Although many people are afraid of the dark in childhood and overcome this fear later, some people are afraid of the dark even though they are adults. No matter how normal this situation may seem, these people actually have nichophobia, that is, a fear of the dark.
Although it seems like an innocent phobia, it can actually lead to very troublesome situations for people who have this phobia. Let’s start our article by explaining exactly what the fear of the dark (nichophobia) is.
What is nicophobia that turns into a nightmare at night?
Nicotophobia can be defined simply as fear of the dark, anxiety in dark environments, not being alone in the dark, and being unable to sleep. But this fear is extreme, perhaps most of us are afraid of the dark, but people with nytophobia can hear voices in the dark and see things that aren’t actually there (like turning a hanger into a monster).
People with nicophobia avoid any areas where there is not enough light. They stay indoors after sunset and spend less time outside in the evening. In addition, nicophobia is known as the biggest trigger of insomnia. For people with this phobia, we can say that it is almost impossible to sleep in an environment without light.
What could be the causes of nicophobia?
- traumatic events
- genetic factors
- long-term stress
- environmental factors
- human evolution
Yes, it could be argued that even human evolution has something to do with nicophobia. In fact, these substances can be cited as the cause of not only nicophobia but also most phobias.
So what are the symptoms of fear of the dark?
- Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
- sweating excessively
- thinking and worrying about scary things
- increased heart rate
- Nausea, vomiting when contemplating the dark
These are quite serious disorders, and if you are experiencing several of these symptoms at the same time, you may have nytophobia and it is recommended that you consult health institutions and doctors immediately, because this phobia can progress and become impossible to treat.
The emergence of nicophobia may even have a connection with our ancestors.
Most people attribute the cause of this phobia to technological devices and the horror movies watched, but according to some studies, the fear of the dark goes back to our ancestors.
Years ago, when our ancestors lived in the open air, they had to be awake in the dark in order to survive, as predators and nocturnal animals roamed around, so this phobia is thought to have arisen.
How do nicophobia attacks happen?
In general, even the mention of the dark triggers this fear for people with this phobia. When exposed to the dark and not avoiding the dark, attacks occur, these attacks cause more physical and mental damage than is thought. However, let’s not forget that in such cases, getting support from a specialist psychologist and diagnosing is very important for the treatment process.
Different effects of fear of the dark in adults and children
Although the fear of the dark is mostly a phobia in children, it is known as a phobia that adults can have. Of course, nictophobia in children has many differences from phobias in adults. Let’s take a look and compare them:
in children
It is normal for most children to feel restless in the dark. However, as the level of this restlessness increases, it can turn into a phobia. Since children cannot fully distinguish between dreams and reality, they can perceive the scary events in books and movies as real at night. Over time, this opens the door to sleepless nights for children.
in adults
Adults can experience nicophobia, although it is less common as people age. While it’s normal to be a little nervous about the dark (i.e., you might not feel safe walking around in the middle of the night), nighttime phobia is often known to be an all-consuming emotion. The idea of being in the dark may seem unbearable, and this fear affects your quality of life.
Adults with nicophobia may also experience insomnia and other sleep-related symptoms. As a result, they may feel particularly tired during the day. They may also avoid traveling, sleeping elsewhere, or going out at night so as not to expose themselves to their fears.
Is it possible to prevent nicophobia, which usually occurs in childhood, by parents?
Although the diagnosis and treatment should be done by specialists, the mother and father have a great role in the treatment process. As with all phobias, the only remedy for this phobia is known as exposing it to the phobia.
The main purpose here is to keep the child in the dark and to instill in the child that the darkness is not actually a dangerous thing. Of course, attacks may occur during this process, which is why it is recommended that specialists conduct the treatment process.
How is nicophobia (fear of the dark) treated, how is it treated?
Diagnosis is very important for the treatment of nicophobia. In the previous parts of our article, we talked about the importance of seeing a specialist immediately if there are symptoms. Because nicophobia is a more dangerous phobia than many phobias. If this disease, which occurs frequently in children, is not treated, it may be irreversible in the future.
If we come to the subject of how the treatment is done, like every phobia, it is necessary to be exposed to the phobia in order for this phobia to pass. Accompanied by experts, the individual exposed to darkness is instilled in the fact that the darkness is not as dangerous as they think and will not harm them.
In addition, breathing techniques can play a big role in reducing nicophobia attacks. Although it is necessary to benefit from a psychologist in the treatment process, family members also play a major role in the treatment process.
It can be said that nicophobia is a little different from other phobias. Because darkness is an element that is everywhere in our lives and it is a situation that people would never want to feel uncomfortable with. Nicotophobia is a phobia that can poison our lives if not addressed.
Although most people overcome this condition in childhood, in adulthood, this fear becomes even more unbearable. As in every disease, early diagnosis is very important in this phobia, so if you have one or more of the symptoms mentioned above, we strongly recommend that you see a specialist and wish you all a healthy day.
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