Nyctophobia is a fear very common in young children. This phobia can also be present in adults. Nyctophobia is the fear of darkness and it often passes as a child grows. There are causes of this phobia and treatments to help the child over come it. This illness has symptoms that can help you detect if you have nyctophobia.
There are not many known causes to why this phobia has developed in children or adults. Two known factors that cause children to develop Nyctophobia are television and movies. Telling scary stories, especially if told while in the dark, can cause this phobia to occur also. Parents should try to prevent their children from watching scary movies or hearing scary stories to keep their child from having this phobia.
There are not that many treatments for nyctophobia but some do exist. Psychotherapy is a treatment. All this is is an interactive process between a person and a qualified mental health professional. Hypotonic therapy can also help to get rid of this phobia. Those two treatments above are usually used for the most severe cases of nyctophobia. For the less severe a simple night light can help.
Symptoms for this phobia vary. Some are palpitation (rapid beating of the heart), chest pain or discomfort, choking or smothering sensations, dizziness or lightheadedness, feelings of unreality, tingling in the hands and feet, hot or cold flashes, sweating, and trembling. These symptoms all fall in as either a physical, emotional, and/or mental reactions. Those who suffer from nyctophobia generally experience fast heart-beating, sweating, hard time breathing and overwhelming fright. The extremity of the symptoms depends on how severe the subject’s case of nyctophobia is.
Nyctophobia should be taken seriously. Even though this phobia affects most children who have vivid imaginations, this does not mean that a child with a non vivid imagination is not as risk. People with this phobia are lucky that there are treatments to get rid of it. However, there may be people who will die with this phobia.