How can I get over my fear of the dark?

Question

Ok im 14 and im scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaared of the dark. Whenever I hear a sound or something I jump. Sometimes it feels as if though there is someone walking in the house even when i know there isnt. Im so paranoid that omgaaaa I actually CHECK my closet. I think thats going overboard. Seriously. It mostly the dark i hate cause thats when I get paranoid. I love to hear scary stories too and i cant stop wanting to hear them. GOSHH. so do you know any ways I can get over this fear of the dark and paranoidness?

The hall lights always on.

Answer 1

sure it's easy
all fear is a lack of knowledge of what you dealing with used to have a fear of confined spaces
i cure that by forcing myself into a dark confined space ( a freezer we used to keep in the garage )
i made sure the freezer was well packed
i climbed in and shut the lid ( the lid was not latching )
and at first began heavy breathing as the panic set in
i then focus not on the darkness ( i had closed my eyes ) but focused instead on slowing down my breathing to a normal level, this in turn calmed me down
from there i slowly open my eyes
i realized i was in pitch darkness
i was also alone when i did this
then i just sat ( or rather was semi crouched )
for about 5 minutes
i would open up the latch
and repeat
until i could do it for about 15 minutes at a stretch ( i made sure i could breath by leaving the top lid slightly cracked open )
1 session like that and i was cured
later on there was a new housing tract being built next to the tract that i was living in
i would go over there in the daytime and walk ( stooped ) inside the big sewer pipe mains as they were being laid in the ground, once you got in about 100 feet it was pitch dark, and quiet. I used to rest and sleep inside the sewer pipe ( they were new so there was nothing inside the pipes ) to further make sure darkness was not an issue. We also had a creek bed at the end of our tracks. I would go with a baseball bat into the creek bed at night ( there were coyotes in the area ) and go into the creek bed to be there in the darkness and listen...... to the animals in the night... skunks, raccoons, coyotes... it was neat. I got a true appreciation for the "nightlife" that was out there. I no longer fear the dark, nor night time animals, I do not believe in ghosts, there fore cemeteries at night are no big deal

i cure my fear of dig dogs by first learning a little about dogs in general
dogs only respect the alpha-male in a pack
dogs bark out of fear
and that a quiet non wagging dog is a dog to be respected, but not feared
that dogs have internal drive for food and sex that is always present

once armed with that knowledge i began approaching big barking dogs
i would always carry a hot dogs in my jacket pocket
on my approach the dogs would stop barking as they would smell the hotdogs and assumed the sit down and beg position
i would then feed it to them
2 per setting
i did this a few times and every time i approached
the would stop barking and assume the position
eventually they stop barking all together and i stopped giving them treats
i then proceeded to escalate my behaviour
i would grab them by the neck in a choke hold position
they would growl at me but then i would reach in my pocket with a hotdog
they would stop
i would repeat
eventually i could come up to the dog and choke him
if he growled i yelled at him ( holding the hotdog in one hand out of his bite reach ) as a sign of dominance
eventually i "broke" the dog as he saw me as the dominate alpha male and would respect me on sight
the choke holds were mild, just enough so that the dog got the message
once i realize how to read a dog i no longer feared them, i respected them and realize not all dogs were properly socialized

Answer 2

To be honest I'm 20 and I never got over my fear of the dark. I just found ways around it. I bought a cheap flashlight, for example, and I keep it by my bed. If I ever get scared, I switch it on. I buy the cheapest batteries so it doesn't matter if I wear them out by keeping it on all night. I guess that way it's never completely dark...but it's not very light either. So I think it's more sensible than cowardly!

Answer 3

i had to live out in the wilderness by myself a little while and i used to have the same scared feeling about the darkness.In the woods you do hear things and my dogs would even act funny and that really scared me.
what i did to cure this one scary night i looked around at all the spots that scared me most.The darkest most scary spot is the spot i walked right into the middle of it and i looked around and i knew there was no darker place than where i was but when i was in darkest spot i wasnt afraid any more and i studied the same spots in the daytime and couldnt believe how scared i was of it in the dark.So i suggest you go into the darkest spot or make up your own scariest story and see how that works for ya

Answer 4

It is said that light and all universe created by God. That means God was living in the dark. I think that the dark is dark only to worldly creatures; not for all. When you think as above, I think, your fear for darkness may fly away permanently.

Answer 5

Try leaving on a night light, I have done that- I'm not happy w/ the dark either-I guess it's called , "Fear of the unknown", and even if we're safe, we still may fear dark- I even have a nieghbor , {shes in her 80's} , and has always feared the dark-

Answer 6

hmm what i would suggest is that keep your light off for a short period of trime and then keep living the light out for a bit longer and keep going unitil gradtually u will start to overcome the darkness or if it still dont work leave ya door open and put the corridor light on or another room light on so you can see the light through the door and then turn your light off hope that helpt in anyway. good luck

Answer 7

Don't watch scary movies -nothing could happend on dark room ( in case u know the people around you) and try not having those bad imagination things

Answer 8

Have something to distract you. I have a clock that ticks next to my bed and I also sleep in completely dark so I can't imagine things in the darker areas.

Answer 9

Face you fear. Remember, what comes out in the dark, will come out in the light.

Answer 10

just realize that there isnt anything there, you shouldnt be scared of the dark in your house, in the woods while alone is a different story...