To still believe in monsters?

How did exposure therapy to zombies work?

That has always been my dream if I win the lottery. I feel you might have unlocked a new fear and ruined it now. 😱🤣

I'm not scared of the dark when I'm in bed. I loke it dark and can't relax if someone leaves the landing light on and I can see it under my door.
I'm not afraid of being outside in the dark either.

I do really hate walking around my house in the dark though. It really gives me the creeps. Especially going upstairs, I want to run up like someone is chasing me!
I also don't like looking out of the window in the dark. I live in quite a quiet area and I feel like there might be a creepy figure like Jason Voorhees or something lurking out there 😆

I do think that yours is a more serious anxiety though OP. Maybe some kind of therapy might help.

YABU to be afraid of monsters. YANBU to be afraid of the dark. I hate not being able to see, it makes me feel vulnerable and unsafe.

i'm scared of the dark & hate windows at night.

My idea of hell is a big detached house in the country 😆

Get a couple of house rabbits! Seriously, I used to have a pair of bunnies and when the first died I brought his brother into my room so he wouldn't get too lonely out in the shed. He was incredibly fierce and would growl/scrabble at anything that got in his space without his express permission. He was death to all monsters.

Also, rabbits are awesome.

Can you use logic & facts to help you?

Logic:

1. You have been alive about 10,000 days.
2. Even if they did exist, in that time, a monster has never ever came anywhere near you.
3. The only monsters/zombies you have encountered are in films or computer games - never in real life
4. Past performance is the greatest predictor of future performance.
5. There is absolutely nothing to indicate that you are anything but save for the next 10,000 days, like you were for the last 10,000.

sorry that was my pathetic attempt at humour.

A strong imagination can be great if you’re a writer or a film maker - but it can also be a disadvantage when it comes to things like sleeping alone and hearing a noise!

Try to avoid scary films and stories and watch something funny before bed ❤️

I am wondering where you found the zombies to take part in the exposure therapy !
Honestly lots of us have irrational fears so be kind to yourself. .

Could you be autistic @GarlicBreadStan ? What you said about taking things literally made me think of this.

Even if zombies existed, they would not last very long. Meat decays quickly once there is no blood pumping through it.

I'm in my 50s now, and hardly ever think about the FMW any more, even with what's going on in the world, and it sounds like you are moving in the right direction.

Half the battle is knowing that it is possible that this will fade, that you don't have to live with it forever.

I am glad to think my experience might have helped you and I wish you well.

I think you could do with some counselling or psychiatric treatment.

My thing was nuclear war. It started at school, with the cold war still raging and information films we were shown about 'what would happen if...'

It carried on for years. If we'd had somewhere to put it, I'd have seriously thought about investing in a bunker. I used to panic about hearing the four minute warning and having nowhere to go.

Eventually it did subside,and I think yours will, too. I do understand mine was a little more rooted in an actual possibility, but there are similarities. It might help to think like this:

1). If it happens, what can I realistically do about it? In my case, if the four minute warning went off, since I had nowhere I could get to in four minutes, lying awake every night wouldn't change it. In your case, lying awake worrying isn't going to stop a Zombie attack, so you might as well get some sleep.

2. There is nothing wrong with keeping the light on. If it's your mental talisman against the night, it doesn't matter how old you are, it's not hurting anyone and it's helping you. Find other things that help as well. I found watching something pleasant, gentle and cheery on TV helped push the four minute warning further back in my mind.

3. Don't dwell on feeling foolish, that just adds another layer of misery. You have a fear that is real. It doesn't matter that it's a fear of something that isn't real. It's no different to people being afraid of insects that can't harm them, etc. So treat it as a real fear, and do some research on techniques to help overcome fears.

Millions of people have fears and phobias that can be crippling. I feel for you. I hope it helps in a small way to know you aren't alone.

I don't believe in fictional creatures especially when there are so many evil people walking amongst us.

I watch far too much crime/ horror fiction and real life documentaries, it's probably not healthy for me to choose that as a hobby tbh.

I need the dark to sleep but that doesn't stop me from thinking there are bad things lurking there. DH was away when the last series of Uncanny was on and I made a huge mistake in watching it on my own and scared myself shitless. I'm much more worried about the paranormal than about real men breaking in. But I read on here (so it must be true!) that ND people are more likely to imagine this stuff.

The only monsters are the human ones who walk amongst us. Protect yourself from them.

I'd also ask yourself to look online at the origins of belief in zombies, because it isn't the UK.

EtA It is from somewhere very far from Nether Wapping or wherever you are and came about in a specific place for a a specific set of reasons.

Girl same I’m afraid of the dark for same reason. I’m 41