Unusual fear? Or is this normal?
So basically ever since I was a child I’ve had a bit of anxiety around certain flashing/flickering lights. Things like strobe lights at parties/shows whatever I was always fine with because I expected them, I’ve always been fine with flashing lights in cinemas or tv shows etc.
It’s more so when I’m in the house (where it’s quieter). My heart begins racing whenever even just the ceiling lights flicker….if I’m in my room at night and my lights are flickering they’re getting turned off immediately. Things like fireworks/thunderstorms etc to an extent as well if it’s unexpected. Yet this is all just at night, if it occurs during the day I’m fine.
Even the tiniest of things; for example, when I was a child I’d go on holiday and I would always want the smoke detectors covered (because of the blinking red light) and it always made me feel really uncomfortable. Like if I’m in the dark and I just see this little red light flash unexpectedly. I still hate it but I’m not as bad with it now.
And lastly it’s not linked whatsoever to seizures/epilepsy as I don’t suffer with them so it’s not associated with anything like that, it’s just general anxiousness I get.
It’s more so when I’m in the house (where it’s quieter). My heart begins racing whenever even just the ceiling lights flicker….if I’m in my room at night and my lights are flickering they’re getting turned off immediately. Things like fireworks/thunderstorms etc to an extent as well if it’s unexpected. Yet this is all just at night, if it occurs during the day I’m fine.
Even the tiniest of things; for example, when I was a child I’d go on holiday and I would always want the smoke detectors covered (because of the blinking red light) and it always made me feel really uncomfortable. Like if I’m in the dark and I just see this little red light flash unexpectedly. I still hate it but I’m not as bad with it now.
And lastly it’s not linked whatsoever to seizures/epilepsy as I don’t suffer with them so it’s not associated with anything like that, it’s just general anxiousness I get.
It is normal to dislike flickering lights and been keen to avoid them.
Plenty of people find them very annoying or disconcerting.
Selaphobia is the irrational fear of flashing lights and this tends to be more serious involving severe feelings of fear or trauma.
Plenty of people find them very annoying or disconcerting.
Selaphobia is the irrational fear of flashing lights and this tends to be more serious involving severe feelings of fear or trauma.
Many people do have this.
It's called selaphobia. There's no real cause that can be pinned down definitively, but there are genetic and environmental factors that have been found to play a significant part.
Does anyone in your family have any anxiety disorders, or a specific phobia? If so, you may have a higher chance of developing this condition. It's just a genetic predisposition to developing psychological disorders.
If you ever had a negative experience with these flashing lights during childhood, then this could develop into selaphobia.
You may have actively avoided flashing lights to reduce your chances of feeling anxious, but doing so may worsen your symptoms long-term, as you're justifying your own fear. I think this is a real possibility here.
If it is really interfering with your daily life, then consider speaking to your GP about it. You may benefit from exposure therapy, CBT, or other options.
It's called selaphobia. There's no real cause that can be pinned down definitively, but there are genetic and environmental factors that have been found to play a significant part.
Does anyone in your family have any anxiety disorders, or a specific phobia? If so, you may have a higher chance of developing this condition. It's just a genetic predisposition to developing psychological disorders.
If you ever had a negative experience with these flashing lights during childhood, then this could develop into selaphobia.
You may have actively avoided flashing lights to reduce your chances of feeling anxious, but doing so may worsen your symptoms long-term, as you're justifying your own fear. I think this is a real possibility here.
If it is really interfering with your daily life, then consider speaking to your GP about it. You may benefit from exposure therapy, CBT, or other options.
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