I think I have a fear of the dark...

babybear · 01-04-2009, 06:20 PM

For as long as I can remember I have had a problem with this. It used to be TERRIBLE when I was a child until my teens. Now it is just really bad whenever I go on holiday. It gets so bad that I actually can't face going on holiday anymore as I end up being a nervous wreck throughout the day. I cannot sleep at night because I am terrified someone is in the house and is going to come and kill me. I can't leave my room to check, I can't leave my room even if I desperately need the toilet or a glass of water. I stay up for hours. It is better if I have someone in the room with me but even that no longer works. If no one is in the room it is 1000x worse. I sit up have to have the light on, clutch my phone ready to call the police. Listen out for all noises.. my heart will be racing. I dread the night time... feel fine during the day could easily lie down and sleep then. I dunno it's not really at my house at home except for when I have to leave my bedroom at night to go to the toilet. It's just particularly bad on holiday. Just can't see how this is normal behaviour. I don't know what to do or if i went to my doctors what to even say. i feel like a doctor would not see this as a big enough problem to deal with and would tell me to do more exercise or something lol...

babybear · 01-04-2009, 06:28 PM

From what I remember when I was very young I watched a film about witches that completely terrified me and caused me to stay awake like every night for years thinking the witches were going to come into my house and kill me... that's all though nothing major. Apparently when I was 3 years old my dad had to sleep with me on christmas eve because I was so upset at the thought of santa coming into our house while we sleep... i think i've always been this way.

Stella Sleepwalks · 01-04-2009, 06:39 PM

My cousin of the same age suffered from Nyctophobia (fear of the dark) until he was 22 and a half. It would affect him in the same ways, and eventually he went to his GP for some sleeping tablets, to embarrased to say why he really had insomnia. He would take them, then when he fell asleep his gf would switch the lights off. This interfered with his sex life too much, so she gave him an ultimatum, so he went back to his GP and explained the situation.

His GP explained that it is an anxiety issue. Prescribed a mild anxiety med (which can take a while to kick in, and refered him to a therapist. He wasn't comfortable with the therapist, although the meds helped him, he wanted to come off them eventually, and he found a few self help books which really helped.

MNM · 01-04-2009, 06:49 PM

I used to be pretty bad with the dark. I used to have my parents keep the halllway light on all night until I was around 15. Then the light broke and they intentionally didnt fix it so I could get over it. And it worked I dont mind the dark now.

paranoiac543 · 01-04-2009, 06:55 PM

No one should be inside your house if all the doors and windows are locked.. Cognitive behavioral therapy would probably help a lot. They change the way you think. You should probably look into therapists that specialize in that.. In the meantime maybe you can carry a powerful flashlight with you at all times?

littlestar · 01-04-2009, 08:06 PM

I cant say i am a big fan of the dark myself.

I usually sleep with my bedside light on low and some light music in the back ground i do find this helps.

Crush85 · 01-04-2009, 08:15 PM

I have the same problem too. I hate the dark. When I was child I grew up watching horror movies all the time, so I think that played a huge part in that. I'm 23 and I still sleep with some sort of light on. Pretty pathetic.

01-04-2009, 06:20 PM	#1
babybear Offline Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 185	I think I have a fear of the dark... For as long as I can remember I have had a problem with this. It used to be TERRIBLE when I was a child until my teens. Now it is just really bad whenever I go on holiday. It gets so bad that I actually can't face going on holiday anymore as I end up being a nervous wreck throughout the day. I cannot sleep at night because I am terrified someone is in the house and is going to come and kill me. I can't leave my room to check, I can't leave my room even if I desperately need the toilet or a glass of water. I stay up for hours. It is better if I have someone in the room with me but even that no longer works. If no one is in the room it is 1000x worse. I sit up have to have the light on, clutch my phone ready to call the police. Listen out for all noises.. my heart will be racing. I dread the night time... feel fine during the day could easily lie down and sleep then. I dunno it's not really at my house at home except for when I have to leave my bedroom at night to go to the toilet. It's just particularly bad on holiday. Just can't see how this is normal behaviour. I don't know what to do or if i went to my doctors what to even say. i feel like a doctor would not see this as a big enough problem to deal with and would tell me to do more exercise or something lol... __________________ --Personality is born out of pain--

01-04-2009, 06:28 PM	#2
babybear Offline Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 185	From what I remember when I was very young I watched a film about witches that completely terrified me and caused me to stay awake like every night for years thinking the witches were going to come into my house and kill me... that's all though nothing major. Apparently when I was 3 years old my dad had to sleep with me on christmas eve because I was so upset at the thought of santa coming into our house while we sleep... i think i've always been this way. __________________ --Personality is born out of pain--

01-04-2009, 06:39 PM	#3
Stella Sleepwalks Offline Gold Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: England Gender: Female Age: 27 Posts: 1,027	My cousin of the same age suffered from Nyctophobia (fear of the dark) until he was 22 and a half. It would affect him in the same ways, and eventually he went to his GP for some sleeping tablets, to embarrased to say why he really had insomnia. He would take them, then when he fell asleep his gf would switch the lights off. This interfered with his sex life too much, so she gave him an ultimatum, so he went back to his GP and explained the situation. His GP explained that it is an anxiety issue. Prescribed a mild anxiety med (which can take a while to kick in, and refered him to a therapist. He wasn't comfortable with the therapist, although the meds helped him, he wanted to come off them eventually, and he found a few self help books which really helped. __________________ You Gotta Go There To Come Back

01-04-2009, 06:55 PM	#5
paranoiac543 Offline Bronze Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Gender: Female Age: 19 Posts: 338	No one should be inside your house if all the doors and windows are locked.. Cognitive behavioral therapy would probably help a lot. They change the way you think. You should probably look into therapists that specialize in that.. In the meantime maybe you can carry a powerful flashlight with you at all times? __________________ My friend texts me like ''what does idk mean?'' And I was like ''i don't know'' And she was like ''omg no one knows!''

01-04-2009, 08:06 PM	#6
littlestar Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Australia Gender: Female Age: 26 Posts: 3,296	I cant say i am a big fan of the dark myself. I usually sleep with my bedside light on low and some light music in the back ground i do find this helps. __________________ If you do nothing, nothing is going to happen, if you do something, something might happen, The Future is yours, do something about it!

01-04-2009, 06:49 PM	#4
MNM Offline Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Gender: Male Age: 18 Posts: 21	I used to be pretty bad with the dark. I used to have my parents keep the halllway light on all night until I was around 15. Then the light broke and they intentionally didnt fix it so I could get over it. And it worked I dont mind the dark now.

01-04-2009, 08:15 PM	#7
Crush85 Offline Silver Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: California Gender: Male Age: 24 Posts: 390	I have the same problem too. I hate the dark. When I was child I grew up watching horror movies all the time, so I think that played a huge part in that. I'm 23 and I still sleep with some sort of light on. Pretty pathetic.