Is it normal to not be able to sleep at night without the lights on?
Also to be extremely sacred of the dark?
I meant to sleep without someone in the same house
>sacred of the dark
Sounds like a wicked sick cult
My brother is 32, married with kids and although he'd never admit it, I know for a fact he's still scared of the dark. Some fears we just can't seem to shake I guess
>>17144873
No. Neither of these things are normal. How is that a question?
>>17144873
THE MAN WITH THE YELLOW EYES IS BEHIND YOU
>>17145830
Fuck you
>>17144873
Totally normal, nothing to feel alone about. Rational or useful for you? Not at all, you'd probably want to seek one of those programs that try to fix phobias.
So should I seek therapy for this?
Or whatever is closer
I was for the longest time, though I think there are reasons for that. I remember my father hiding in my closet for a few hours before I went to be just to wait until I'd turned all the lights off before bursting out of the closet screaming, grabbing my ankles, and spinning me around over his head in a pitch black room. I was 3-4 at the time, so...
As with all fears, you've just got to get curious about why you're scared. With darkness, it's generally because you're at a complete disadvantage. Most people have issues balancing without a visual marker while shifting their weight, so you feel off balance in addition to not being able to see anything. You don't know how far you can move until you slide forward, and there's a good chance that while you can't see anything else, other things can see you. In a sense, it's normal to be uneasy in dark areas. Though, you also need to understand your environment. Your room, for example. You know every little crevice and detail about it, so losing sight isn't that big of a deal, you can visualize your surroundings and confirm them with touch.
Just keep your breathing steady, your train of thought focused on completing the task, and do it.
>>17146838
LOL for me it's the opposite of your reasoning I can see better in the dark so I take advantage of people
What your body THINKS is happening is that your in an unfamiliar place filled with dangerous insects and animals, and without the perception required to distinguish them. So, not being able to do anything, you tense up and freeze in place. It's a defensive state where your sense of touch is much more keen, and your body is filled with adrenaline to decrease response time should anything come into contact with you.
If you ask me, being able to see in the dark would've been a better evolutionary trait, but chances are it would've affected our daylight sight too.
Either way, you as the governing power of your body have to overrule your instincts in order to conquer your fear of the dark.
>>17146848
That's only applicable when there is ambient light. Nothing can see in absolute darkness. Being with others also provides a degree of aural perception, too. You can hear the way the sound is distorted by the environment and gather an idea of whether or not large obstructions are nearby.
>>17146838
>bursting out of the closet screaming, grabbing my ankles, and spinning me around over his head in a pitch black room. I was 3-4 at the time, so...
Your dad sounds fucking amazing. thanks for the parenting tips.
Does anybody else get sudden boats of paranoia in the night?
I'm usually fine with the dark but a few times I got really scared and thought there was a murderer or a demon in my room.
