I have some sort of phobia and I don't know what it is. Whenever it's dark, specifically pitch black darkness, I feel like I'm suddenly claustrophobic. But this has NEVER happened when it was light, or even slightly light, as long as I could vaguely see my surroundings this never happens but when I can't I feel so claustrophobic, I need to turn on the light immediately. Most people say I'm just afraid of the dark but I don't think so. I told my best friends about it when we were having a sleep over and they told me I wouldn't get scared if there were people in the room. But when they turned off the lights I had to run to turn them on, and catch my breath. I felt like I was having a mild panic attack, but I wasn't. I don't know what phobia this is and I've been searching but I can't find any information. What's this phobia?
Responses (1)
Nyctophobia (greek). When fear of the dark reaches a degree that is severe enough to be considered pathological. It is triggered by the brain’s disfigured perception of what would, or could, happen when in a dark environment. A popular and effective treatment for fear of darkness is cognitive-behavioral therapy, more commonly known as exposure therapy. This, in combination of medications to treat the worst of the phobia symptoms such as panic attack and migraines, can help someone overcome nyctophobia.