agoraphobia (fear of crowds phobia ) meaning and treatment

 

nyctophobia (fear of the dark)causes& symptoms &Treatment

Are you afraid of the dark? Is your fear normal or abnormal? You want to discover if your fear is natural or not, in the following lines I will give you the basic causes of fear of darkness, and ways to treat them, and I will combine them for you with some valuable tips to avoid the fear of the dark.

nyctophobia (fear of the dark):

We will talk about what is the fear of the dark? What causes nyctophobia, and How do you stop nyctophobia?

What is the fear of the dark? 

Fear of the dark or the so-called Nyctophobia is common among children and even some young people, as the rate of fear has been estimated at 30% among children in the world.  Sometimes it is fantasies, so he becomes afraid of the dark, as is the case with young people. Most fantasies come from horror movies like" fear street", and scary stories to tell in the dark, so he gets panic and anxiety, which pushes him to avoid darkness and his activities. 

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causes of nyctophobia:

What are the causes of nyctophobia?

Nyctophobia or the so-called fear of the dark, the causes are many and the fear is one, the lack of security can be among the reasons, also the loss of self-confidence is one of the biggest causes of fear of darkness, and the frequent watching of horror movies that in itself take darkness as a means to frighten viewers because it is usually dark  It hides in it unknown dangers, which sends into the psyche of the viewers fear, panic and anxiety, which are the biggest causes of phobias about the fear of the dark.

Children, by nature, have a wide imagination, so you find them imagining frightening shapes in the dark, such as monsters, and terrifying creatures.

You find that they do not distinguish between what is real and what is fiction, and they perceive everything that is in the dark as a threat, so they are terrified, and they are dominated by a phobia of fear of darkness, As for children from 3 to 6 years old, this is a natural fear, not a phobia.

Children with a fear of the dark experience extreme distress when in the dark, or even just thinking about the dark, which can cause health problems.  This prevents them from engaging in activities such as going to school.

Fear of the dark is not inevitable that you have a phobia. The darkness is not the main cause of fear. It could be something else than what we mentioned previously, but if this fear is controlling you or your child irrationally, here it can be considered a phobia of darkness.

symptoms of nyctophobia:

Fear of the dark causes several health problems. The symptoms are either physical or sensory, as they appear on the person with a fear of darkness. 

     1. physical symptoms:

as these symptoms activate when being in the dark.

• The physical symptoms are tightness and difficulty in catching their breath.
• as well as rapid heartbeat and pain in  Chest.
• trembling in the body with sweating.
• sleep disorders.
• and others suffer from stomach upset with mild dizziness.

     2. sensory symptoms:

• sensory symptoms are loss of control and panic.
• feeling an urgent need to escape from darkness
• and a feeling of inability to move

Treatment of nyctophobia:

Treatment of nyctophobia, in some cases the fear of darkness does not require treatment by the psychiatrist, but rather requires some instructions from the parents, but if the fear is irrational and you avoid some situations because of this fear, and you are in this condition for more than 6 months and it causes you psychological problems, It is necessary to consult a psychiatrist so that he can diagnose the injured, and the diagnosis is based on questions about the symptoms, and questions about the psychological history of the injured, or one of the families, where fear may be hereditary.

• Exposure therapy:

The patient is exposed repeatedly to his fears so that he can overcome them. The person with the fear of the dark is exposed to darkness gradually until he gains confidence in himself and gets rid of his fear. As for children, it is better not to leave them in a room alone. Parents must be with them, leaving the lights on, then gradually turning them off.  And he told some beautiful stories, to remove his fears, and enhance his self-confidence.

• Relaxation therapy: 

The phobia of darkness causes anxiety, stress, and insomnia, for this reason, doctors advise relaxing, performing exercises, meditating, and taking a deep breath, because it helps to get rid of the stress and anxiety caused by Nyctophobia. 

•  Medication: 

The psychiatrist prescribes some medications for anxiety disorder and depression, but medication is not always the appropriate treatment for phobias, especially in children. Caring for your child, following upon him, and knowing all his fears, enables you to raise him and help him overcome all his fears, and provide him with protection.