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Avoidance vs. Exposure

Sometimes when we are afraid of something, it can seem like the best thing to do is to run away so that we can stop feeling scared. But this can actually hurt us in the long run!
 
For example, Neil is terrified of the dark. He has to sleep with the lights fully on in his room, and he calls out for his mom if he needs to leave his room at nighttime. Whenever Neil tries to sleep with the lights off, he cries and runs to his mom’s room. Neil is running from the darkness every night. If Neil never faces his fear of the dark, he will keep having to sleep with the lights on, even as an adult! He might also never be able to do some fun things with friends, like tell stories in the dark at sleepovers or play hide and seek.

At Astronaut Academy, Neil’s teachers are worried that he will not be able to sleep in the spaceship with only a nightlight, so they are not allowing him to go to space yet.

Every time Neil runs away from the dark, his fear grows. You might have noticed that this has happened with some of your anxieties, too! The more you run away from your anxiety, the stronger the anxiety gets. What Neil does not know is that he actually can face his fears!