Fears and fears are emotions that are bornin our subconscious. Fears are needed in order to protect us from possible danger, they were once "developed" by nature as the main priority for survival. Therefore, we can say that this feeling is given to us for our own good. The problem arises when fear becomes irrational, and a person begins to fear even where there is no value at all. Fear of darkness - it is also called ahlufobia - is one of such irrational fears. A person suffering from akhluofobii, believes that some unknown evil can harm him, as soon as he remains in a dark place. This fear can affect him to such an extent that he not only can not enter a dark room, but even fails to fall asleep if the light is turned off in the bedroom. How to stop being afraid of the darkness of such people and is it possible to overcome ahluophobia in general?

How is fear of the dark treated?

As we have already said, ahluophobia isirrational fear. Every man was ever afraid to be in the dark. But usually it happens due to some specific reason, and after its elimination the fear of staying in the darkness passes. When, however, fear invariably returns again and again without any apparent cause, one can speak of its irrationality. A person suffering from akhluofobii simply escapes from his fears, and that is why they remain and continue to pursue him. Agree - if you are afraid, but do not even try to change something in the current situation, and you simply avoid that which causes emotional tension, the fear will never pass. There are various treatments for the most persistent and severe forms of this phobia. One of them is exposure therapy, when the patient, under the supervision of specialists, again and again plunges into a situation that causes him fear, until he is convinced that nothing threatening his life in it. If the patient is too frightened to get direct contact with a frightening situation, systematic desensitization can be used, a method of therapy that can help in the treatment of anxiety and phobia without direct exposure to the source of fear. With systematic desensitization, the situation that you are afraid of must be transferred to a slightly different level. For example, in case the patient is afraid to stay in a dark room, then he is offered to stay in the dark not alone, but with someone. Then he stays alone in the same room, and the second person is in the next room, the door remains open. Then the patient remains completely alone in the dark room with the door open, then - when closed, and so on. After you share your fears on several levels, you should try to experience each one by controlling your emotions. If you managed to pass a certain level, feeling relaxed, then you must move on to the next; and so on until you can pass them all. And, finally, to help you conquer your fear of darkness can cognitive-behavioral therapy. Agree, every fear is anticipated by the thought "I'm afraid of it!" And because our emotions are caused by thoughts and are in some sense our beliefs, it is the change of certain beliefs that can prevent the unwanted emotions that they cause. This applies to the fear of the dark. After changing your ideas about the darkness, you will no longer be afraid to stay in unlit places.

How to cope with the fear of the dark

The darkness, terrifying many smallchildren, no less horrendous leads to some adults. While children usually outgrow their fears, about twenty-eight percent of the adult population still has this or that anxiety disorder, including fear of darkness. To get rid of this fear, you can take simple measures. After reading our advice, you will find out what you need to do to calm yourself or help alleviate the suffering of a loved one who is afraid of being in the dark. Work on your consciousness must be done slowly and systematically, and then you can cope with this irrational fear. Go to your goal step by step:

Determine the cause of your fear, and henceforthtry to avoid what subsequently can cause you such a reaction. If, for example, a worrisome state becomes aggravated after watching a scary film, then stop watching such films at all, so that in your subconscious mind the images provoking a fantasy game and then attacks of fear in the dark do not take root.

If you are afraid to fall asleep, then before going to sleepbrowse photos that capture some happy moments of your life - for example, a birthday party or a merry party with friends. This will dislodge unpleasant thoughts from your head.

Going to bed, take a fewlarge pillows and put them around you. You will have a feeling that next to you there is someone big, soft and warm, who wants to hug, and you will not feel completely alone in bed. On the contrary, you will have a sense of security.

Use the time when you are lying in bed,but have not yet fallen asleep, to train your imagination. Remember an interesting scene from a book or movie (just not scary!) And scroll it in your mind, making yourself the main character. Imagine to the smallest detail how you are dressed, how to comb and painted, what you say, how you move, how your presence affects the course of events. If nothing interesting comes to mind, then just dream about something pleasant.

Do not go to bed with a head full of worries. You really can not fall asleep, because you are afraid of monsters under your bed, or nevertheless you can not sleep from what you think about those problems that you will have to solve tomorrow? If the cause of your anxiety is still the second reason, then proceed as follows: in the evening make a list of tasks that need to be solved the next day, and then put it aside and this evening forget about tomorrow's affairs. The fact that you have drawn up an action plan for the coming day will reassure you, because the range of problems ceases to be blurred and uncertain and it becomes clear how they can be solved.

Listen to your favorite music before bedtime, which would help you to calm down and relax. It is very good to fall asleep under special music for relaxation or to the sounds of nature.

Turn on the night lamp with a muffledlight, if you can not relax in total darkness. It's better if it's a special nightlight. A bright light will not give you the opportunity to completely relax during sleep.

If you have a pet, then the very facthis presence will be a great comfort to you. And it does not matter who it is - a cat that can sleep in bed, cuddling to your feet or warming your side, or a dog that is ready to stand up every second for the protection of your beloved mistress; even the monotonous sound from the filter working in the aquarium or the rustle of the spinning wheel in the hamster's house will relax and soothe you.

It will be better if you close for the nightdoor in his bedroom. If you like that it still remains open, then move the bed so that you do not see a dark corridor when you are lying in bed. You can even ignore this connection, but the corridor darkening behind the open door can induce your subconscious mind to send a signal to the body: "Be afraid of the dark space, there can lurk and attack the enemy!" - this is a very ancient subconscious reflex. Therefore, it is better not to provoke your imagination and close the door. In extreme cases, you can install a second night lamp in the corridor.

Try to talk to yourself when youfear will begin to prevail. Persuade yourself: this terrible rustle - just a rustle of leaves that move under the breath of a warm breeze; all living beings are now asleep, comfortably settled in soft beds or in warm burrows. When you are afraid of obscure shadows, then turn on the logic and try to identify them, rather than imagine that these are the silhouettes of monsters or ghosts. If you still can not calm down, put a few books or some other heavy objects near you. Convince yourself that in case of an attack on you you can use these items for self-defense.

If you hear an unclear noise under your windows,then, instead of thinking about intruders, give then then the full will of your imagination, just think about something good! Imagine that these magical gnomes are moving on tiptoe around your house, trying to surprise you and decorate the walls with flowers and ribbons, or the elves fly under the windows, guarding you and guarding your peace. They will never harm you! And remember that any sounds inside the house - for example, creaking floorboards or self-opening doors of the cabinet - are just the result of the expansion or contraction of the tree due to the varying temperature or humidity of the room.

Close your eyes when you lie in bed. Most often this is the best way to prevent yourself from concentrating on the strange shadows falling on the wall from the window or from objects illuminated by a nightlight. And if you are disturbed by sounds, the earplugs, which excellently block external influences on hearing, can help you.

If you live not in your home, but in an apartment, thenworry about any sounds and not worth it: they all can come from other people who are also in this building. The creaking of floorboards, a muffled knock and the like are audible at night simply because one of the neighbors can not sleep and probably they walk around the room or do something. Also, you can remind yourself when you suddenly become afraid that there are so many people around you, and if something happens, they will hear and come to the rescue. Especially if you and your neighbors have a good relationship. In that case, you can even agree with them about a conditional signal that you will give them in case of danger so that they can help you.

Sometimes it's not the darkness that gets in the way, but the feelingisolation at night. That's why some people sleep under the included TV or radio, thereby creating the illusion of being among other people. But such a dream can not be full and gives the brain the necessary rest. Try to put within reach your mobile phone - just for your own comfort, so, "just in case." You can negotiate with someone close to you that you can call if you can not fall asleep or wake up from fear, and this person will talk with you so that you calm down. Only, of course, do not abuse someone else's patience. Although it is unlikely that you will need such night calls - most often the very idea that you can make this call, in itself is soothing.

If you are experiencing special difficulties withby falling asleep, create for yourself a special ritual that you will perform in the evening. It will be very good if you include meditation or special yoga exercises in this ritual that will prepare you for a peaceful sleep. Even such a simple thing as even and deep breathing while listening to relaxing music can help to clear the mind of any anxiety and anxiety. You should understand that the stress that accumulates during our daily activities can only increase the problems with your imagination, so you need to get rid of it with the help of these relaxation methods.

Use common sense. Remember that monsters, ghosts and demons are unreal! Do you know a lot of reliable cases when it was proved that people encountered a similar one? If such stories come up, then they are all based only on assumptions, and not on specific facts. Most often, such messages appear only for one purpose - to arouse public interest and to get some benefit from it. So why with you it could happen not in the imagination, but in reality ?! And also - if there was no invasion of monsters or ghosts in all previous nights, when you were just as scared, why should this happen today?

Talk about your fears with someone you care about.especially trust. Often a close person who sincerely wants to help, finds such a solution to a problem that you never even thought of. And it will be easier for you to voice your anxieties. You will inevitably disappear the feeling of isolation that arises when you have to hide from everyone your condition and experience it all alone.

If frightening thoughts appear and repeatconstantly, the most reasonable on your part will be to seek advice from a specialist. A doctor of the relevant specialty or a psychologist will be able to properly diagnose your condition, determine the degree of its severity, and select for you an effective strategy that will help you get rid of the fears that are tormenting you quickly and forever.

And the last tip. Create a diary in which you could describe all the stages of your struggle with the fear of darkness. Write down also in your diary all observations of your condition: what caused you a new wave of panic, and what, on the contrary, raised the mood and made you forget your unpleasant and frightening thoughts. By systematizing these observations, you can understand how to stop being afraid of the dark and tune into a more optimistic mood. To be able to quickly raise your mood, collect in the diary pictures, stories and quotes that once could cheer you up, and watch them when you feel sad. The main thing that you need to remove from your life a depressing phobia is to start a systematic struggle against it. Do not wait for fear to go away by itself, act against it purposefully. Believe in yourself, in your own strength, and this faith will help you cope with any fears! We advise you to read:

Comments

comments