Can someone help me overcome my fear...

Question

i have the fear of the dark. i dont like sleeping with the lights off but only if someone is next to me. how do i over come this fefar. what i have been doing since i was real little i would leave the tv on or put it on but my older bro hates it and he likes it pitch blk and its weird cuz i will go in the basement alone in the dark and i do relize tht scary movies arent real but i cant have the light off or i will flip out also i cant shut my door and my closet has to b open. for some odd reason. can someone help me ovecome my fear. i just think tht i have an overactive imagination cuz these pictures will come to my mind and its like im in a scary movie and i hate it.

Answer 1

Find a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist....  You can even google for "fear of the dark phobia" and see what comes up; there should be good pointers on how to give yourself less and less light until you get to needing no light at all.  

Answer 2

I am years & years & years older than you and the same thing still gets me from time to time. On the occasions that it does I leave the kitchen light on all night.

I can offer consolation - the older we get the less often it happens.

Best wishes. UK

Answer 3

get sum nite lights...turn the radio on..listen to it as u fall asleep..

Answer 4

i have that problem too,

what you do is just clear your mind and walk slowly.

don't jump up and freak about it, just stay calm

don't think about like what could happen,

just be calm

Answer 5

First of all you're not alone. You should probably stop watching the scary movies though as they seem to get to you. It would be good for you if you took it a step at a time like use a dimmer light than you have at the moment and gradually fade it over few weeks or something. Or if you're not ready for that you could put your tv or a light on, on a timer so it will turn itself off once you have gone to sleep. What you could do is try keeping the lights off for a night but have a working torch by your bed just in case. Also having some calm music on quietly helps.  Good luck =]

Answer 6

listen to ur mp3 player in the dark and have ur eyes clesed its so relaxing

Answer 7

you have to trick yourself, like by thinking that the things at night only go after bad people and you aren't bad so they have no reason to get you.

Answer 8

Try Hyomatizm, but on the cheaper side of things try everything a little ata time. Like if you hae a roommate. have them come in after you are asleep and shut your door or closet door turn off your tv. ect that is what we did with our cdaughter. We would turn off her night light and then her radio and eventually she just stopped using them.

Answer 9

Everyone has an irrational fear of the dark, no matter how big or small... You can gradually get rid of the fear by dimming the lights slightly or getting a dim lamp, and gradually dimming the lights every day, until you are more comfortable sleeping in the dark, and soon you will get used to the habit of switching the lights off at night. In other words, 'wean' yourself from sleeping with the light on.

Answer 10

You just have to do it bud......turn out the light and go to bed.....you'll fall asleep eventually........focus on thinking about something else, or think about the words to a song...think about anything other than things that go bump in the night......