. The films you watch should not frighten or depress you; it is better to watch funny comedies and musicals. The more positive there is in life, the less room there will be for fears.

Many of us were afraid of the dark as children. For some it has passed, but for others it is still panicky afraid of nightfall.

Most adults don't recognize their problem or even know that it has a name or a solution. So what is the fear of the dark called and how to overcome it?

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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 ashamed to admit it. Nyctophobia is one of the most common fears; people absolutely suffer from it. different ages. 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.

Causes

Why are people afraid of the dark? About this in the video:

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 see poorly in an unlit room, our brain perceives this as danger signal, imagination draws what is not there.

The person begins to experience feeling of insecurity and weaknesses.

He expects something that won't happen. Every rustle frightens and drives you into panic.

This condition can lead to pseudohallucinations - fictional images will begin to see each other in reality.

Symptoms and signs

Nyctophobia has the character of attacks that intensifies as darkness approaches.

Features of manifestation in children

Psychologists say that a child’s fear of the dark begins to develop around at the age of two. At this time, parents try to teach the baby to sleep alone in a room with the lights off.

A child who is used to always being with his parents may begin to feel afraid, sad and lonely. If he starts coming to his parents’ bedroom at night, that will be quite normal.

But if a child over 3 years old flatly refuses to stay in a dark room or even go there, he begins to become hysterical and panic, then you should start worrying.

Nyctophobia in childhood proceeds much easier than in adults. If you pay attention in time, you can cure the child. Then the fear will not pass into adulthood, but will remain a childhood nightmare.

Fear of the dark: how can a child overcome nyctophobia? Find out from the video:

How dangerous is a phobia?

Scientists conducted a study that showed that people suffering from any phobia, due to constant stress more prone to heart attacks and strokes.

Constantly being nervous, worried and afraid is very dangerous for the body.

This state can activate everything hidden diseases. Due to constant stress, a person's sleep is disturbed.

He feels tired, lethargic and lack of sleep all the time, which leads to absent-mindedness and lack of focus in everyday life. Nyctophobia can cause nightmares, which also interfere with a person's normal life.

Fear of the dark needs to be treated as quickly as possible. Don't sleep with the lights on. This way you will simply delay solving the problem, but will not rid yourself of fear. And sleeping in the light all the time is harmful to human health.

You will find information on overcoming your fear of clowns on our website.

How to overcome fear?

You can get rid of nyctophobia both in childhood and in adulthood. Main, seek help in time.

Medicines

Get rid of nyctophobia with medications will not work. There are no special pills for fear of the dark. In particularly severe cases and during moments of exacerbation, sedatives may be prescribed to relieve symptoms.

In especially severe cases, when fear can lead to depression, antidepressants may be prescribed.

Psychological help

First of all, you need to contact to a psychotherapist.

He will conduct a conversation, find out the causes of fear and prescribe treatment.

Don't limit yourself With only one visit to a specialist, it is better if you keep in touch with your doctor throughout the entire treatment.

If your fear dates back to childhood, it’s worth remembering what exactly you were afraid of then and understanding whether it scares you now.

Before bedtime need to relax take a deep breath, try to convince yourself that what you are afraid of does not exist. After all, this is so.

Don’t watch anything scary or heavy before going to bed; it’s best to watch something light and relaxing, or listen to pleasant music.

If you are afraid of some creatures in the dark, face your fears. Touch and feel everything with your own hands. Make sure there is no one in the room except you. You are not in danger.

When getting ready for bed, turn on a small night light. Gradually reduce the light to a minimum.

You can try the course hypnotherapy. A psychotherapist may recommend taking part in special training. Yoga and meditation can also help combat fears.

Psychologists say that dreaming about something pleasant before going to bed helps to overcome fear. You need to go to bed in a good mood.

5 tips How to overcome the fear of the dark:

What to do if a child is afraid of the dark?

Psychologist's advice:

My child is afraid of the dark, what should I do? Advice from a child psychologist:

How to live with nyctophobia?

Living with nyctophobia pretty hard.

After all, darkness comes every day. If your fear gets out of control, you should definitely seek help.

And if fear does not cause much discomfort, or appears periodically, then for a comfortable sleep you can use, for example, night light. Try not to walk on unlit streets.

There is nothing wrong with an adult being afraid of the dark. If your fear prevents you and your loved ones from living, you should think about overcoming it. Nyctophobia is treatable.

There is no need to delay this. After all healthy sleep- one of the main components of our life.