I have a hard time going in to auditoriums and movie theaters because of the dark lighting and the large group of people I don't know. What are some things I can work on to help me overcome this?

Taking baby steps in this situation is always the best approach. First try going with multiple people you are comfortable with to an early show. So there are less people. Sit in an area that isn't so populated and just focus on the light from the screen. Work your way up to less people with you and more people in the room. Move at your own pace. Focus on the light from the screen or shinning from the exit signs.

You could try and watch movies at home first, or at a friend’s house in a room with dark, or dim lighting. Eventually, you could shift to trying more theaters every once in awhile.

Do you have a friend you could go with to help you through the difficult feelings? You could also try to do some mindful breathing which may help you to stay in the difficult situation

Something that helps me is first getting used to the dark lighting at home and watching movies with friends or family that I feel comfortable around. Then seeing movies at the theaters with those same people will help you feel like you are at home, and comfortable!

There are many people who experience different fears from spiders, loud noises and many more. You would be surprised to find that you are not alone in how you are feeling. Going into a dark space with so many people can be overwhelming for many people. How do you usually react in these situations when you are about to go onto any of the above locations? What are some techniques you have previously used? Have any of the techniques you tried previously worked? There are many different ways that help people overcome their fears so it is good that you have voiced these fears and want to help yourself overcome them.

It sounds like you are experiencing some symptoms of anxiety. I can imagine you feel distressed, and frustrated that you aren't ready to face some things yet. I recommend trying this cognitive method to overcome your thoughts about going into auditoriums and movie theatres. One method I would recommend is trying CBT. CBT suggests that our thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and behavior are all connected, and that what we think and do affects the way we feel. By challenging our thoughts, we may overcome our fear and face the music, such as auditoriums and movie theatres. There are 5 steps Step 1: Make a list - identify situations that make you feel worried or anxious. Step 2: Write down unproductive thoughts - recognise and record all your negative and worrying thoughts about the situation. How do you feel about going into movie theatres or auditoriums, what do you think might happen if you enter, what could be the best/worst scenario? Step 3: Invalidate your negative thought - challenge your negative thoughts by explaining them with evidence, chances are, there won't be much actual, valid evidence to back up your thoughts. Why are you thinking this way, what brought you to reach these conclusions, and where did this thought start from? Step 4: Create replacement thoughts - Reshape your negative thoughts with positive thoughts, correct your thinking perspective to be more optimistic. Step 5: Repeat - change in behaviour won't be instantaneous or immediate, by repeating this process with situations that make you feel anxious, you can gradually run the feelings of anxiety down, until you feel comfortable enough to confront situations such as going into auditoriums or movie theatres.