Things That Scare Us: Haunted Houses
The invitation to a haunted house lands in the group chat, everyone replies with skull emojis, and your stomach drops before you have typed a word. As a licensed mental health counselor at Therapy with Enid, I work with highly sensitive women who love Halloween and still dread the attractions that come with it, and this post covers haunted houses for highly sensitive people and why opting out is a reasonable choice. It is part of my Things That Scare Us series, which also includes scary movies and HSP women and being easily startled, and if you are new here, you can start with what it means to be a highly sensitive person.
Why Haunted Houses Can Feel Like Too Much
A haunted house is built to overwhelm the senses on purpose, with sudden noise, flashing light, fog, and strangers jumping out of the dark. Research on sensory processing sensitivity suggests that highly sensitive people take in and process stimulation more deeply, so the same attraction that gives a friend a quick thrill can leave you shaky for hours. A few features of haunted houses make that harder still.
Crowds in the dark. Most attractions run for a short season and mostly at night, so the lines are long and the rooms are packed, and you spend the evening bracing for contact.
Masks and costumes. When you cannot see a face, it is harder to read what a person intends, and not knowing who is under the mask can keep your guard up from the first minute.
The group. Haunted houses are almost always a group outing, so you may hide your discomfort to keep the mood light, and that effort adds to the load.
Knowing It Is Fake Does Not Always Help
The most common line you will hear is that it is not real, and you have probably said it to yourself. Your body reacts to what it senses, though, and it does not wait for your reasoning to catch up. Many sensitive people also replay the images afterward, sometimes for days, which is part of why a twenty-minute walk-through can cost an entire weekend of calm.
Two Stories About Going Along
A friend of mine once dove under a table in an attraction set up like a butcher’s freezer when an actor with a chainsaw walked toward her. Her group has laughed about it for years, and she became the entertainment whether she meant to or not.
I have my own version. I went to Halloween Horror Nights in Florida with friends and kept my eyes closed while someone led me through, and the person leading was not very good at it, so I felt trapped, unable to see and unable to leave. Both stories show how easily a group can decide for us, and how hard it is to say “I am not sure about this” once the line is moving.
Opting Out Without Apology
You can love Halloween and skip the haunted house. Saying so early and calmly usually goes over better than agreeing and backing out at the door. A few lines you can borrow:
“You do you, and I am going to do me.”
“I will skip the haunted house, and I would love to meet you after for dinner.”
“Count me in for the pumpkin patch, and I am out on anything with actors.”
You have permission to opt out, and you do not owe anyone a reason.
Ways to Enjoy the Season Your Way
Plenty of fall traditions give you the coziness without the jump scares. You might carve pumpkins with a friend, go to a fall festival in the daytime, or host a costume get-together at home where you control the lighting and the guest list. If you would still like to be near the group, you can offer to hold the coats, run the snack table, or meet everyone at the exit.
If images from a scary experience stay with you for days, or your sleep and mood take a hit, it may be worth talking with a professional, and you can read more about anxiety therapy in Florida if that sounds like you. The next post in this series looks at the 24/7 news cycle, which is a scare many of us carry in our pockets all year.
Whatever you decide this October, I hope you spend it on the parts of the season you love, and that the people around you learn to make room for how you do spooky.
Therapy for Highly Sensitive Women in Florida
If you are a woman in Florida who sees herself in this post, I would love to support you. I am a licensed therapist, and I offer online therapy in Florida for women who want to understand their sensitivity, set limits with confidence, and enjoy the season on their own terms. Contact me to tell me a little about what you are looking for, and we can talk about whether working together feels like a good fit.
Enid DeJesus is a licensed mental health counselor who provides online therapy in Florida for high-achieving, highly sensitive women. She helps women enjoy the season on their own terms and set limits on what overwhelms them. Her approach is warm and solution-focused, and her work centers on practical skills for saying no and protecting energy. If spooky season leaves you dreading invitations, she would love to hear from you.
