How To Overcome The Fear Of The Dark
Are you afraid of the dark? Are you panicking at night? Fear of the dark is quite normal in childhood. However, not treating it properly can lead to a phobia. If this is your case, in this article you will find some strategies to overcome that fear.
The fear of the dark or nyctophobia is an irrational fear of the night or dark spaces, generated by a distorted perception of the brain of what could happen in those circumstances. In reality, in fear of the dark, it is not the night itself that scares you, but the risks that you imagine yourself taking.
In adults the fear of the dark should be treated as a phobia. This fear usually stems from specific traumatic memories that occurred in the dark or from childhood terrors that have not been overcome.
Strategies for Overcoming Fear of the Dark
To overcome the fear of the dark, it is necessary to alleviate the pain of past times, generally of our childhood. Facing your fear in a rational way is the way to overcome it. You can do it by following the following strategies:
1. Turn off the light voluntarily
People with nyctophobia are often tired and sleepy. This is because sleep is much more restful if you sleep in the dark. Even dim light prevents you from falling into a deep sleep. The problem is that this tiredness can accentuate the feeling of fear.
People with a fear of the dark may begin to gradually dim the light at bedtime. By doing it little by little, over several days, it is easier to get used to and get used to the idea, while working on the rest of the strategies.
2. Find a relaxing time to be in the dark during the day
The day can also provide an opportunity to be in the dark. Find a relaxed time and voluntarily stay in a dark room. Put on relaxing music and try to think of something positive.
The advantage of this formula is that you can control the time you spend in the dark and that, when finished, you can enjoy the natural light, which is very comforting and stimulating. But remember that it should be a personal choice and that you should increase the time little by little as you feel more confident.
3. Challenge your own fears
The fear of the dark is not the fear of the lack of light, but of the thoughts that occupy your mind. Find out what those thoughts are, the true fears, and face them. If everything happens in your imagination you can take control and defeat that threat. Don’t feel embarrassed and challenge those thoughts.
4. Control your body
Imagination can stimulate fear, but it needs your body to collude with the fantasies in your mind for that fear to take hold of you. Therefore, even if you cannot control your thoughts, you can control your body.
One way to control the body is to stop breathing and move for a few seconds. This is what we do unconsciously when we want to get away from an uncomfortable situation without being seen.
After a few seconds, avoid the usual gasping that follows these situations and control your breathing by exhaling strongly, as in a sigh. This stimulates the heart and brings you back to reality. In addition, this way of breathing, exhaling slowly and strongly the air relaxes.
Breathing slowly, concentrating on breathing in and out slowly and with control will also help you control panic attacks and fear of the dark, and help you move into dark areas in a controlled way.
5. Change your concept of “darkness”
As you learn to feel relaxed in dark environments, to control your impulses in the absence of light, and to sleep with less light, you will be able to change your concept of darkness as something beneficial for you. The darkness will go from being a zone of negativity to becoming an opportunity to rest and relax.
