What does the darkness of the night hide, or why is it necessary to get rid of nyctophobia?

The so-called “ancestral memory” makes people afraid of the dark. Firstly, the instinct of self-preservation is triggered, since danger may, purely hypothetically, lurk in the darkness. Secondly, a person intuitively avoids everything unknown, and in the darkness he loses his main analyzer - vision. So it’s quite normal not to walk down a deserted and unlit alley at midnight; startle from loud, incomprehensible sounds during sleep; not falling asleep for a long time because of watching a horror movie. But sometimes the fear of the night becomes irrational, far-fetched, groundless and subjugates a person’s will, thoughts and emotions. In such cases, a diagnosis is made - nyctophobia.

What it is

Many people don't even know what the scientific name for fear of the dark is. It turns out she has several names:

nyctophobia is a pathological fear of the night (translated from ancient Greek “η νύχτα” - “night”, “φόβος” - “fear”);
scotophobia is a panicky fear of the dark (translated from the ancient Greek “σκοτος” - “darkness”).

Next to these concepts, two more are often used - achluophobia and ecluophobia, which are interpreted as fear of the dark. However, their origin is unknown. If, in order to find out, we delve into historical linguistics, they can go back to one source - the word “axla”, which meant creatures from the afterlife. They accompanied a person to the “field of peace” - to death or sleep. But this is only a version unconfirmed by science, although quite substantiated.

There is a very fine line when it comes to the question of what is the difference between achluophobia and nyctophobia or between scotophobia and nyctophobia. Nyctophobes are afraid of nightfall. It is at this time of day that they begin to have panic attacks and seizures. Scoto- and achluophobes fear the darkness itself. They can get scared even during the day when they enter a room without light.

Who or what is a person suffering from these phobias afraid of? They are not afraid of the darkness itself, but of what can happen in it or who is in it. They have such a developed imagination that their sensitive nature comes up with various scary stories that are about to happen and imagines creepy monsters.

Introduction

I would like to warn you that in this article I will not rewrite any official documents on psychology, their interpretation of nyctophobia (achluophobia) and other things.
I will try to talk about this phenomenon, based on my life experience, observations, and, of course, the stories of people whom I interviewed over a fairly short period of time. Of course, in my reasoning, I will give arguments that were probably already thought up by someone earlier. After all, the best minds and philosophers of past years struggled with this (and other) phenomenon. I will try to supplement them with my thoughts, to give you food for further reflection on this topic.

This is my first article of this kind, so I sincerely hope that you enjoy it. I suggest not to delay and start the description. Freelance author

Causes

The most common causes of nyctophobia and scotophobia are:

childhood trauma associated with darkness or a room without light;
overdeveloped imagination;
increased emotionality, sensitivity, vulnerability;
prolonged stress;
existential fear of death;
heredity;
inert nervous system;
features of upbringing: overly strict parents, or permission to watch horror films from early childhood, or their increased anxiety and nervousness, which are passed on to the child.

Nyctophobia often occurs against the background of various mental disorders. For example, in schizophrenia. Although there are also frequent reciprocal cases when pathological fear leads to psychopathy, weakening the nervous system and keeping a person in constant tension.

Childhood nyctophobia

In children 3-4 years old, fear of the dark is normal. But if it persists after 5 years, then it is considered a pathology that requires the intervention of a psychotherapist. First of all, you need to find out the reason.

Why does a child become afraid?

got very scared in the dark;
constantly hears from parents scary stories that happen at night;
read a creepy book, watched a horror movie, someone told a “horror story” - this makes a strong impression on the sensitive child’s psyche, and they begin to fear monsters in the dark;
often stays at home alone at night;
is experiencing severe stress (due to studies or parental divorce);
he has nightmares;

Never force children to overcome their fear (for example, do not lock them in a dark room). This will only make the situation worse. You can't make fun of them for being afraid of a monster that doesn't exist. Because of this, internal complexes and incorrect behavior patterns are formed.

The onset of nyctophobia in childhood

But what to do with unreasonable fear?
When nothing seems to pose a health threat? For example, a person suffering from this phobia, even turning off the light in the room, will probably be scared. And it doesn’t matter that he saw his room a second ago, he knows for sure that there is absolutely nothing in it that can kill him. But he will still be scared. Why? This is where our imagination begins to play. The roots of this phenomenon appear in early childhood. At the age of two or three years, I think. It is then that the developing children's imagination plays a cruel joke on us. In fact, fear of the dark is not that uncommon among preschool children. This is quite normal, I would say. Moreover, almost every child experienced this fear.

A child left alone in a dark room is not able to see the entire surrounding reality. Due to the lack of light, many objects lose their outlines, transform and look slightly “different”. And the brain begins to independently fill in the missing details, objects, draw objects that, perhaps, do not exist at all. I won’t say why (perhaps it’s still connected with the same genetic memory), but all these outlines often have a sinister character. This is one of the reasons why small children are afraid to sleep with the lights off.

There are also various experiences of the child, his (again, often negative) impressions, memories that have not passed over time. But this is all about the emergence of a phobia in early childhood. Does it happen that a phobia appears in an adult? Happens. Experts give the following reasons for this:

Fear of death, which is often hidden behind the fear of the dark, but has no less influence on consciousness. When fighting nyctophobia, you need to start by eliminating the fear of death.
Feeling of oppressive darkness. An individual, left alone with himself at night, involuntarily begins to experience irrational fear due to the feeling of “pressure” of the darkness.
This is unlikely to lead to the appearance of a phobia, but, nevertheless, our experiences, which are based on a subjective reflection of past events, may prevent you from getting enough sleep at night. Watching a horror movie or reading a scary story (or anything similar) is included in this point.

Signs of a phobia

The most pronounced sign of scotophobia/nyctophobia is a person persistently avoiding any darkness. Towards evening, he turns on the lights everywhere and leaves them on while he sleeps, does not go out late, does not go into rooms where it is twilight. Often justifies his actions to others. Talks about poltergeists, murders in alleys without streetlights and sleep apnea.

The sufferer's symptoms manifest themselves on two levels - mental and physiological.

Psychological:

non-recognition of one’s pathology (it is the nyctophobe who will claim: “I’m not afraid of the dark! I’m not sick! I don’t need help!”):
fear of being alone at home at night;
without light - a feeling of hopelessness, despair;
dark alleys, streets and parks are avoided even in company: a nycphobe will foam at the mouth to convince everyone of their danger;
TV or radio is on all night;
panic attacks when suddenly turning off the lights or entering a dark room;
at night the door to the bedroom does not close, the curtains do not close, some kind of dim light (night light) is constantly on;
searching for an explanation for your phobia;
talking to yourself out loud;
loss of self-control - inadequate, passionate desire for light;
irrational, inexplicable rituals performed to prevent imaginary threats from the darkness.

Physiological (manifest when entering darkness, at night):

a sharp rise in pressure;
rapid pulse;
tachycardia;
muscle weakness;
hysterics;
tremor, trembling, chills;
headache;
stunned;
loss of voice, stuttering;
increased sweating;
stale breath;
insomnia, sleep apnea, nightmares;
pain in the abdomen.

Stages of disease development:

To successfully treat nyctophobia, psychotherapists break the chain of development of the disease in the sensation-consolidation-feeling section.

Diagnosis and treatment of nyctophobia

Diagnosis of nyctophobia occurs during a clinical interview. After talking with the patient and collecting anamnesis, the specialist prescribes treatment in accordance with the individual characteristics of the patient. The main methods of treating fear of the dark are prolonged exposure and systematic desensitization - treatment methods from the tools of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, during which a person learns to get rid of the symptoms of his disease. The psychotherapist discusses with the patient fears and images that are associated with the situation that frightens him, as well as the likelihood of their occurrence in reality. Verbalization of one’s experiences, their transfer into a conscious, logical field is an opportunity for the patient to confront his fear, and not to be its victim. Through exposure to darkness and active actions aimed at fear, the patient quickly copes with the phobia.

Another important aspect of the treatment of nyctophobia is meditative techniques that help the patient relax in stressful situations and take control of their fear. When a person is afraid, fear paralyzes him, tension occurs in all the muscles of the body, and the person has no opportunity to work with his phobia. The psychotherapist helps the patient master the tools of meditation in order to correctly respond to fear and be able to reduce its intensity. It is very important not to leave such phobias unattended and contact a specialist in a timely manner. Timely diagnosis and treatment of nyctophobia helps to get rid of the obsessive fear of the dark within a month of working with a specialist.

Diseases and disorders

Fear of the dark test

1. Late evening. You are alone at home. Suddenly the lights went out throughout the entire street. Your actions?

a) Go to bed.
b) In a panic, you will start calling someone: the State Electrical Network or someone close to you. As an option, go to your neighbors. Just not to be alone!
c) Light candles and try to distract yourself: surf social networks on your phone, listen to your player.

You had to return home late at night. It's a 10 minute walk. How will you get there?

a) Call someone you know, wake them up and insist that they come for you.
b) By taxi.
c) You can get there on foot.

At night, do you open the bedroom door wide, leave the curtains open, and turn on the night light?

a) The door is open, but the curtains are drawn and there is no night light.
b) Yes it is.
c) The door is closed, all the lights, even dim ones, are turned off, the curtains are drawn.

Do you watch horror movies at night?

a) Yes.
b) No.
c) You try to watch during the day, but if a situation arises where the company is going to do it in the evening, you will not refuse.

What scares you in the dark?

a) You are afraid to even talk about it.
b) Absolutely nothing.
c) Sometimes you may be frightened by an incomprehensible rustling sound.

Does it take you long to fall asleep?

a) Not really.
b) Instantly.
c) For a very long time.

You woke up from a nightmare. Your actions?

a) It’s hard for you to imagine this because you’ve never woken up from a nightmare.
b) Try to fall asleep again.
c) Drink something calming to help you fall asleep again.

In the dark, do ordinary objects often seem scary and fantastic to you? For example, is the robe a ghost?

a) Every night.
b) Sometimes.
c) Never.

Calculate your points:

Interpretation of results:

0-5 points - you are a very brave person who has absolutely no fear of the dark, you have a strong nervous system;
6-11 points - you, like many people, are sometimes afraid of sharp sounds and inexplicable rustlings in the dark, but this fear does not go beyond the norm;
12-14 points - a state close to nyctophobia, it is worth taking measures to get rid of fear;
15-16 points - you suffer from nyctophobia and need to consult a specialist.

Only a psychotherapist can make a more accurate diagnosis.

When to ask for help

It is not always possible to cope with fears and especially phobias on your own. If emotions are too strong and unpleasant, prevent you from living a normal life and are difficult to control, this is a reason to go to a psychiatrist, neurologist or psychologist.

You should also definitely seek help if you:

experiencing severe anxiety and panic attacks;
you can’t sleep because of fear;
experience pronounced physical manifestations of fear: tachycardia, difficulty breathing, heart pain;
Are you afraid to meet with friends in the evening, go to a corporate party or to the cinema just because you will have to spend part of the time in the dark.

How to get rid of it?

To clarify the diagnosis, you need to make an appointment with a psychotherapist. If it is confirmed, a strategy and tactics are developed on how and with what to treat nyctophobia. Of medications, only sedatives and sleeping pills are prescribed.

What psychotherapeutic methods are used to get rid of a phobia:

psychoanalysis;
Gestalt therapy (if the cause is childhood trauma);
Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy;
art therapy;
play therapy;
hypnosis;
cognitive behavioral therapy.

The most effective way to rid children of nyctophobia and scotophobia is fairytale therapy. The psychotherapist tells instructive stories involving those monsters and fears that frighten a child in the dark. It could even be role-playing games. Gradually, the realization comes to him that this is all made up, which means it’s not scary at all.

The disorder can be overcome on your own if you use the following techniques and techniques.

Self-reflection

The technique is performed in the first half of the day. Ask yourself: “Why am I afraid of the dark?” On a separate sheet of paper, write down your fears. Re-read each point and evaluate how real and dangerous it is for you. You will see that most of the reasons are completely unfounded. Dispel the myths and convince yourself that nothing threatens you at night.

Evening rituals

Write down your evening in detail after dark. These should be clear, daily rituals that the body (brain, consciousness) will soon get used to and stop panicking when night falls. What actions are welcome: listen to calm, relaxing music; take an aroma bath with soothing herbs; drink a glass of warm milk; read something good and bright; play with your pet. All this relieves stress and prepares for a good, full sleep.

Switching

Develop a specific algorithm of actions for what to do when an unaccountable wave of fear begins to roll in. For example: turn on the lights everywhere; Drink a glass of warm water in slow sips; open the window to ventilate the room; call a friend (boyfriend) or go to the neighbors to distract yourself. Write down these step-by-step instructions on paper or on your phone and keep them within reach at all times.

Confidence

Tell someone that you suffer from scotophobia or nyctophobia. There's no shame in this. Let this be a person you trust, who will never reproach you for being sick, who will not mock you and who will not tell anyone about your problem. It's important to talk to someone.

"Kill the Monster"

What scares you most often in the dark? If there are rustles or sounds, find their source and try to eliminate it. Noise from the street - install soundproof windows. The cat wanders around the house - for the sake of your own peace of mind, give it to someone you know and keep some fish in the aquarium. The clock is ticking loudly - replace it with others. If, when night comes, monsters are seen in pieces of furniture (hangers, mirrors, ironing boards, curtains), remove these things so that they are not visible from the bed. Or arrange everything so that the lighting falls on them differently (sometimes it is precisely this that distorts the silhouettes beyond recognition).

Independent use of the techniques and methods described above is quite possible, but not always effective. Only a psychotherapist can professionally tell you how to get rid of nyctophobia and fear of the dark forever and in the shortest possible time.

Why is there a fear of the dark?

In psychology, there are categories of children who are most susceptible to achluophobia. These are kids whose parents do not pay enough attention to them and are often left alone in the dark. It is believed that children who do not have siblings or brothers, excessively vulnerable children growing up in conflict-ridden, single-parent families are also prone to pathology.

Sometimes the problem occurs in younger patients who are overprotected. A child or teenager may develop fear of the dark after watching a frightening film, but in this case it is most often short-lived.

The causes of nyctophobia also include:

lack of control over the environment. It is known that the main information about the outside world enters the brain through the organs of vision. When the lighting is turned off, a person is deprived of this ability, as a result of which he feels insufficiently protected;
developed imagination. Most often, people with a wild imagination are afraid of the dark. Such individuals mentally complete the fuzzy silhouettes of the objects around them, giving them a frightening character;
negative events of the past. Acluophobia manifests itself if there have previously been unpleasant experiences, fright and other events associated with darkness. This most often happens to children and significantly affects the further development of the psyche;
fear of death. Nyctophobia and fear of death are quite similar concepts. Many people associate the death of a person with the onset of darkness. In this regard, in the absence of lighting, nyctophobes have dark thoughts about their mortality.

Most adult patients with achluophobia admit that their existing fears were passed on to them from their parents. Psychologists have found that if a father or mother has ever been afraid of the dark, their child will get the phobia with a probability of at least 80%.

Additional recommendations

What do psychotherapists recommend to nyctophobes in order to somehow reduce the level of anxiety and improve the quality of life:

Do not watch horror films, do not read creepy and dark works, do not listen to scary stories.
Don't look at your news feed in the afternoon.
Breathe more fresh air, exercise, eat right - lead a healthy lifestyle.
Communicate with pleasant, positive people.
Don't allow bad thoughts.
Do yoga, meditation, breathing exercises.
Arrange the interior of the apartment in light colors. All rooms should have good lighting.
Listen to pleasant music.
Before going to bed, give up gadgets.
Leave the night light on while you sleep.

Most often, a nycphobe is not able to cope with a scourge alone. He needs help and support from loved ones. Therefore, the latter also need to follow some recommendations of psychotherapists:

do not enter into arguments with a nyctophobe about the fact that his fears are stupid and unfounded;
do not ridicule his suffering;
do not focus on the phobia;
don’t force yourself to overcome your fear;
Don't treat him like a patient.

Treatment should be comprehensive: work with a psychotherapist + self-reflection + help from loved ones. As practice shows, 2-3 months of such collective work are enough for a complete recovery.

Ways to prevent fear in children

The development of fears in a child depends on upbringing. Ignoring a child’s requests and unwillingness to help him has a bad effect on his psyche. Because of ignorance, fantasy and imagination are triggered.

Lamp for sleeping

To prevent your child from having nictophobia, follow these recommendations:

If your child asks to sleep with the light on, allow him to do so. You can purchase a small lamp that will evoke positive associations.
You cannot question a child’s words. Talking about your problem and being ridiculed is everyone's biggest fear. Listen carefully and show care and affection. Mom's kiss and hug are the best medicine in this case.
It is forbidden to aggravate fear. The phrases “if you don’t sleep, Babai will come”, “if you don’t go to bed, a monster will appear at night and bite you” frighten the child. He may become very hysterical.
The child should be explained that overcoming the fear of the dark is not at all difficult. To do this, you can play together with the lights off. This could be a search for certain items. Let the child take a flashlight and try to find the gift.

Another effective way to overcome a phobia is to tell your child about your own fears.

You can play traveler with your child: imagine that the house is a dark tunnel from which you need to find a way out.

Toy - protector in the dark

Together with your child, make his guardian animal. It is important that it is a nocturnal animal: a hamster, an owl, a bat. When darkness falls, he will know that he is being guarded.

Consequences

If nyctophobia is left untreated, in children it develops into a full-fledged mental disorder by the age of 18. In adults, according to statistics, it is diagnosed in every tenth person. This pathology can have serious consequences for life and health:

constant stress;
stroke;
heart attack and death as a result;
schizophrenia, various psychopathologies;
suicide;
sleep apnea;
irreversible changes at the chromosomal level, which lead to accelerated aging processes.

As practice shows, by the age of 50-60, nyctophobia disappears by itself. The exception is schizophrenia, which only worsens the course of the disease. Although people with this diagnosis rarely live to this age.

Nyctophobia (scotophobia) is a serious mental disorder that cannot be tolerated and must be treated by a specialized specialist. Otherwise, it will not only ruin the quality of life with constant stress and lack of sleep at night, but will also lead to severe cardiovascular diseases.