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 from such considerations 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 sensation of vacuum and isolation from the world. In such a situation, every rustle is perceived worse than it is. This is a fear of the dark. What is the name of the disease? We will talk about this in the article.
What is necophobia?
What is the fear of the dark called? There is such a term as nifophobia. This is a fear of night and rooms without lighting. Simply put, this term refers to the familiar fear of the dark for many. A phobia can appear at any period of life, and it depends on the richness of a person’s imagination and certain negative events.
Almost all of us are somewhat afraid of the dark. This factor is laid down by genetics, because in a darkened environment, vision weakens, the ability to distinguish even surrounding objects disappears.
For what reason may fear of the dark appear?
Most often, nymphophobia occurs in childhood and adolescence. However, adults suffer from it no less. Nothing arises in nature for no reason. Fear of the dark is no exception to the rule. Factors that make you feel fear in the dark:
- Genetic factor. As mentioned earlier, the fear of darkness is transmitted on a subconscious level from generation to generation. In the old days, people were even less protected and, of course, every night they needed to be in particular tension, the risk of attack increased.
- Childhood fears. Parents often try to reassure their child by intimidation with invented horror stories and invented creepy characters. Therefore, being left alone in the room, the baby begins to see the worst in the dark.
- Priority of vision. 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 the study of the situation, and other senses are not enough to compile a complete picture of what is happening.
- Based on the previous paragraph, the following reason follows - the unknown. Fear has big eyes, and almost everyone in such a situation will begin to imagine the worst.
- Situations associated with darkness, which left a strong psychological imprint in memory. Perhaps at night there was an attack, an attempted robbery, a person or someone close to him was seriously injured. Associations with events in the past involuntarily appear, constantly reminding oneself.
- The factor of rich imagination. The brain begins to take faint objects in the dark for something frightening. Perhaps a horror movie was included before bedtime. Then it is not surprising that the open cabinet door can, with the help of imagination, turn into a frightening Freddy Krueger.
- Stress state. Under the influence of problems in life and intense attempts to cope with them, the psyche gives slack. Left alone, a person is immersed in his problems and fears. So necophobia may occur.
- Lack of essential nutrients to maintain emotional stability.
- Fear of death. There is a connection between darkness and something otherworldly.
Signs of Necophobia
To correctly determine 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 speedy psychological assistance.
The main symptoms of phobia
Any phobia ( including fear of the dark) differs from mild excitement in the list of symptoms. In this case, nymphophobia is characterized by:
- A strong state of horror, growing into a stormy panic. Accompanied by impulsive actions. A person may run out of the room shouting for help.
- Prancing blood pressure.
- Increased heart rate.
- The occurrence of a sharp headache.
- Cramping pains in the stomach.
- Increased sweating and trembling in the limbs.
- Loss of voice, wheezing, stuttering.
- Fainting condition, muscle weakness.
Nicophobia in adults
According to statistics, every 10th adult suffers from a fear of the dark. And this is not just discomfort, but panic horror. There are times when an individual is forced to sleep with his lights on all his life. However, most nikofobov hide their fear because of fears of condemnation and ridicule of 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. If symptoms of nymphophobia appear, consult a psychologist. In adults suffering from fear of the dark, often a similar reaction is associated with experiences of the past, negative events. The psychologist will help you choose an individual treatment that will have a beneficial moral effect.
Fear of the dark in children
At a young age, phobia does not require much. Almost 80% of children suffer from this disease - fear of the dark. Even at a very tiny age, the child is afraid to remain alone in the crib without parental care. The fact of loneliness, defenselessness, fear of becoming abandoned is of great importance in the representation of the baby.
According to statistics, children from dysfunctional families and those who have no brothers or sisters are most prone to manifesting nymphophobia. An interesting fact is that the phobia of a child is often disturbed, whose parents also suffered at one time or suffer from a fear of the dark.
In adolescence, necophobia is also common. Due to the transitional age, low self-esteem, conflicts with peers, misunderstanding with the older generation, dissonance with oneself, a stress factor arises. Imagination begins to work negatively.
How to get rid of a phobia?
Nikophobia is not a fear of the darkness itself, but a fear of what it may hide. A phobia lives in the mind of a person, and only he is able to get rid of fear.
Independent Ways to Combat Necophobia
There are several methods that can help manage your condition:
- The first thing to do is determine the cause of the fear. The darkness itself will not do harm, and each of us understands this. There are a number of possible reasons for the development of fear. All that is required of a person is to penetrate the depths of his subconscious, to investigate 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.
- Learning to control phobia is required. The main thing is the right mood and desire. If you think of anything after turning off the lights, then stop the imagination. Think rationally what kind of object this may be, remember the arrangement of furniture in the room, calm yourself. It will effectively use the method of wedge-kicking. With a fictional silhouette in the dark, imagine yourself a hunter. Arrange a mental “fight” with shadow in a creative way.
- Occurrence of a phobia and its manifestation is influenced by classes during the day. If you provide yourself with positive emotions, going to bed will be much calmer. It helps in raising the mood by watching comedy films, having fun, chatting with nice people, and engaging in your favorite hobby.
- Hide and seek items. To accustom the child to the dark and provide positive associations, you can arrange a game with a search for toys. Hide them cost in light and dark places, alternating the change of light.
- Relatives and friends will help in the fight against phobia. It is the people whom you trust can prompt a way out, will contribute to self-knowledge and the fight against complexes. Sincere conversations allow you to feel the support of important people, their interest in this matter.
- Clearly define the goal to which you will strive. Find strong motivation. Browse online articles or videos about people who once suffered from fear of the dark, but who got rid of fears. Take an example with a vibrant multimedia personality or book hero. In this case, imitation in moderation is only welcome.
- You can try to look fear in the face. Spend at least initially a couple of minutes in a dark room, control the desire to run away. After a certain time after repeating the procedure, the realization will come that nothing terrible has happened. If no one from the darkness has harmed you, it means 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 at first to show the current personality of the fairy tale as a coward, but with time gaining courage and courage. In the end, of course, everything should end well.
Therapist's Methods
If the symptoms of nihophobia do not stop to bother, and you can’t cope with fear on your own, then you need to seek help from a qualified psychologist. A doctor can offer several ways to get rid of fear, fear of the dark:
- Impact on cognitive-behavioral factors. The psychologist promotes the discovery of hidden feelings, fears, memories, emotions of the patient. According to the behavior in times 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 treating children and in getting rid of phobia in adults. In the process, the doctor modulates a certain stressful situation in which no-one needs to find a way out. To help the patient, the psychologist leads to specific answers with the help of special questions, facts and examples.
- Expression of fears through creativity. Sometimes a person cannot express his feelings in words, but he can do it very well with the help of drawing, modeling, versification and so on. Therefore, this method of combating necophobia has become popular. The study of the patient is carried out by considering his works, in which the voice of the subconscious is expressed.
- Immersion in the dark. The psychologist, by certain methods, mentally places the nikofobe in a dark environment and is necessarily present in the imagination nearby. Thanks to the support of the doctor and his necessary words, fear is freed.
Consequences of Necophobia
Scientists became seriously interested in the fear of darkness, and 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 thereby to a decrease in life expectancy.
Scientists also studied the statistics of diseases of the cardiovascular nature in men and women. A direct relationship was found 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 occurrence. Do not ignore the manifestations of fear of darkness in children, and you should not be ashamed of your own fear. Timely contact with a psychologist will help to establish life and get rid of unnecessary addiction. After getting rid of a phobia, you will prevent certain health problems in the future and establish a professional and personal life.