Nyctophobia: Fear of the Dark And Overcoming It

By Abraham E. Donovan
Nyctophobia or fear of the dark is an irrational fear that normal people feel when in dark places. Phobias are irrational fears taking many different forms and are very common among people. They are oftentimes associated as a rational response to a traumatic experience.

Phobias can start as a simple fear of things, animals or events which will develop into panic disorders if no treatment was made. Symptoms of panic attacks are very common and apparent. This includes the following:

• Excessive fear

• Fear of getting insane

• Uneasy feeling of feeling trapped

• Breathing disorders

• Chest pains caused by the excessive fear

• Nausea

• Dizziness

• Disorientation of one's self

• Numbness

• Blushing

• Faster beating of the heart

Panic attacks are oftentimes mistaken as heart attacks and people who have imminent panic attacks are usually taken to emergency rooms. Continuous testing for heart disease can get really expensive while diagnosis of panic disorders may take a long time before an accurate analysis is made.

Once a person is extremely afraid of the dark and has become regularly fearful of it, chances are it has grown into a panic disorder which can get really bad if proper treatment is not sought after. However, fear of the dark can be cured effectively and it usually has a great chance of normal recovery. When treatment is started on the early stages of the phobia, the process of recovery is quick. Results are often satisfying and people will not recognize someone who has undergone treatment from having suffered nyctophobia for years.

During treatment, people who have been afraid of the dark for most of their lives will be taught new ways to recognize things, thus reducing the fear. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a short-term treatment that works the same way as this delivers satisfying results and is very cost-effective. There are also self-help programs available that respond well to people with phobias and various panic disorders.

Normally, this method begins by teaching people how to counter attacks in the future. Worrying too much of the next attack increases the anxiety level of the person with nyctophobia. When Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is exorbitant, self-help programs are a good alternative. One major advantage of self-help programs is the convenience and privacy it gives to the people using it. Other than the mentioned treatments above, hypnosis, self-hypnosis, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications are also common choices that yield quite fulfilling results for the person needing recovery.