How To Overcome Fear Of The Dark

Everyone has faced this. You are alone in a room and suddenly the lights go out. Fair enough, but after sometime a sinking feeling sets in. Suddenly some stories and incidents come to mind that shouldn’t be thought in the dark. You are confronted with unknown terrors that cannot be banished through rational thought. That’s the power the dark has over us. Shadows hold the darkest secrets, the unknown. It is a tendency inherent in man to fear that which is not known. Since you cannot see anything in the dark, the mind conjures up images that reflect our greatest fear. The fear that something indescribable “is always near” is forever in the mind. Children, naturally, fear the dark and it shouldn’t be any cause for worry, but when the fear starts leading towards the irrational then it is classed as a phobia called nyctophobia. It affects both children and adults alike. So, its very necessary to get rid of this fear. Read the article below to know how you can overcome the fear of the dark.

 

Fear may be emotional but in most cases it is not logical. The problem is that fear numbs the mind so much that the person cannot exercise his or her logical faculties. In that case some other person must take the responsibility of explaining that the fear is illogical. Gradually the victim must be taught to apply logic to the situation.

 

You see a shadow in the corner and curl up on the bed not daring to go to the next room. In situations like this investigation can drive away your fears. Instead of sitting, switch on the lights and see what the shadow is. In this way you can counter your fear with facts. When we are in fear we tend to see images and the best way to drive these is to counter it. If you can’t switch on the lights then throw something at it, like a pillow. More often than not you will manage to drive out a cat or your sibling.

 

Since darkness is the best friend of fear it is always better to locate a source of light. In case you cannot find any, start picturing to yourself the various object near you. And say them aloud. Like you can say that “on my right is the TV”, “on my left is the cupboard” and so on and so forth till you can visualize everything.

 

Learn to relax. Read inspirational books or anything that warms the heart. Thrillers and mystery novels are great as they engage your complete attention. In this way when you are faced with fear you can relax your selves and think about these things.

 

Sounds funny but when you are alone and fear grips you, act as if you are not alone. Talk to yourself like you would talk to a friend. Better still sing as you can make yourself oblivious to the fear. The trick is not to remind yourself of the fear. As long as you don’t realize fear, you won’t have fear. Also remember that silence heightens the fear and so hearing your own voice, either in singing or in talking, goes a long way in driving it.

 

If the fear is extreme then psychotherapy is advised. In therapy the root cause of the fear is analyzed and the patient is slowly brought to terms with it. The therapy goes on or an extended period of time and varies from individual to individual.