At one point or another, almost everyone I know has had Achluophobia. The fear of the dark is not surprisingly a prevalent phobia, and it has been found to cause many different people needless panic and distress.
Although, unlike many other types of phobia, a variety of potent medications are commonly prescribed for fear of darkness, there can be severe side effects or withdrawal symptoms.
Moreover, there is no way drugs can cure any phobia. It is not so easy to overcome the fear of the dark, but it can help you better understand how safe the dark can be and help you enjoy it without any form of anxiety.
Fear of the dark is one phobia that goes by more than a single name. It is popularly known as Achluophobia but also called myctophobia and scotophobia.
It is common knowledge that fear of the dark is a phobia that haunts almost everyone in childhood, but while most of us outgrow it, others continue to live with it in later life.
Even though most adults know that no monster is hiding under the bed when it’s dark, the fear is intense and overrides logic.
Like any phobia, fear of the dark may arise at any place and time for several reasons.
However, happy hypnosis is one of the effective ways to treat many fears and phobias.
What Are the Symptoms of Achluophobia?
Fear of the dark causes several physical symptoms. It can cause severe panic attacks and prompt people to stay apart from their loved ones.
It causes physical symptoms such as rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, and general dread.
However, it is worth noting that everyone with achluophobia experiences it uniquely and may have varying symptoms.
The light at the end of the tunnel for people with a fear of the dark is that there are modern, quick, drug-free processes that are designed to train your mind to feel totally different from the dark or anything related to darkness, eliminating the disturbing fear, so that you never feel haunted by it again.
Cons of Living With Achluophobia
If you or anyone you know is living with a fear of darkness, you may wonder what the actual cost is to your everyday life and the things and people that matter to you.
Altogether, avoiding your phobia would mean sentencing yourself to a life of constant fear, missing out on several beautiful life experiences, wishing you could live a healthy life like everyone else, and incurring high electricity bills since all your lights will be on all day.
Possible Causes of Fear of the Dark
Like most other fears and phobias, Achluophobia is not created by the person but by the unconscious mind as a defense mechanism.
For most people, at some point in the past, they probably experienced an event that links darkness with maybe an emotional trauma, but that’s not the case for everyone.
The condition may also be triggered by videos, stories, or even watching someone else go through bad experiences related to the dark.
How to Handle Fear of Darkness?
It may be difficult to deal with fear alone, so you must find help. You must teach yourself to fully control your emotions and live past your fear of darkness.
You will need to take quick steps to train your unconscious mind to associate several happy and positive feelings with the stimuli that cause the phobia, and you will quickly learn to deal with the root cause of your phobia.
Some people have used hypnosis to treat their fear of the dark, but you are not advised to do so.
There are other modern techniques that your therapist may suggest. You have acquired freedom once you have successfully trained the unconscious mind to feel safe and respond appropriately when in the dark.
Achluophobia is not an illness, but it can affect your life negatively. Do not be too afraid to seek help from a professional, as it is difficult to go on the journey without help.
