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The fear of the dark or escotofobia is common in children, leading them to seek an adult before entering a room or a dark hallway or sleep with the light on. Usually, this fear disappears with age, but this is not always the case, and, although it is not recognized, many adults also experience this fear, although it is not so much fear of entering spaces without light, but the fear of staying Alone in the dark in a room
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Not a few suffer, since, according to different studies, 10% of the adult population has a fear of the dark, a fear that began in childhood and that they have not overcome.
It is also common for it to appear after a separation, divorce or after being widowed. In these cases, the fear of the dark in adults is linked to the fear of loneliness derived from that situation. When the person returns to have a partner or overcomes the grief, the fear usually disappears by itself.
Other times this fear can appear as a representation of the fear that the person feels of losing control or not controlling all aspects of their life. Since in the dark we do not see what is there and therefore cannot control it, it becomes a representation of this fear of not being in control.
In the elderly, this fear can also arise as a representation of the fear of death, and it is usually associated with darkness because it is at the time of going to sleep, outside of daily occupations, when most reflect on the proximity of the death.
Treatment of scotophobia
To overcome it, in addition to investigating the true root of it, it is advisable to get used to the darkness in a progressive and controlled way.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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