How can I stop being afraid of the dark?!
Question: How can I stop being afraid of the dark.?
I have been terrified of the dark my entire life. Is there any way to become less afraid of it.?Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Yep face it, force yourself into it, over and over and over again until you get used to it and you don't fear it anymore.
Its called Exposure Response Therapy. You face your fear until the fear subsides. You may even panic in the situation you fear but you have to ride the panic and high anxiety and high feelings of fear out until they subside.
Make a heirarchy or what you are afraid of from the least fearful to the most fearful and face one at a time. Are you afraid of a dark bedroom, walking down the hallway, going in the basement, usually the heighest one for fear of hte dark is being in like the woods alone in the dark. Right down every little scenario you are afraid of and then rate it from 1-10 of fear factor for you. Then face them one a time.
For example, you are afraid of a dark bathroom, you rate it a 2 out of 10 for fear for you. So you face it first. You sit in the bathroom in the dark and feel the anxiety and fear rise. You stay in that fear until it subsides. This is very important, do not leave the situation when the fear rises, this is what holds the fear. The fear HAS to subside before you leave. Then once it subsides, leave the situation and take a breather. Do this repeatedly, (there is no magic number of times, could be 2, could be 100), until you walk into the bathroom with very little if any fear.
Then move up to the next situation on your hierarchy, like a dark hallway, continue the pattern...it takes a long time, lots of courage and patience, but the only way out of fear is through it
good luck
xHealth Question & Answer
Its called Exposure Response Therapy. You face your fear until the fear subsides. You may even panic in the situation you fear but you have to ride the panic and high anxiety and high feelings of fear out until they subside.
Make a heirarchy or what you are afraid of from the least fearful to the most fearful and face one at a time. Are you afraid of a dark bedroom, walking down the hallway, going in the basement, usually the heighest one for fear of hte dark is being in like the woods alone in the dark. Right down every little scenario you are afraid of and then rate it from 1-10 of fear factor for you. Then face them one a time.
For example, you are afraid of a dark bathroom, you rate it a 2 out of 10 for fear for you. So you face it first. You sit in the bathroom in the dark and feel the anxiety and fear rise. You stay in that fear until it subsides. This is very important, do not leave the situation when the fear rises, this is what holds the fear. The fear HAS to subside before you leave. Then once it subsides, leave the situation and take a breather. Do this repeatedly, (there is no magic number of times, could be 2, could be 100), until you walk into the bathroom with very little if any fear.
Then move up to the next situation on your hierarchy, like a dark hallway, continue the pattern...it takes a long time, lots of courage and patience, but the only way out of fear is through it
good luck
xHealth Question & Answer
i guess if it is very important to you, you will have to train yourself to get used to the dark. start with switching off your night light. then start doing other things to get used to the dark. sit outside in the evenings - things like that- eventually you will outgrow your fear, and realize that you have left that behind with your childhood.Health Question & Answer
do you know why you are afraid of the dark.? If not, ask your parents, if you have them. I was terrified of elevators until I saw a show about facing your fears, then I started getting into every elevator that i passed. I still don't like them, but I am no longer scared of them.
A good relationship with the Lord Jesus, would do a world of good.Health Question & Answer
A good relationship with the Lord Jesus, would do a world of good.Health Question & Answer
i was extremely terrified of teh dark until went to a church lock in. we played this game where one of the staff ppl would take 2 ppl and hide them in the same place. it was the middle of the night and we werent allowed to turn on lights or use any light source(cellfone, ipod) we were roaming around this huge church in the middle of the night for about 20-30 minutes eachgame and we played 3 times. i havent been afraid of the dark sense. i actually sort of like it now. i kno this doesnt help you much, but u could get a night light or go to a church lock in. try asking them to play this game. and u dont need to grow up, everyone has their fears. try walking around ur house when its dark. do it during a sleepover or something, so if u panic ur friend can turn on lights. just navigate around, like go get a pencil, go find ur tv remote, just wander around. if u have stairs, be sure to include them.Health Question & Answer
Okay you can get a nightlight.
Or what I do is...I know it kind of sounds chessy, espicially since I never go to church. But I sleep with my Bible. I feel safer that way. Because I am really into paranormal stuff and that scares the s**t out of me some nights, so sleeping with my bible really helps.Health Question & Answer
Or what I do is...I know it kind of sounds chessy, espicially since I never go to church. But I sleep with my Bible. I feel safer that way. Because I am really into paranormal stuff and that scares the s**t out of me some nights, so sleeping with my bible really helps.Health Question & Answer
yeah to think everything is fine nothing will get you if you lock the doors. its something you have to try really hard to not be afraid of it. Health Question & Answer
grow up!Health Question & Answer
the best way to overcome a fear is to face itHealth Question & Answer