is this normal...?

Question

is it normal 2 be afraid of the dark even if your not a little kid anymore. i am 12 years old and i will be 13 in just a little over 2 months. it's not that im afraid of the dark it's what is in the dark that scares me. i can't even walk through my house at night alone without half of the lights turned on. my aunt says i will grow out of it but she has been saying that 4 the past 3 years. most of my friends think im weird because of it and some of them have calleb me a baby. is this normal??

i ment called not calleb

the only time i'm not afraid is in the summer if i just got done swimming and i'm laying outside looking at the stars or in the winter when i know nothing bad will happen and the snow makes it alot brighter.

Answer 1

Don't worry about it - I'm 20, and I'm still afraid of the dark sometimes. Like if I'm downstairs in my parents house and have to turn of the lights, after I turn a light off I kind of panic and run until I get to the next part. My dorm room is small enough that my computer lights it up enough at night, but at home I either have to leave my computer open on purpose (which is hard to do since I don't have a desk in my room), or leave the TV on and only turn it off once I'm safely in bed and under the covers. This one time last term, someone set of the fire alarms in the middle of the night, and after that I couldn't go back to sleep until I turned my nightlight on.

When I was little I used to sleep with all the lights on in my room, and I think I did that at least sometimes until I was probably 13 or 14, and I'm definitely a lot better about it now, so there's still hope.

Anyhow, you're 12. Like it or not, you're still a kid. Lots of kids your age are still scared of the dark as just a "kid thing" that they'll eventually grow out of. Heck, there are even some unlucky kids out there that wet the bed until they're like 14.

Basically, you may still grow out of it, and even if you don't, it's still not really a big deal. No matter how much your friends might tease you about it, I'm sure their all scared of something too. Spiders, rats, and snakes are common ones, but I've been terrified of squirrels for as long as I can remember. If you think about it, being scared of the dark kind of makes sense, because even though you're actually safe, not being able to see what's around you is a potentially dangerous situation (it's your biological instinct to be scared of being eaten by a bigger animal, even though that's not really a threat under normal circumstances, but even just tripping over things is an inherent hazard of the dark). Squirrels, on the other hand, are a completely irrational thing to be scared of. So don't feel silly about it :)

Answer 2

Yes, it's normal. When I was your age, I knew a few like that. I also had a teacher who taught us that hell was real, and I was then scared of the devil coming to get me! I think you should try to imagine something positive in the darkness; that worked for me. I think everyone (whatever age they are) are a little scared of what's in the dark (walking home alone at night etc). Don't listen to your friends - teenagers make fun of everything, and I'm sure they have much worse problems.

Answer 3

I wont tell my age but I'm old enough to live alone and I do live alone. I have times when I'm still afraid at night. Dont let pressure from your friends upset you. You are completely normal.

It would be good if you could find a way to not be afraid. Maybe if you had a small flashlight to turn on when you are walking through your house at night. I keep one beside my bed, mostly to prevent me from having accidents but also to help me see.

Good luck

Answer 4

It is most likely a phobia. something most have happen when you where little and you never really got past it. Try walking around your room with the lights on then try to remember what is in that room then turn the lights off. That might help some.

Answer 5

It's normal for some people. I had to sleep with a dimmer switch set on low until I was about 14. And for the same reason: I didn't know what was in the dark. It didn't help that all I watched were horror movies.

Answer 6

Don't worry, I'm 16 and I'm still afraid too. In fact I never was afraid as a kid, I only became like this recently. It's very normal, but if it's really bothering you, you might want to talk to someone about it, or try to rationalize your bad thoughts. Tell yourself your not afraid, and try not to think about it too much, it only makes it worse.

Answer 7

Yes it is normal. Honey, I am 38 and when I was first divorced and moved home to live alone I was scared of the dark, I was scared to go outside when it was dark, so I know what it's like.

Answer 8

Are you afraid of the dark all the time or just sometimes?
I would stop watching scary movies for one thing.
Do you have a dog, that would help give you some confidence.
Ask yourself what you're afraid of.
Did anything bad ever happen to you?
You will grow out of it but you could also talk to a counselor to help make you feel better. :)

Answer 9

Honey I'm in my 20's and still afraid of the dark!! There's no way I'll walk ANYWHERE when it's pitch dark.

Answer 10

my wife is 55 and she is still afraid of the dark.We live in a rural area and have tried to get her to go riding after dark in the mountains and ride in the four wheeler..it took her a year but after she finally gave in she kind of got over it..so don't feel bad we all have our fears..