Nyctophobia in Adults: What it is and How it is Treated in Psychotherapy

Throughout the history of humanity, the night has fascinated members of our species, and it is not unusual that for millennia it has been associated with magical phenomena; In many cultures, those hours of darkness have served as inspiration for all kinds of fantastic stories and stories through which they attempted to explain reality, or at least, the parts of it that could not be understood due to relatively little scientific development.

However, for some people, the night can be a generator of deep discomfort, anxiety, irrational fear and even terror. In these cases we are faced with a case of nyctophobia or fear of the dark.

Although it is more common among boys and girls, this emotional disturbance can affect people of all ages, and in the most problematic cases it is necessary to consult a psychologist as soon as possible. Thus, In this article we will focus on the phenomenon of nyctophobia in adults taking into account that this discomfort is usually overshadowed by the importance of its version that occurs in the childhood period.

Table of Contents

What is nyctophobia?

Nyctophobia or irrational fear of the dark is a phobic-type anxiety disorder characterized by a series of physical and psychological symptoms that the person experiences every time they are in poorly lit places, whether at home or in any other setting.

Fear of the dark is a fairly common fear in young children, generally occurring between the ages of 2 and 7; however, In some people this disorder can worsen and persist throughout adolescence and adulthood remaining as a phobic disorder, or it may even appear in adults who had not suffered from this problem in previous years.

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The appearance of nyctophobia can be due to a wide variety of factors; Some of the most common are usually traumatic experiences that have happened during the night or involve dark scenarios, or an excessive fear of the dark during childhood that persists. However, it is not necessary that these kinds of events have occurred. Sometimes phobias appear without an apparent cause (something that is actually due to a combination of many causes that are more discrete than a traumatic experience).

Nyctophobia can be intensified by a wide variety of catalysts Among the most frequent conditions in which a person with this disorder can find themselves are the fact of having to spend the night alone, being in dark places in the city, going to the cinema or theater where the lights are off, etc. .

Symptoms

As indicated, nyctophobia presents a person with a series of physical and psychological symptoms of discomfort that can affect their physical and psychological health to a greater or lesser extent.

The main psychological symptoms of nyctophobia are typical of the rest of specific phobias ; extreme anxiety, general malaise, tremors, dizziness, rapid pulse, cold sweats, feeling of loss of control over the body, the appearance of catastrophic beliefs, sweating, excessive agitation, insomnia, or the mental block.

Characteristics of nyctophobia in adults

Fear of the dark is usually associated with childhood behavior; Now, if something characterizes irrational fears, it is precisely that they do not depend on the knowledge we have about how the world works, and that is why adults can also suffer from it despite having much more information and experience. than the little ones.

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In this sense, there are two aspects that characterize nyctophobia in adults and that we must add to the rest of the experiences and symptoms that we have already seen. On the one hand, the most common thing for these people is that, from an intellectual point of view, they know that technically they are not in danger when they are in the dark, at least technically; however, they feel like they are not safe, beyond what their most rational and analytical side dictates. So much so that as the minutes go by they tend to generate “exceptions” in their minds about why the rules according to which reality works do not apply to their specific case.

On the other hand, adults who suffer from nyctophobia face the added problem that They are ashamed to talk about their problem, precisely because in the collective imagination that is an experience that only young children experience. That is to say, probably if they suffered from any other type of phobia they would be less hesitant to talk about it and recognize that it is serious enough to have to go to therapy.

How is nyctophobia treated in psychotherapy?

Nyctophobia can be treated in psychotherapy by a qualified professional, who initially carries out a prior personal interview accompanied, if necessary, by a series of psychological tests.

Once the patient’s profile and the levels of irrational fear they suffer from have been thoroughly evaluated, the psychotherapist will proceed to intervene. from cognitive-behavioral therapy one of the most used for anxiety disorders.

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This way of intervening in patients allows the affected person to be helped to change their maladaptive thoughts regarding darkness for more positive ones that allow them to realize the irrational fear they suffer from, and at the same time, it helps them develop behavioral patterns that go along the same line of overcoming fear.

In addition to that, the intervention can also include relaxation techniques, mindfulness techniques, virtual reality techniques and the Exposure or Desensitization Technique. These techniques allow the person progressively come into contact with the source of your irrational fear to the point where you become accustomed to being in the dark and your symptoms gradually weaken.