Melanophobia (Fear of the Color Black or Dark Colors)

What is melanophobia?

You may have melanophobia if you have an extreme fear of the color black. This phobia isn’t an official medical diagnosis. If you’re extremely afraid of the color black, your healthcare provider might diagnose you with a specific phobia, which means fear of a particular situation. The fear is much greater than the actual risk of danger.

Many people with a specific phobia have multiple phobias. If you’re living with melanophobia, you may also have:

• Autophobia: Fear of being alone.
• Chromophobia: Fear of colors.
• Nyctophobia: Fear of the dark.
• Samhainophobia: Fear of Halloween.
• Selenophobia: Fear of the moon.
• Thanatophobia: Fear of death.

What is a phobia?

It’s natural to be fearful of things that feel unsafe or uncomfortable to you. Common fears include blood, snakes and heights. While some people may have melanophobia, it’s possible to be extremely afraid of other colors (chromophobia). These things may make you feel anxious, but they don’t usually disrupt your daily life.

Phobias are more intense fears that worsen despite significant efforts to avoid them. Seemingly simple situations may remind you of the phobia. You may go out of your way to avoid them. These thoughts and actions can take a toll on your well-being.

Do I have melanophobia?

If you have melanophobia, seeing or thinking about anything black can cause intense fear. Some people experience such intense fear that it leads to panic attacks.

In many people, these feelings stem from what dark colors represent:

• Danger.
• Darkness.
• Death and mourning.
• Despair.
• Evil.
• Feeling lost.
• Loneliness.
• Night.

If you’re experiencing signs of melanophobia, contact your healthcare provider. Being honest with them about your feelings is often the first step toward getting better. Your healthcare provider can offer reassurance and connect you with helpful therapies.

What causes melanophobia?

Potential melanophobia causes include:

• Genetics: A family history of mood disorders means you may be prone to anxiety disorders and specific phobias.
• Environmental factors: If you experience emotional trauma related to the color black, you’re more likely to have melanophobia. Many cultures associate the color black with death and mourning.

What are melanophobia symptoms?

Thinking of the color black and what it represents may trigger physical responses and certain changes in behavior:

Behaviors:

• Avoiding items that contain the color black, even if you need them. For example, a medication container with a black label.
• Feeling uncomfortable or a loss of control when outside at night.
• Refusing to leave home out of fear that you’ll see dark colors.
• Fear of closing your eyes.

Physical responses:

• Anxiety disorders.
• Confusion or difficulty concentrating.
• Depression.
• Nausea, diarrhea or abdominal pain.
• Headache.

How is melanophobia diagnosed?

Healthcare providers diagnose melanophobia by asking about your symptoms.

They might ask:

• Whether fear of the color black has caused changes in your daily activities.
• How often you think about your fear of the color black.
• If you’re avoiding activities or places you used to enjoy because you’re afraid.
• What symptoms you experience when you see dark colors and how intense they are.
• How long you’ve been living with symptoms or changes in behavior.
• If there’s a personal or family history of anxiety disorders or phobias.
• Whether you have any cultural beliefs associated with the color black.

What is melanophobia treatment like?

Exposure therapy is a common treatment for melanophobia. It works by gradually exposing you to situations that trigger your fears. Therapy might start by looking at items that contain small amounts of black. Exposure progresses over time. You may eventually hold items that are entirely black. By the end of treatment, exposure to the color black becomes less bothersome.

Can other treatments help me cope with melanophobia?

Your care may include other treatments, such as:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Using CBT, a therapist helps you explore thoughts and feelings associated with dark colors. You also discuss healthier coping methods.
• Stress reduction: Deep-breathing exercises or meditation can quiet your mind and relax your body. This can make it easier to replace negative thoughts or behaviors with healthier ones.
• Medications: Taking medications doesn’t cure melanophobia. But antidepressants can help with mood disorders, and you may benefit from anti-anxiety medications during challenging times. These include funerals or Halloween.

Is there anything I can do to prevent melanophobia?

Learning to manage your fear may lower the likelihood of it becoming a phobia. And if you have a phobia, these efforts may lessen its severity.

You can manage anxiety by:

• Limiting caffeine, alcohol and recreational drug consumption.
• Lowering stress.
• Quitting smoking and other forms of tobacco use.
• Seeking professional help when anxiety becomes difficult to manage.
• Spending time with loved ones.

What is the outlook for people with melanophobia?

With successful treatment, you can learn to manage your fear of black and other dark colors. Doing so may help give you peace of mind so you can live life on your terms. You may still experience anxiety near dark colors, but you’ll have the skills to calm unpleasant thoughts and feelings. If you get overwhelmed, your therapist or healthcare provider can help you.

What else is important to know about living with melanophobia?

Changing your lifestyle to avoid dark colors can worsen the phobia’s hold on your life. It’s easy to lose track of why black is so bothersome and how little of a threat to your safety it is. Behaviors you’ve adopted to avoid dark colors may become habits that you don’t realize are unhealthy.

Seeking treatment can help you gain a more rational perception of the phobia and how to overcome it.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Melanophobia is an unhealthy fear of the color black or dark colors. In many people, the fear lies with what these sometimes colors represent: negativity, loneliness, hopelessness and more. But you don’t have to let this fear control your life. Talk to your healthcare provider to learn about treatment options. Having a phobia is nothing to be embarrassed about. Exposure therapy and other treatments help many people feel better.