My Fear of Mirrors

[Lunair]

I never knew why I always felt uneasy looking into mirrors so I didn't look into them for very long or if was doing my makeup I would take breaks (look away so often). It started when I hit adolescence and first put on makeup to cover my flaws. I always felt that if I stared into the mirror too long something would happen (whether it was bad or good I didn't want to know).

Even in my dreams mirrors presented something strange, they either reflected what I wanted to look like or maybe something evil deep down inside that was trying to claw its way out but couldn't cus my conscious side was stronger. Whatever it is to this day I can't even look in a mirror for too long especially when the lights are off for fear that something that's not me will look back.

P.S. I will never look into a mirror with just a candle as its only light source, who knows what will happen.

[Kassandra]

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Hi Lunair. It sounds like this really traumatizes you. Phobias like this can grow and grow in your life if you don't check them. As with any trauma, it helps to get some counseling to process it, and to develop healthy approaches and techniques to cope with it. Here's an article that may shed some light on what you're going though:
http://mentalhealth.answers.com/phobias ... other-side

The best.


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[SnowCat]

I have a similar feeling about mirrors, though not as pronounced. I don't like to look in a mirror with only a nightlight or candle as a light source. I feel like something else would be looking back at me.

Snow

[Lunair]

I already did counseling when I was younger but that was court ordered due to my parents having a custody battle over me and my sis(it was either counseling or still having to continue to go down to my ex-dads, so we chose counseling). We changed counselors so much that we just got sick of it and could finally quit. A counselor is not what I need, but thank you for your concern. Maybe I should face this fear head on by doing the candle thing in the dark, I'm just nervous about that thought.

[SnowCat]

Work your way up to it. Look into a mirror, very briefly, using slightly dimmer lighting than normal. Then work your way up to longer looks with less lighting. Something causes these fears, strange as they are. We have to face them, but facing them in tiny increments is okay.

Snow

[Lunair]

Thanks snowcat that is something I could try just slowly working my way up.

[AdastraJunction]

Think back to when it first started. You said it happened during adolescence to put on makeup to cover your flaws, that staring to long something would happen.

Think on that a moment. We all often look into mirrors, women especially (for hair and makeup and the like)... what in yourself at that point in your life would you not have wanted to see within yourself? They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, could you have perhaps have not wanted to see something in your own eyes and self that disappointed you in some fashion? Most fears have a root cause and if you can pinpoint that and face it that could be a starting point to face what it is about mirrors or yourself that you do not wish to see.

Its just a thought, maybe it isn't the mirror that you truly fear but something in yourself that you never wanted to face and have forgotten.

[Kassandra]

Think back to when it first started...could you have perhaps have not wanted to see something in your own eyes and self that disappointed you in some fashion? Most fears have a root cause and if you can pinpoint that and face it that could be a starting point to face what it is about mirrors or yourself that you do not wish to see...maybe it isn't the mirror that you truly fear but something in yourself that you never wanted to face and have forgotten.

That's more what I was sensing, as well.




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