Are You Afraid of the Dark? - Never Forgotten: a Foster's Home Community

jekylljuice · 08-07-2009, 10:36 AM

This may seem like a strange question, but I'm genuinely curious to know people's feelings on this matter. It may also strike you as a rather childish fear for someone to still be feeling the effects of in their mid-20s, but I know that we're all above taunting one another for being "childish" on this forum, and I would have to say that yes, I am. Or at least, periodically I am. It has a tendency to come and go, but every so often, I find myself locked in this state of mind in which I can't allow myself to settle down and sleep if there isn't some source of light nearby. This state of mind can go on for weeks and weeks before it subside. The most obvious solution would be to sleep with my beside lamp on, but in today's economic and environmental climate that's hardly ideal, and besides, I feel mighty silly having to do that anyway. An alternative coping technique is to sleep whilst playing a DVD on my laptop - I find that the light from the laptop helps, as do the noises, and, unlike the lamp, the laptop will run out of power within less a couple of hours and shut itself down, by which stage I should hopefully already have drifted off. The only problem is that I do not know how good this actually is for the laptop, and I certainly don't want to put it through this night after night. A better alternative must be found.

Thus, I am curious to know if anyone on Never Forgotten has experienced the same problem and, if so, how they are able cope with it. Additionally what would you say that your fear of the dark (or lack of) might be rooted in? For the record, this fear is usually referred to as "Nyctophobia", which translates to Fear of Night, though it is not so much night per se that I dislike as it is the perceived voidness of darkness. I feel a lot more vulnerable when I cannot see what's around me. Total silence I do not particularly like at the best of times, but at night I find that it just hammers home that voidness all the more - a reason why the sounds of those DVDs often help; additionally, they give me something to focus upon and help take my mind off whatever haunting or irrational thoughts it might otherwise be contemplating. And yes, I'm well aware that it's an irrational fear, and that I'm probably no more at risk where I am at night than I would be during daylight hours, but in practice that doesn't really help me much. I still find night time a disconcerting experience.

Anyhow, thanks for hearing me out, and in advance to anyone who takes the time out to add their thoughts on this.

View Poll Results: Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Yes	2	14.29%
No	12	85.71%
Voters: 14. You may not vote on this poll

08-07-2009, 10:36 AM	#1
jekylljuice Executive Weasel Ball jekylljuice was here. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Posts: 1,568	Are You Afraid of the Dark? This may seem like a strange question, but I'm genuinely curious to know people's feelings on this matter. It may also strike you as a rather childish fear for someone to still be feeling the effects of in their mid-20s, but I know that we're all above taunting one another for being "childish" on this forum, and I would have to say that yes, I am. Or at least, periodically I am. It has a tendency to come and go, but every so often, I find myself locked in this state of mind in which I can't allow myself to settle down and sleep if there isn't some source of light nearby. This state of mind can go on for weeks and weeks before it subside. The most obvious solution would be to sleep with my beside lamp on, but in today's economic and environmental climate that's hardly ideal, and besides, I feel mighty silly having to do that anyway. An alternative coping technique is to sleep whilst playing a DVD on my laptop - I find that the light from the laptop helps, as do the noises, and, unlike the lamp, the laptop will run out of power within less a couple of hours and shut itself down, by which stage I should hopefully already have drifted off. The only problem is that I do not know how good this actually is for the laptop, and I certainly don't want to put it through this night after night. A better alternative must be found. Thus, I am curious to know if anyone on Never Forgotten has experienced the same problem and, if so, how they are able cope with it. Additionally what would you say that your fear of the dark (or lack of) might be rooted in? For the record, this fear is usually referred to as "Nyctophobia", which translates to Fear of Night, though it is not so much night per se that I dislike as it is the perceived voidness of darkness. I feel a lot more vulnerable when I cannot see what's around me. Total silence I do not particularly like at the best of times, but at night I find that it just hammers home that voidness all the more - a reason why the sounds of those DVDs often help; additionally, they give me something to focus upon and help take my mind off whatever haunting or irrational thoughts it might otherwise be contemplating. And yes, I'm well aware that it's an irrational fear, and that I'm probably no more at risk where I am at night than I would be during daylight hours, but in practice that doesn't really help me much. I still find night time a disconcerting experience. Anyhow, thanks for hearing me out, and in advance to anyone who takes the time out to add their thoughts on this. __________________ That's it, The End, But you'll get over it, My Friend.