How to get rid of the fear of death and return the joy of life? Fear of death - causes, symptoms, what to do

Thanatophobia (fear of death) is a special, and probably not the most unreasonable fear among panic disorders. At the same time, it is pathological in nature and is expressed in a paroxysmal (or chronic) state of severe and uncontrollable anxiety. In truth, such a phobia is a problem in terms of treatment - it is one of the most difficult to correct fears. However, he is in today's society.

At the same time, it is difficult to imagine a person who would not be afraid of death, at least reflexively - after all, everyone has an instinct for self-preservation.

One of the reasons for the fear of death is the fundamental impossibility of knowing what it is and what lies beyond the last boundary? Big number religious communities built just on the exploitation of this uncertainty: on the one hand, it is good and has a psychotherapeutic effect on people of faith, on the other hand, it can also cause the generation of fear of death.

What is the reaction healthy person facing a life-threatening situation? Of course, this is fear, activation, or vice versa, suppression of body functions, anxiety, avoidance or resistance. However, in sick people, thanatophobia turns this normal state into a chronic one and is not associated with a real threat.

The attentive reader has probably already noticed the paradox of thanatophobia in comparison with normal fears about one's life: the fear of death is a phobia that literally makes its victims fear constantly, regardless of the environment. The main pole of fear is a feeling of the proximity of one's death, although more often patients cannot determine exactly what they are afraid of.

The main forms of phobia are:

• the uncertainty behind physical death;
• fear painful death;
• fear of sudden death.

On the other hand, implicit thanatophobia also carries a small positive message. If fear does not completely absorb the patient's mind, then to some extent it can serve as an impetus for rethinking one's "I", revising the Self-concept and accepting the real one. Sometimes this message is used in psychotherapeutic work and gives an excellent result. Acceptance of one's symbolic "death" clears the way for each patient's personal growth. However, let's make a reservation that the phobia itself should not be demonic in nature, so that something positive can be “squeezed” out of it.

It is also worth considering that this phobia often accompanies the disorder more high level and other nosology. In this case, doctors may well suspect that the patient has delusional manifestations of some other disease. However, even if thanatophobia is pure, a psychiatric consultation must be completed without fail.

A direct appeal to a psychotherapist can be dangerous in the sense that the specialist will begin to work with a specific manifestation (in the form of fear of death) of some kind of disorder, but getting rid of one manifestation is more likely to cause other forms of the disease than to help the patient.

With thanatophobia, a psychiatrist's consultation and a complete rejection of self-treatment and the use of "grandmother's methods" of fear correction are necessary. Any unprofessional is more likely to exacerbate the disease than to get rid of it.

Before you fight the fear of death, you need to deal with the whole spectrum various reasons, which may be the basis for the development of fear of death. Like many other phobias, thanatophobia is defined by psychiatrists as a biosocial fear: either as a result of the action of genes, or as the influence of the nearest society. However, it seems important to us to point out other, not exactly confirmed, but taking place hypotheses of the emergence of the fear of death.

Hypothesis 1: contact with death

There is an assumption that a phobia develops as a reactive formation caused by a collision with death (especially unexpected). This may be the death of loved ones, the experience of being held hostage, a simple observation of a terrible catastrophe.

Such stressful experiences trigger in a person the mechanisms of an irrational search for an answer to the question of what death is. The negative background of mood, the break of a typical life stereotype lead to the fact that a person begins to compare himself with those who are no longer with him. Thus, a person expresses his protest against death - creating and experiencing his own death in his mind.

Hypothesis 2: death cult

This assumption was put forward by Russian psychiatrists. They explain the fear of death as an attitude shaped by external influence, which is quite difficult to get rid of. For example, the information flows in which we constantly find ourselves (media, Internet, daily printed publications, etc.) broadcast to us vivid images termination of life in connection with any events. A person literally takes on the role of an aggregator of "deaths", which makes him obsessively think about how and when he will die.

Hypothesis 3: existential fear

Some schools of psychology (in particular, humanistic and existential-humanistic) explain the emergence of fear as a result of a long stop in personal development. According to these directions, it is natural for a person to ask himself questions to which there is no single answer: why is life given, what is death, and so on. At the moment when the answers to these questions begin to be clearly negative, the so-called "existential anxiety" arises, which can be the cause of the development of fear of death.

Hypothesis 4: crisis of 30 years and midlife

Despite the fact that this phobia can manifest itself at any age, however, the number of severe cases is growing exponentially between 35-60 years of age.

It is during this period that several crises fall: of adulthood and middle life. The new formation of a successful resolution of this crisis is a positive rethinking of one's life and the formation of new views on life and one's path.

But if this crisis proceeds unfavorably, a person has to admit that many of his dreams did not come true, and some illusions remained illusions. We have to abandon some of the ideas that are significant for a person: this gives rise to natural depressive symptoms, against which the fear of death can develop.

Hypothesis 5: religious fanaticism and sectarianism

Psychotherapists have described hundreds of cases of working with patients whose fear of imminent death arose on the basis of various religious sects (including recognized religions). Here, for example, in Christian culture, two tendencies collide: "true knowledge" of what awaits people after death and fear of punishment for their earthly deeds. The treatment of such patients is extremely difficult and often requires a lot of time and effort, because the therapist literally acts as an “enemy” of the patient’s ideals and the authority of the spiritual leader.

Hypothesis 6: intolerance to the unknown

Some experts identify a natural connection between the total rejection of the unknown (uncertainty causes panic fear in the patient). However, such a reason rather justifies a phobia in people with a sufficiently developed grain of rationalism: after all, what they cannot explain through sound logic is either unnecessary or potentially dangerous. And since death is an inevitable phenomenon, it acquires the character of a grotesque danger for such people.

Hypothesis 7: Neurotic Overcontrol

Here comes the problem of unhealthy perfectionism and attempts to completely take control of all areas of your life: from external to internal. Such pedantry, however, eventually faces a serious problem: after all, you can control your every step, but it is impossible to control the biological processes and cycles of the body.

There is a fear of losing control, which is compensated by even greater restrictions, even the smallest moments of the routine begin to be controlled. Over time, there is a sense of the inevitability of death, which may be accompanied by obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Distinctive features of thanatophobia

Is it possible to conquer the fear of death without understanding its structure? Unlikely. Therefore, consider the clinical picture of the disease.

In the clinic of a phobia, it is not the fear of death itself that is more often found as a given, but precisely the phenomena that accompany (in the thoughts of patients) the process of dying. Fear of death may be a symptom of some nosophobia, which is associated with feelings of painful and prolonged death from any disease.

In other patients (more often self-centered), the fear of death manifests itself in the anxiety that at the last stage of their life they will turn into “good-for-nothing old men” who will lose their mind and will not even be able to take care of themselves. The fear that old age will force them to resort to the help of third parties is rooted in the fear of death, before which this period will come. The same anamnesis is typical for patients with a history of disorders such as hypochondria.

For people 40+, the fear of death may be a consequence of the frustration of their need for mentorship. That is, most people by this age have a natural need to educate their children, care and concern, ensure their well-being and support. Here the fear of death is equated with the fear of losing control over relatives, which will lead them, in the patient's mind, to a fiasco in life.

For single parents, the fear of death is characteristic as a form of fear for the “advancement” of children in later life. In their minds, their own demise is inextricably linked to the ill-being of their children, which leads to obsessions and feelings about death.

It is worth accepting the fact that at times emerging anxiety for own life- this is a normal reaction of the human psyche to, for example, an overload of the body.

However, Russian psychotherapists working with adolescents cite sad statistics that in last years the fear of death began to manifest itself with regular frequency in older adolescents and even children.

Patients diagnosed with thanatophobia often suffer from comorbid disorders that are somehow related to the subject of death. For example, patients may be terrified of the symbols of death: tombstones, crosses, the dead, etc. Sometimes absolutely irrational secondary fears appear, such as the fear of the "heralds" of death, ghosts and other mysticism.

Phobia Symptoms

Like other anxiety disorders, the fear of death is found not only in the patient's obvious anxiety about death, but also carries latent (inaccessible to direct observation) symptoms and manifestations.

So, the first sign that experiences about death are of a phobic nature is the fundamental objectivity of fear. That is, the patient cannot imagine "death in principle", in his mind there is either a limited repertoire of this phenomenon, or in general rigidity and obsession with a specific form of death is manifested. For the most part, these are either "terrible" deaths, or some kind of traumatic experience. For example, one patient was afraid of choking when drinking milk (and only milk), because in childhood he was forced to do this against his will. The psyche "redirected" disgust and traumatic experience into an absurd fear of death.

Some patients kind of "project" their death and begin to actively avoid it. For example, if it seems to the patient that he will die from a brick falling from the roof of the house, then he begins to actively avoid walking near the walls, constantly looks up, and, in principle, may try not to leave the house. By the way, this phobia is often associated with some nosophobia, for example, carcinophobia. A patient who thinks that he will die from oncology begins to either avoid visiting hospitals, or, on the contrary, is ready to spend a day in medical facilities.

Such strange (obsessive) behavior is combined with physiological disorders:

• sleep suffers - it is difficult for the patient to fall asleep and wake up, recurring nightmares torment;
• decreased appetite and, as a result, weight loss;
• sexual dysfunctions;
• the appearance of secondary neurotic symptoms, pseudo-pain.

Such implicit phobic signs quite strongly influence the life of the patient. The patient lives not just by constant “chewing” thoughts about his death, but feels undirected anxiety, sometimes tearfulness and aggressiveness. In principle, the patient's condition gradually slides into depression.

Severe course and its consequences

People with this diagnosis face a number of unpleasant phenomena:

Without appropriate treatment, psycho-correction and rehabilitation therapy, the fear of death absolutely rebuilds a person's life, changing his personality traits, which are extremely difficult to correct within any direction.

Treatment

So how do you get rid of the fear of death? Since this phobia is quite difficult to correct, in the initial stages it is necessary to consult a psychiatrist for differential diagnosis and to establish the severity of the disorder.

At the second stage, a consultation is scheduled with a pathopsychologist, who conducts diagnostics aimed at establishing the depth of personality defects and mental functions, as well as determining how to correct them.

In severe cases, various drugs of the class of hypnotics or tranquilizers can be prescribed, aimed at normalizing sleep and reducing stress levels.

In addition to all of the above, one has to deal with the fear of death in the psychotherapist's office. To leave no illusions, let's say that the psychotherapeutic correction of the fear of death is a long and laborious process for the patient.

It is hard for people to talk about death, any thoughts are driven out of their heads, conversations are avoided. It works for a person defense mechanism- denial: “Not me”, “If I die, then just not now.” As a consequence of the constant inhibition of reflection on this subject and the suppression of emotions about it, any encounter with the "end" or its symbolism causes trauma. And in this place the fear of death is formed. It can arise unexpectedly, pursue a person everywhere. He is in unreasonable anxiety, tension. And this despite the fact that others emotional turmoil tolerated with persistence. In certain circumstances, it must be considered as a symptom, but basically it acts as a completely normal reaction of the psyche to objective stimuli. For example, the subject witnessed a catastrophe, an accident, had to watch the death of a relative, attend the funeral of a close friend, etc. And this is an adequate experience, since the instinct of self-preservation is triggered: “Something dangerous happened that could happen to me!”. But if this phobia begins to wear an obsessive, groundless character, then you should pay attention to it. To understand how to get rid of the fear of death, you need to “decode” it.

Options for the formation of the fear of death without external circumstances

Projected or repressed aggression

The mechanism is very interesting. The individual got angry with someone but was unable to express his anger for some reason. And then, unconsciously, he begins to project it onto the offenders: "I'm not evil, they just want to harm me!" From residence negative emotion man redeemed himself. But any animal needs aggression to protect itself. Since the personality suppressed it, it was left with an internal sense of insecurity.

An HR manager turned to a psychologist with a request for frightening panic attacks due to the fear of death at the time of an emergency at the enterprise. It is known from his history that he was strictly brought up, behaved tactfully with employees, did not allow them to show anger, even in conversation with relatives he did not allow himself to admit his own irritation. But instead, he noted in himself anxieties due to the likely accidents that could happen to him.

Another example would be parents who are very protective of their children. They may have obsessive thoughts that something might happen to their child. These worries do not allow them to have time for themselves, their entire space is absorbed by the child. Such couples are in a deep sense of guilt (there are many reasons for it) or “work for success to become perfect mom and dad." In such an atmosphere, they forbid themselves to be aware of their dissatisfaction with the baby, who occupied their entire reality. And all this repressed anger is transformed into fears that he might die.

Fear based on trauma or neurotic script

Svetlana, 45 years old. He lives with the horror of impending death all his life. From the anamnesis it is known that she grew up in the family of her father - an alcoholic and mother indulging him in everything. The girl received almost no attention. The atmosphere in the family was negative due to constant poverty. She was close only to her grandmother, who was always preparing for death. She asked for a shameful death in prayers, saved up money for a funeral, endlessly rewrote her will. After 65, she bought a coffin in advance and put it in her room.

This example very clearly demonstrates the trauma that the woman has undergone. There are stories with more hidden schemes. Children who have not had the experience of stable, trusting, warm relationships, during adult life their value is experienced through the fear of death loved one. That is, their body is so tuned in every time to expect a dirty trick (suddenly he dies, or leaves, or gets sick), that this phobia develops as a completely elementary reason for the speedy rupture of a close connection.

In other cases, these haunting thoughts may arise due to the threat experienced in childhood to disappear, to lose one's own body, its physical functionality, to break into pieces, to lose the personal "I".

Anastasia at the age of 4 was on long-term treatment in the hospital. Being there made her panic. She was able to recall this event only after a couple of years of psychotherapy. And the girl initially turned to a specialist because of panic fears associated with upcoming medical examinations. Trips to the doctor were given with great difficulty, there were attacks of suffocation, the body was paralyzed. She managed to recall childhood experiences about the painful procedures that she had to undergo. At this point, she was often alone. Mother scolded for any resistance to nurses. She admitted that in this stream of ruthlessness, indifference and loneliness, it seemed to her that she would "evaporate", no one sees her.

Some people sometimes naively do not understand how it is not to be afraid of reality, because something can always happen. It's right. But for the normal functioning in the world, the subject needs, although an illusory sense of stability, otherwise it is difficult for him to survive.

Fear of punishment

For children, the only reality in the early years is the parents. Sometimes this connection is so strong that their disapproval is perceived as a threat of mental death for the baby. Children who were brought up in strictness or heard such statements “if you misbehave, we will hand over to Orphanage!”, or were punished through complete disregard, suffered physical and emotional humiliation, are most vulnerable to this phobia. In adulthood, any thoughts or actions that do not fit with the model of their family caused a lot of anxiety. For example, a person who decides to radically change his life suddenly experiences a wild fright before the possibility of being hit by a car, train, etc.

Elena grew up in a depressive-masochistic family, where there were strict restrictions in everything. And then she decided to buy herself an extra skirt and go for a massage. And when she came to her psychologist, she declared that she was experiencing a wild sense of guilt: “And if everything gets better now, I will live well and be happy, and God will take me and take me to himself!”. The client managed to realize through the primary fear of death how much she wanted to build a better reality for herself and how she really feared betraying her family.

Fear of life

Some people live their reality, constantly being in endless conflicts with themselves, in restrictions, prohibitions that do not allow them to fully realize themselves. And then, against this background, there is a horror before one's own death, because there is still so much to do, so much to feel, live, experience. And when there is a taboo on “living to the fullest”, when you really want to, anxiety begins because of the loss of chances. This phenomenon is most acute in people aged 50-60, when achievements are reassessed.

Horror before death as a reflection of desires

Fear is a restrained, stopped energy. But behind it are usually hidden, sometimes unique and paradoxical desires. The described phobia can sometimes also tell the subject about his need. There is a wonderful exercise that helps to develop this forbidden excitement. The subject is asked to write down a list of terrifying moments, and then transform them into personal needs. This may seem intimidating at first: "I'm afraid that my mother will leave - I want it." But this must be seen metaphorically. Of course, hardly anyone wants the death of a loved one. But what can an individual acquire with this departure, what "appetite" can be satisfied only if the parent is gone? Many are amazed at the answers, as they recognize "their hunger", which they could not admit to themselves.

Behind the fear of death, there is often a desire for rest, peace: “Now, if I die, all problems will disappear, there is no need to think about anything!”.

Thus, in order to get rid of the fear of death, it is necessary to thoroughly analyze it, identify all the causes of its occurrence, and then complete the unformed connections, preferably in the office of a specialist.

Instruction

The first step towards getting rid of the fear of death will be awareness of the problem. Awareness of the fear of death should lead to the fact that a person will perceive death as a natural end to life, as something obligatory and irreparable. Such a perception of death is necessary for a person for a reasonable existence. After all, if people were not afraid of death, there would be much more victims of car accidents, extreme sports, reckless actions and deaths various household situations.

Another important aspect- open expression of their thoughts. You need to discuss the fear that exists inside with a friend, relative or psychologist - with any person next to whom you can be yourself. So you can identify the main causes of this fear and choose rational ways to overcome the current situation. If a disease is the cause of a strong fear of death, you can talk to people who were able to overcome the same disease, find out how they coped with fear, etc.

Then you can think about your life principles and beliefs. They think about the meaning of life and values ​​just when thinking about death, the finiteness of their existence. It is important here that a person begins to understand that all material goods or external characteristics is nothing compared to kindness, honesty, love, patience. The fear of death becomes less when a person realizes that after his death, loved ones and relatives will for a long time keep in mind the memories of his most beautiful deeds, good deeds, strengths character and achievement.

Many people, when determining the presence of fear of death, do not understand that in fact they are not afraid of death itself, but of the possible pain at the same time. However, here the equal sign between pain and death is inappropriate. The dead do not feel pain. Pain is a property of life. It is specially given to a person in order to save his life, warning about various kinds of dangers. In addition, if a person suffers for a long time before death, then for him death is a deliverance from suffering, which, in a way, is its positive aspect. Although it is quite difficult for relatives and friends of the deceased at first to understand this.

Optimism and a sense of humor allow you to cope with many fears and difficult situations. The fear of death is no exception in this regard. It has been proven that positive, cheerful people are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, which are often the cause of death. Treat with humor not only to life, but also to death. Moreover, it is not necessary to become a fan of black comedies, you can simply recall jokes about death (and there are quite a lot of them, their authors also once overcame this fear) or mentally add glamorous pink slippers to her stereotypical representation in a raincoat and with a scythe.

The main thing to remember when working with the problem of death is that it should not interfere with life. You need to live as brightly, fully and wisely as possible. Meet people you like more often, relax in nature, sing songs by the fire, remember stories from school childhood or turbulent college youth, walk in the evenings, dance in the rain, leave on weekends in an unknown direction - this is the only way to understand and feel life in everyone its manifestations.

Psychologists and psychotherapists believe that the panic fear of death is a psychological problem. It is hidden in the depths of the subconscious and is at the heart of almost all fears.

Fear of death is a natural state. Every living being has an instinct for self-preservation. But the panic fear of death, which contributes to the emergence of obsessive thoughts and vegetative crises, requires the attention of a psychotherapist.

“I’m 27, I have a fear of death” - this is how patients begin their “confession” during a session with a psychologist. Such a person is haunted by the fear of death.

What is the fear of death called? This phobia is called thanatophobia. It affects people belonging to the thinking type.

People who are haunted by the fear of death in VVD are mainly divided into two types: those who are afraid of dying themselves, and those who are afraid of the death of loved ones.

YOU ARE CONTROLLED BY WHAT YOU CANNOT ALLOW!

Thus, we can formulate the key to understanding this problem.

The Nature of Anxiety

A person suffering from vegetative-vascular dystonia usually has a combination of several phobias. Most often, the following fears appear with VVD:

1. Fear of going crazy with VVD.
2. Fear of some disease.
3. Metrophobia.
4. Fear of the crowd.
5. Agoraphobia.
6. Fear of an attack.
7. Thanatophobia.

Psychological factor

Psychology about the fear of death says the following: there is certain type people prone to this phobia. Tanatophobia is subject to:

1. Extremely impressionable individuals.
2. Persons characterized by anxiety, excitability.
3. People with low self-esteem.
4. Wicked personalities.
5. Creative people (mainly musicians and artists).
6. Reflective people.
7. Selfish nature, intolerant of someone else's position.

Main reasons

A phobia, in which a person is haunted by the fear of dying, develops according to different reasons. The main factors are given in the table.

Basic forms

Common forms of the disease are presented in the table.

Fear of losing control

It is observed in very anxious and suspicious people who believe in their own exclusivity. The fear of death is closely intertwined with this phobia and keeps a person in constant voltage. Sometimes the "background" may develop OCD.

Fear of cardiac arrest

Cardiophobia is a disorder fixed in children and adults. A person tries not to sleep on his left side, constantly monitors his health and considers any ailment a serious cause for alarm.

The result is that he constantly lives in terrible tension.

Against the backdrop of pregnancy

The fear of death before childbirth accompanies a complicated pregnancy. A woman is afraid to die and leave her child an orphan. There is also a fear of giving birth to a stillborn baby. If the birth ends safely, the young mother begins to worry about every cough of the child - it seems to her that he might die.

Children's fear of death is based on personal experiences.

How does a phobia manifest itself?

Thanatophobia is the most complex somatic disorder. It is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• dyspnea;
• dizziness;
• palpitations;
• "Jumps" BP;
• nausea.

Panic attack with an attack of fear, death may be accompanied by increased urination or disorder of the stool. The person seems to be about to die. But it's not. The autonomic nervous system thus reacts to fears.

When thanatophobia progresses

In patients, thanatophobia is at its peak. The person falls into despair. Between attacks, which may come at any time, he is in a gloomy, depressed state.

Sometimes the time of the attack falls at night. Some patients are phobic when they are on the subway or at work. Additionally, there is a fear of losing control over oneself.

Additional symptoms

Negative emotions are accompanied by a sharp release of adrenaline into the blood. The vessels begin to spasm. Arterial pressure“jumps” strongly, makes a person sick. If a clinical picture manifests itself very brightly, it can tear.

Sometimes there is a feeling of lack of air.

Anxiety disorders

A person who is afraid of becoming dead tries to fight his obsessions on his own. Often he does it wrong, and they only get stronger.

He cannot relax, which leads to exhaustion. nervous system. There is a deterioration in blood circulation.

The patient, obsessed with feelings about the inevitability of death, is faced with the following symptoms:

• stomach ache;
• pain in the intestines;
• spasms of varying intensity.

Ulcers may appear on the mucous membranes.

Against the background of severe anxiety, the production of gastric juice is stimulated. This adversely affects the condition of its walls.

Appetite decreases, a person can lose weight dramatically. Often these symptoms contribute to the fact that a person is rooted in the idea that he is terminally ill.

What to do

Getting rid of the fear of death is a long process. This phobia is difficult to cure.

When illness is in initial stage, the specialist conducts differential diagnosis. After that, the severity of the disorder is established.

Then the patient is sent for a consultation with a pathopsychologist. The following points are explored:

• defect depth;
• depth of mental functions;
• definition of the method of assistance.

If the clinical picture is very pronounced, the patient is prescribed hypnotics and tranquilizers. The goal of therapy is to get rid of insomnia and reduce stress levels.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive techniques help control negative emotions and contribute to the change of wrong thinking. This helps to reduce premature fear, which develops into panic attacks.

These techniques help a person who has a thought of death to learn to exercise control over their condition and change the fatal perception of panic. The duration of the attack is shortened, and its effect on the general emotional condition decreases.

At the consultation, the patient is given an individual scheme of tasks. The prognosis depends on how actively he fulfills them. This technique is called "learning". A person learns to resist bad emotions.

Medical therapy

If the panic fear of death is uncontrollable, the patient is prescribed potent drugs. The most effective hypnotics are presented in the table.

Independent work

The treatment of the fear of death should be combined with independent work. It consists in the fact that a person must understand the following:

1. Life is cyclical.
2. The memory of the person remains.
3. You can't keep your feelings to yourself.
4. It is recommended to use life while there is such an opportunity.
5. It is important to look at everything with optimism.
6. You need to decide on your worldview.
7. Everything in the world should be treated with humor.

Awareness of the cycle of life

Man must understand that everything in nature has a clear cycle. First we are born, then we are given a certain segment. It ends with death. This is a natural process, no one has managed to avoid it yet.

“A person is not just mortal, he is sometimes suddenly mortal,” says a famous literary character. This thought scares a lot of people. Nothing can be done here. Even despite the precautions taken, no one is immune from death during accidents.

Memory remains

A person continues to live in the memories of his relatives and friends. The kinder and more attentive he will treat them, the warmer their memories will be. One of the reasons for fear is the “uselessness” of a person. Therefore, you should try to do as many good deeds as possible.

A change of environment and type of activity has a beneficial effect on a person. He may not notice how he stopped being afraid, and painful thoughts left him alone.

Don't keep your feelings to yourself

Looping on your experiences is a vicious circle.

Use life

A strong fear of death will recede if you stop being afraid of life. Get out of your comfort zone and do something new. If possible, you need to change your job, or improve your skills, which will allow you to apply for a promotion in the future.

You need to try to realize your abilities. It is recommended to constantly look for new experiences. If it is not possible to go on a trip, you should go for a bike ride at least once a week. The route must be different each time. You can ride alone or with someone together.

optimistic view

Thoughts tend to materialize. If a person constantly sets himself up for negativity, then the “program” embedded in the body can “target” at self-destruction.

A positive outlook is not euphoria and delight. Positive attitudes are inherent in many self-confident people, politicians, businessmen.

Having learned a positive look, a person will be able to change his life attitudes and fully experience the joy of being. Thanatophobia will recede, and the person will forever part with these thoughts.

Decide on a mindset

Reliance on materialism or on one or another creed allows you to have a clear position and has a calming effect. As a result, a person develops a special opinion regarding death.

If materialism is close to him, he begins to understand the biological nature of the living, learns what happens in the process of dying and learns to take it for granted. Faith helps to understand the mystical meaning of death. All creeds say that nothing ends with the death of the physical shell. Man already exists in some "other dimension".

No fear of death

The instinct of self-preservation and the fear of death are almost identical concepts. If a person does not feel the fear of death, this is not normal. This deviation is typical for:

1. People who lack empathy.
2. Individuals whose empathy mechanism is at a very low level.
3. People prone to misanthropy.
4. Persons with no or reduced sense of physical danger.

Such people lack satisfaction when communicating with both their species and wildlife. Often they have a lower threshold of perception pain. Also, the fear of death is reduced or absent in individuals prone to sadism and other criminal inclinations.

Conclusion

Thanatophobia is a psychological disorder that can be treated. In minors, it is diagnosed and treated easier and faster.

Fear of death (thanatophobia)- this is a human phobia, expressed in an obsessive, uncontrollable fear of suddenly dying or a reflection of experiences in front of the unknown, something incomprehensible and uncertain. Many people admit to themselves that they are afraid of death, but such an admission does not mean that they are afraid of life or that this fear somehow prevents them from living happily. Often, educated, inquisitive people are prone to thanatophobia, which is caused by the desire to control their lives in everything. But with death, as with birth, people can do nothing. So what's the point of thinking about it, being afraid of it, if a person can't change anything.

Reasons for the fear of death

Features of any fear are marked by an error in the perception of the picture of the world. A phobia in a person acts as a kind of signal of the need to change something in one's life in order to achieve an effective and harmonious life. And it’s up to you to decide whether to deal with your phobias in order to live harmoniously and happily, or continue to live on the occasion of your own, while forgetting about dreams, life aspirations, hiding your feelings deeply from yourself and from others.

Elderly people tend to feel the approach of death, because every day they live brings them closer to the abyss. This is understood by many, but for most people, the approach of the end is an even greater reason to appreciate the present, enjoy and experience all the happy moments of life. A significant part of individuals is afraid of dying, which is quite logical, because this fear can arise for reasons beyond the control of a person. Some people experience fear of death due to advanced age, others are worried about the fear of death of loved ones and their loss associated with this. Some are afraid of the very fact of becoming dead, while others hide the experience itself in the act of ceasing to live. But if a person's phobia is so strong that it affects everyday life, then this is not just a problem, but some forms of the disease that are associated with the central nervous system.

No one is able to answer the question of what death is, so everyone is afraid of it. As long as a person is alive, death is absent, but with its arrival, life ends. Therefore, one of the reasons for the fear of death is the fear of the destructive side of death, because after it there is nothing.

The occurrence of thanatophobia can be affected by the loss of a loved one. Sometimes it is enough to penetrate into the consciousness of a frightening image associated with the end of life. The media also play an important role in shaping the launch of the idea of ​​thanatophobia in the psyche. The individual begins to think about his death, and the consciousness seeks answers to all incomprehensible questions with painful spiritual searches. Thus, thanatophobia is natural process understanding the idea of ​​the finiteness of human existence.

How to get rid of the fear of death

The fear of death lives deep in every individual and often a person faces death in his life. These can be accidents, serious illnesses, domestic injuries, emergencies, military operations, but, despite this, a person finds the strength to overcome the horror and get rid of this phobia, continuing to live, love, develop, get an education, enjoy life.

Those who experience this phobia should live their lives in such a way that on their deathbed they say affirmatively: “I have lived my life for good reason and filled it with bright memorable moments.” Constantly experiencing this fear and hiding behind it is burying yourself “alive”.

How to overcome the fear of death? Answer yourself the question: “Is death so terrible that you lose the ability to move forward in life?” Often attitudes towards death change with age and in the process. life path the experience gained makes it possible to create defensive reactions to this phobia.

Toddlers usually believe in their uniqueness: "I'm special, so I can't die." Faced with death, children understand it in their own way: “Grandpa just fell asleep and will wake up soon.” Children often lack knowledge, which completely confuses them in understanding the natural and inevitable final stage of an individual's existence.

AT adolescence guys start believing in higher power or a personal savior who will not allow something irreparable or terrible to happen.

Teenagers tend to romanticize death, ridicule or flirt with it. Hence there is a suicidal tendency and the desire to thus assert itself. Adolescents often do not understand that "playing with death" can really lead to it. Deviations at the stages of development in children can lead to the formation of a stable fear of death.

So how do you get rid of the fear of death? Many, fearing death, try to distance themselves from it, do not visit dying relatives, avoid appearances in the cemetery. However, irreversible cessation of life will still occur for everyone. It is necessary to realize the following cycle: birth-life-death. Everything that has a beginning also has its end, and this is inevitable. Therefore, you should live the way you want. Don't waste your life worrying about this pattern. It is necessary to replace experiences with new acquaintances, impressions from communication with interesting people, you should read and rethink the philosophical or religious literature about the inevitable cessation of life. It is required to do everything that can distract from this phobia.

One of the methods that specialists use in the fight against this disorder is to instill in patients the confidence that life is valuable in the present moment. If you are afraid of the coming day, then enjoy the present. The individual should find the strength in himself to look differently at the inevitable future and accept it. If you do not have enough strength, then you need to apply for psychological help. Fear of sudden death is successfully treated with hypnosis, some cases are cured with the help of cognitive.

Hello. Everything began to seem empty and vain to me, that everyone was scurrying around like ants, and in the end we were all waiting for one thing - death. I love myself and my loved ones so much that it’s scary to imagine the torment of one of us! It is also scary to imagine how the body will be burned or worms will eat it. Because of this, you begin to think about the futility of self-care, about all sorts of creams and clothes. After all, the body is perishable. You start to think why this cycle was invented. Why should one suffer and suffer? good people? Why "Someone" made us so fragile in the face of danger. I am now an unemployed smart girl with 2 me higher education. I have osteochondrosis and ringing in my ear. But the panic attack happened at work 2 years ago, when nothing bothered me. The work was uninteresting and monotonous. There were boring people in the team for me. All people, by the way, seem to me somehow naive, relaxed and not knowing what awaits them. And I'm always tense and thinking about "it"

• Hello, Elena. This is exactly the case when "woe from the mind." You are absolutely right and correctly noted that many do not bother with eternal questions: life and death. Maybe they are right, because their thoughts are directed to living life here and now. On the other hand, the realization that life is fleeting can give you the idea to live every day happily.

perhaps my comment will help someone))) the fear of death appeared when I was 7 years old. Childhood took its toll and I forgot, playing with friends, reading books, but once or twice a month, I froze and turned cold from this thought - death will come and there is no getting away from it!
at the age of forty I was given a pamphlet about Christ. There was also a prayer of repentance. I read it and set it aside. And the next day (I was alone at home) I knelt down (as advised in the brochure) and said this uncomplicated prayer, not counting on anything. More sounds flew from my lips, and from behind and from above, descended - You are forgiven!
I chose this word on purpose - condescended! Because there is no other way to express what happened and how it happened. The rest of the day passed in some kind of euphoria, joy. And only the next day, I realized the reason for the enduring joy - the fear of death disappeared! Generally! I no longer woke up at night, did not freeze, everything inside did not go cold from that thought. That thought, in my head, was no more! For 8 years, from 1996 to 2003, I went to meetings at the Baptist house of prayer (they were the ones who gave me that pamphlet). In 2004 I left the church, a year later I threw away my Bible, and a year later I denied Christ. Another year was spent on liberation from the fear of sin (whoever had a new birth knows what it is - the fear of sin). And only a year later, after that, the fear of death returned, but not that one - pathological, but a simple and clear thought - I am a man and I am mortal.

I'm only 16, and I already have advanced thanatophobia. From the age of 3 I understand what death is. Every day, before going to bed, I struggle with the thoughts “I, too, will someday die, I will not be, and someday my relatives will not be. What happens after death? I'm tired of crying every night. I'm afraid to tell my mom. I just can't contain it anymore.

Hello, I’m 19 and it seems that I shouldn’t even think about death, but in short, I believe in rebirth and I don’t even have a fear of death, but some kind of sadness, depression, because rebirth involves the loss of memories of past lives and this is so it’s terrible to understand that you will forget everything: relatives, home, whose person you will love ... well, and yourself in the end. And you keep thinking, but how many lives have already been, how many times I had the same thoughts in past lives, how many times I forgot my relatives and loved ones, how many more times I will think about it in next lives... so scared that I'll forget my parents, native home, friends, I will forget THIS my life ...
Write if you want to help, but without "live in the moment" or "change religion" it only makes it worse. Thank you for listening)

Hello everyone!! I was 25 years old, married 5 years ago and gave birth to a son, he was 4 years old,) these 4 years I did not see happiness, I was always stressed, I could not feel how my son was growing, he was constantly sick and this made me stress, and everything is bad with my husband, and there is no desire to do something to dress as if I have lost my taste for life (and there is always death in my head, that I will not have time to die in my life

The fear of one's own death is present, but unobtrusively. True, sometimes it happens that I can’t sleep: I see myself dead (in my mind). My mother died, more than a year has passed since then. What scares the hell out of me is the ignorance: what's wrong with her? Isn't she scared, isn't she in pain? I pray for her as best I can, and I myself do not believe in what I am doing.

In 2016, my husband and I decided to adopt 2 children from Ukraine. The procedure for international adoption, in a nutshell, was pumping money into a brazen one, they paid for the SV accompanied, fed in restaurants, etc. If you try to object, they put spokes in the wheels, they delay the time of stay ....
Since then, I started having nightmares - I wake up in horror - Sasha, they won't give us children. And so it continued until they returned home with the children.
But the nightmares did not stop - almost every night I wake up in fear with attempts to explain to my husband why I need to die. The reason is that in a dream it seems to me that due to a confluence of some missed actions (I didn’t draw up something, I didn’t send it on time), I am facing the fact of an unnamed death.
I'm already tired of this. But I don't know how to stop it.

I have been living with thoughts of death almost every day for many years. For me, it is useless to fight this fear. It can be drowned out, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to fully come to terms with the realization that life is finite. A psychologist can probably help in making a person learn to deal with this inevitability more calmly, I don’t know, never addressed. But I think, The best way is to find some noble, worthy goal in life. At one time, I also suffered greatly from the fact that I would die. Until at some point I realized that the cruelty and injustice of the world brings me even greater suffering than the inevitability of death, and from this I wanted, on the contrary, to quickly leave this world. If you think about it, you can see that while someone is enjoying life, having fun and rushing to fulfill all their desires, at this time a lot of people, abandoned children and homeless animals suffer around. Every second someone in the world suffers or dies. For me, this realization is unbearable. Therefore, I hasten to help, because I can not stand the suffering and torment of others, and it is no longer up to myself and my fears. Doing good deeds towards unfortunate people or animals brings me some comfort.
Maybe this method will help someone else to forget about the fear of death a little.

Hello, I did not find my case in the article. I’m afraid to die early, without having lived my life fully, I’m afraid to grow old, because old age leads to death, I’m afraid that my life will be interrupted and everything that is so dear and valuable to me will become useless to anyone. Before, I always thought about the future, planned ahead, dreamed. Now I'm scared to plan something a month in advance, it seems like it's taking so long and that I might not live to see the end of this month. I want to get rid of it, I don’t know how… now it has become hard to do something or act or decide on something.

• Almagul, I have been living with this for many years. And now I began to understand that death, just like life, cannot be canceled, and no matter what we do, wherever we look, the law of nature cannot be canceled. So you just need to live and smile. And also, to believe that we live forever. Good luck.

Hi all. The fear of death is terribly constant and everywhere I think about it, if something gets sick somewhere, thoughts immediately appear that it is fatal, I have almost gone through all the doctors. Constantly tears then lets go for a short while, and again covers with a wave of these thoughts. Who coped with this write ....

• I have the same thoughts. I live in this fear for several years and it drives me crazy. I have many chronic diseases and I am terribly afraid of some kind of death. My sister was dying hard, screaming, I don't want to die, but she died in agony. Now I'm even more scared. I lost my sleep completely, I live in horror. Those who have experienced it will understand.

Nine months ago she was treated for neuro-asthenic syndrome. It became easier, but pressure appeared, sometimes dizziness bothers me, I also have cervical osteochondrosis, in addition, an obsessive thought appeared: my consciousness seems to periodically inspire me, that is, the thought “I will die soon” appears in my head, but I drive these thoughts away with all my might and I inspire myself out loud, then to myself following words: "No, I will live happily ever after!" This is how two thoughts argue in my mind: one is negative, the other is positive. And it all started during an illness. From my youth and still worried about the fear of death (when I think about it, it becomes so creepy, scary, everything gets cold inside). How to get rid of these thoughts, maybe you need to contact one of the specialists?) Tell me, please, if you can.

• I also had a fear of death. I dealt with the fear using the Slavinsky GP 4 techniques and deep PEAT. It's not easy. The fear of death has many roots (reasons), each of which should be worked out and removed. I don't know any other way.

Good afternoon! I'm 40 years old. My fear with PA appeared 8 months ago, when there were problems in gynecology, which were resolved. Now every day I am afraid of getting sick and dying. I went around all the doctors, I take tests as soon as I get a prick. Was at the psychiatrist, Paxil, grandaksin is appointed or nominated. They only make me feel worse. I drink afobazole, it helps a little, but as soon as you quit it, everything returns. For some reason, I feel very bad from morning until 4 o'clock in the afternoon (I'm scared), and by the evening it gets better and I almost normal person I sleep well. Why is this happening? I even had to quit, I could not work. Thank you!

• Elena, I also suffer from this problem, fear eats me up (thanatophobia), I also drink antidepressants. Only tranquilizers help. I seem to be slowly losing my mind. Because of this disease, I also do not work. Although she was a successful girl, she worked as a nurse, drove a car. And now I'm sitting at home or with my mother or husband .... thoughts of suicide, I'm tired of living like this .... I'm 32 years. Email me if you want: rudermanelina(dog)gmail.com

  The use of antidepressants should always be in parallel with therapy with a psychotherapist. Necessarily. The simplest thing that can be advised to alleviate the condition is work with the body (clamps), 16 muscle groups according to a special technique (tension-relaxation) and breathing 7-7-7-7 (we inhale at the expense of 7, then stop and up to 7 , then exhale for a count of 7, and so on). After that, we work with thoughts and attitudes. Only joint action will help.

  After the operation, I began to be afraid of everything in general, derealization, obsessive thoughts about murder, as a result, now I’m afraid of death and losing loved ones, I also don’t know what to do about it, I’m going to a psychotherapist, I don’t know what he will tell me and how he will help, the psychologist had only one session, nothing happened yet.