5 Ways For Adults to Conquer Their Fear of the Dark

5 Ways For Adults to Conquer Their Fear of the Dark

You know, it isn't just kids who are afraid of the dark. Most grown-ups won't admit it, but deep down inside a lot of us really are as afraid of the dark now as we were when we were very young. Our fears may have shifted from monsters in the closet or under the bed to monsters outside our door, but the fear is very real.There is a certain eerie foreboding about the blackness of a moonless night. Most of us have a healthy fear of what could be out in that blackness - night creatures, human predators, sick people high on drugs. So we might stay inside, lock our doors and windows and watch TV without another thought of the dangers outside because we know we are safe within the confines of our home.But what if you are home alone and your fear goes beyond healthy? Your subconscious congers up emotions that have you jumping at every noise, heart racing, breathing shallow. You actually turn down the TV so you can hear potential noises that could mean someone is lurking in the shadows of your hallways.Your mind tells you there is nothing logical about your fear of the dark. But your subconscious has made a connection between negative emotions and darkness. This is a very real fear, even terror, but it is based on past experiences that you may not have dealt with, rather than on your present safe environment.A few things you can do to lessen the grip this fear has on you are:1. Face your fear. Make yourself stay in a dark closet or room for a few seconds at a time after verifying that there is nothing in that environment that can hurt you. Breathe deeply during those few seconds and envision the fear leaving you. If you can't handle being in the dark for more than 2 seconds, don't worry. Reward yourself for those 2 seconds and shoot for 3 next time.2. Think positive. Any time you feel the negative emotions of fear coming over you, think of something positive - eating chocolate, being at the beach or in the mountains, a bright summer's day. Exchanging the negative emotion for a positive one actually changes the way you feel and think, lessening the fear factor.3. Talk to someone such as a therapist who can help you understand your fear and the origins of it. When you were a child you may have needed the fear as a tool for survival to help you escape an abusive situation or something of that sort, but now as an adult in control of your own safety, you can learn to let that paralyzing fear go.You may be afraid to talk to a friend about your fear, thinking they may look at you like you're immature, ridiculous, silly or childish. But you need to get it out in the open if you really want to get rid of it. A therapist can help you do this with support and expertise and you won't have to worry about hearing "oh, just grow up".4. In spite of electricity costs, allow yourself to keep a hall or night light on at night until you can overcome your fear.5. Invest in some kind of protection by way of security alarms on doors and windows and non-lethal weapons you can keep by your bed at night, such as pepper spray or a stun gun. Once you learn to use non-lethal weapons without hesitation, they will help give you peace of mind knowing that if you ever did have to use them, you wouldn't have to deal with the idea of permanently disabling or killing someone. You would simply incapacitate an intruder long enough for you to escape and call for help.So don't be ashamed of having an extreme, illogical fear of the dark as an adult. There is a reason for it and it is a matter of figuring out that reason and dealing with it. Considering how many years you have lived with this fear, be patient with yourself in learning to overcome the negative and transform it into a positive emotion that you are in control of.

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