The Fear of the Dark (2024)

FAQs

What is the fear of dark called? ›

What is nyctophobia? Nyctophobia is an extreme fear of the dark. The name comes from the Greek word for night. Children and adults with nyctophobia may fear being alone in the dark. They may have anxiety in dark places, and they may have trouble sleeping in a darkened room.

Fear of the dark is a surprisingly common phobia that can cause people to panic when they are in a darkened room and avoid leaving home at night. It may be influenced by evolutionary factors, but frightening experiences can also play a role in the development of this phobia.

Also known as achluophobia, someone with nyctophobia most likely experiences intense fear, anxiety or panic when confronted with darkness or at the thought of being in the dark. A fear of the dark is particularly common in young children, with many of them growing out of their fear before adulthood.

What is glossophobia? Glossophobia refers to a strong fear of public speaking. It is a specific type of phobia, an anxiety disorder characterized by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation.

Scopophobia is an excessive fear of being stared at. While it is not unusual to feel anxious or uncomfortable in situations where you're likely to be the center of attention — like performing or speaking publicly — scopophobia is more severe.

Exposure therapy. Whether you're an adult or a child, exposing yourself gradually to what you find scary, in this case, the darkness, can eventually help you overcome your fear. This can be done by starting in a slightly dark room and decreasing the light every so often until you're left in absolute darkness.

Your child's imagination begins to develop around 2 years old, and often, this is when we see the beginning of fears about shadows, the dark, or imaginary things. Every child is different, but it's very rare to see children under 2 years old struggle with nightmares or have nightmares that interrupt sleep.

Experiencing anxiety when you lie down to sleep at night can occur due to stress, an anxiety disorder, or other health conditions. Depending on the cause, treatment may be medication, lifestyle, or therapy based. Anxiety is a typical human emotion characterized by feelings of nervousness and worry.

1. Social Phobia: Fear of Social Interactions. Also known as Social Anxiety Disorder, social phobias are by far the most common fear or phobia our Talkspace therapists see in their clients.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia refers to the phobia or fear of long words. Feelings of shame or fear of ridicule for mispronouncing long words may cause distress or anxiety. Phobia isn't officially recognized as a diagnosis, so more research is needed.

What is the hardest phobia to cure? ›

Erythrophobia. Erythrophobia, the fear of blushing, can be a much harder phobia to treat than other types. Blushing is a natural bodily response in which blood is more pronounced in areas such as the cheeks or ears. Oftentimes, erythrophobia has its origins in fear of embarrassment.

Zoophobia is the intense, overwhelming fear of animals. Some people feel afraid of one specific type of animal. Others fear all animals. Zoophobia is a type of specific phobia.

Thanatophobia is an extreme fear of death or the dying process. You might be scared of your own death or the death of a loved one.

Nyctophobia is an extreme fear of night or darkness that can cause intense symptoms of anxiety and depression. A fear becomes a phobia when it's excessive, irrational, or impacts your day-to-day life.

Bibliophobia is an intense fear of books or reading. It's a type of anxiety disorder. Books are almost everywhere, and they're difficult to avoid.

Autophobia, or monophobia, makes you feel extremely anxious when you're alone. This fear of being alone can affect your relationships, social life and career. You may also have a fear of abandonment that stems from a traumatic childhood experience.

Stressful or traumatic events, genetics or children being around anxious or overprotective caregivers can increase the risk of being scared of the dark.

A persistent fear of ghosts is sometimes called phasmophobia, a type of specific phobia. It derives from Greek φάσμα, phásma, meaning "apparition" and -φοβία, -phobía, meaning "fear".