Panic fear of death is a psychological problem: how to deal with it. Fear of death, can it be overcome and should it be done

10.10.2019

Probably, there is no such person who has not thought about death at least once. Some perceive these thoughts quite normally, and for some they causing real panic.

What are people afraid of when they think about death?

Most people are afraid of death for their own individual reasons, and each person has their own fears and thoughts on this matter.

So what really scares people so much?

Why are some people afraid of clowns? find out right now.

What is behind the fear of death? Get a psychologist's opinion:

Is it possible to get rid of thanatophobia?

For the whole life of a man at least once think about its end.

We all experience the death of loved ones.

After that, we are increasingly visited by thoughts that one day we will leave this world forever. Someone calmly perceives it, but for someone it turns into a real phobia.

A person who is really terribly afraid of dying needs to live his life so that at the end he only has thoughts that he did everything right and does not regret anything.

So how do you get rid of the fear of death? Ask yourself a question: "Is it worth poisoning your life with paralyzing fear?" After all, the fear of death prevents you from moving forward freely. It slows you down and does not allow you to breathe deeply.

With life experience comes the understanding that death is inevitable and will happen to every person and that it is not as terrible as it was thought.

But it's too early to worry about this, life is given in order to live, and not to spend it on dubious torments.

Some people are so afraid of death that trying to get rid of her completely. they stay away from cemeteries, bypass funerals by the tenth road and do not even utter that terrible word "death".

But it is worth understanding one thing, what once began, must and will end. We are all born, live and die, we can’t get away from this. Therefore, to overcome your fear, you need to live!

No need to waste your precious years thinking about the inevitable. Live and do what you want, travel, meet new people, distract yourself from fear and enjoy the moment of life!

What methods does psychotherapy include?

First thing need to realize that you have a phobia, it is simply impossible to help a person without accepting the problem.

After that, it is worth contacting a specialist, psychologist or psychotherapist, after a conversation, the doctor will prescribe a suitable therapy.

The main thing to remember is that you need to be with a doctor as honest as possible. It should help you get rid of the problem. But he will not be able to do this if you keep something back.

Methods that include treatment:

– a specialist helps the patient to understand himself, to understand the cause of fear, to realize and accept that death is an inevitable process, to stop thinking about it as something terrible;
group trainings- for people with the same phobia, special trainings are held to help get rid of fear;
hypnotherapy- it is not prescribed to all patients, mainly to those whose phobia has not gone too far; usually a few sessions of immersion in hypnosis are enough, after which it is recommended to have several conversations with a psychotherapist; only a specialist who knows his business can immerse in hypnosis;
medical treatment - is prescribed only if the fear of death is accompanied by panic attacks. In this case, the doctor may prescribe antidepressants or sedatives.

How to overcome fear for the life of a child? Psychologist's advice:

What to do if you are afraid to die? Exist a few general tips on how to deal with fear:

Realize your fear and accept it - this will be the first and most big step on the way to solving the problem.
Find out as much information as possible about your phobia - this way you will be fully armed in the matter of your fear, perhaps this will help you understand that it is not so terrible.
Looking fear in the eye is what psychologists advise most often, it is this technique that will help overcome fear. But you should not run away and try to invoke death, it will be enough, for example, to go to a cemetery or attend a funeral.
Trying to keep yourself busy with something positive, such as hitting up a sport, will help you take all the negative thoughts into a real thing.
Expand your interests and opportunities.
Try to think only positively and drive away all bad thoughts and obsessions.
Simply enjoy life and appreciate every moment of it.

The fear of death is quite normal and natural for any person. If it is insignificant and does not prevent you from living in peace, then there is nothing to worry about.

But if fear becomes paralyzing, turns into a real phobia and even panic attacks, you should seek help. After all, our life is too short to waste it on unreasonable fears and worries. You have to enjoy every moment of it!

Is there life after death? Why do I need a god? Anxiety Psychotherapy:

A separate niche in the group of anxiety disorders is occupied by thanatophobia - a generalized fear of death. This pathological, uncontrollable, obsessive and inexplicable fear is one of the most common in modern world, and it is a relatively difficult phobia to treat.

There are very few people who have no fear of death. First of all, this is explained by the fact that a person is not destined to know what death is. It is not known whether the inevitable physical departure from life is evil or death is conceived by the Creator for the good? After all, while a person is alive, there is no death, and no one knows the fact: when does physical life– can the spiritual component of the personality continue to exist? Emotions and reactions that arise when faced with a real threat to life: excitement, anxiety, fear, anxiety - a natural and normal reaction of a healthy person.

The paradox of the pathological fear of death lies in the fact that a person suffering from thanatophobia is constantly afraid, even without a source of danger to existence. Although the semantic direction of anxiety is the anticipation of the fact of one's own death, however, the patient does not specifically know what provokes and is the object of his anxiety. Some are afraid of the unknown that awaits after death, others are afraid of the painful, in their opinion, the process of dying.

Like other human fears, thanatophobia also has positive intentions. The pathological fear of death is a unique basis for self-improvement, which allows you to symbolically end a false, meaningless life and acquire a new true "I". Confirmation of this is the desire of most thanatophobes: turning for medical care, they still do not know what to do to get rid of the anxiety that owns their mind and how to live on, but they realize that it is impossible to lead the existence that was before.

When diagnosing the disorder, it must be taken into account that the pathological fear of death is characteristic of patients in whom the presence of an obsessive delusional idea is associated with the main mental illness. In any case, a specialist consultation is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of "thanatophobia". In the case of thanatophobia, self-treatment is categorically undesirable!

Causes of obsessive fear of death

The unambiguous cause of occurrence and the mechanism of development of thanatophobia have not been established. In addition to versions of genetic predisposition, heredity, and the influence of society, psychiatrists put forward several more basic, still poorly understood, theories about the origin of the fear of death.

Version 1

Often the trigger for developing fear is personal experience: contact with death (especially unexpected) of a loved one. The idea of searching for the meaning of death is launched, and this fact is enough to involve a person in a painful search for an answer to the question: "What is death?" Misfortune, tragedy, grief often awaken a person from hibernation: he comes to life and begins to feel and empathize. Thus, the loss of loved ones leaves behind an irrational way of protesting against death - to stay alive, creating and cherishing the fear of death.

Version 2

Some Russian scientists offer a different explanation - the so-called "death" hypnotization. Under the influence of negative information that affects the individual through television, the Internet, newspapers, in the mind of the individual, the vivid image termination of life. A person takes on an overwhelming burden, thinking about when and how he is destined to die.

Version 3

Some psychologists explain the spiritual crisis of the individual with a natural, continuous and uninterrupted process of human development: degradation or progress. On the way to self-knowledge, the individual asks philosophical questions, trying to define existential problems: the purpose of death, the meaning of life. As a result, "existential anxiety" arises - the predominance in thoughts of the idea of threatening non-existence.

Version 4

Symptoms of a pathological fear of death can occur at any age. However, doctors note a significant number of patients with severe thanatophobia aged 35 to 50 years. Psychologists refer to this period of life as the end of the crisis of adulthood, the result of which is the acquisition of fresh thinking and a different ideology. A critical reassessment by a person of life priorities, principles and goals, getting rid of youthful illusions, parting with unfulfilled plans and hopes are rather painful experiences. A long stay in an artificially created stressful environment is an ideal soil for the development of pathological anxiety.

Version 5.

Psychotherapists note that the fear of death of some patients originates in their religious beliefs. Although believers believe that they have accurate information about what awaits them at the end of their "earthly" life, they are afraid of a possible "punishment for sins." The treatment of this category of patients is quite difficult, because the doctor often has to act as a “competitor” to the spiritual leader who is authoritative for the patient.

Version 6.

Thanatophobia often originates in another disorder: panic fear of the unknown. The pathological fear of everything new, incomprehensible and not amenable to logical explanation, is often present in inquisitive, well-educated, intellectual individuals.

Version 7.

Most pedantic, responsible and disciplined people try to keep all life events under control. However, they understand that it is not given to them to influence and control biological processes: birth, aging and death. Often the desire to control all the smallest aspects of life takes on an accentuated character, and over time it transforms into an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Features of thanatophobia

AT clinical picture disorders quite often, thanatophobia manifests itself not as a fear of the fact of death, but as a fear of the circumstances accompanying the process of dying. Many patients are afraid of painful, painful manifestations of an incurable disease. For others, it is unacceptable to lose self-esteem in the last segment of life: when an incapacitated patient will not be able to take care of himself on his own, and he will be forced to resort to the help of outsiders. This type of thanatophobia occurs in patients with a history of illness that included hypochondriacal disorders occurring with an irrational fear of various diseases.

Among middle-aged people, for whom the main life priorities are caring, raising, providing for children and other family members, the fear of their own death is associated with worries about the future of relatives. Patients, mostly young, hyper-responsible single parents, worry about the fate of their children after their death. They are afraid that without their help, family members will experience material difficulties, children will not be able to “break through” in life.

It has been established that the episodic natural anxiety for one's own life - defense mechanism person, which testify to the normal state of the psyche. However, psychologists note that last years panic fear of death, which can be qualified as a phobia, began to be observed in children and adolescents.

Patients diagnosed with thanatophobia quite often suffer from concomitant disorders, which some experts attribute to varieties of fear of death. Secondary phobias can be the fear of the dead, the fear of tombstones and other symbols of death, the fear of ghosts.

Phobia Symptoms

Like other anxiety disorders, thanatophobia manifests itself not only at the visible level, but also has hidden (subconscious) symptoms.

This disorder in most patients has a certain frightening situation - the object of fear. Patients do not have the concept of "abstract death", as a natural end to life in general. They are focused and fixated on a specific fictional act of their own death. For example, a patient with a created mythological lethal outcome as a result of a plane crash, will avoid flying on air transport. The man who "conceived" his own death from oncological disease, will be a frequent patient in medical institutions. Such outwardly obsessive behavior is combined with changes in physiology: sleep disorders and insomnia, weight loss and loss of appetite, decreased sexual function, and the appearance of neurotic pain.

The hidden manifestation of fear brings a person an exhausting feeling of constant, inexplicable anxiety, uncontrollable irritability, nervousness and aggressiveness. In thanatophobe, gloomy “colors” prevail in the mood, often a depressive disorder is added.

Persons suffering from thanatophobia are distinguished by accentuated traits and character traits: increased impressionability, suspiciousness, excitability, anxiety, self-doubt, and a tendency to loop. Many patients can be classified as gifted creative people or to the "thinking" type. They are predisposed to constant reflection on the overvalued ideas they have created. They are distinguished by stubbornness, selfishness, they do not tolerate criticism and do not perceive the opinions of others that are different from theirs. At the same time, thanatophobes can be called "energy quickie": they have a high motivation, an unquenchable desire to act according to their fictional scenario.

Consequences of a severe form of the disease

Without timely adequate treatment, thanatophobia completely changes a person's lifestyle, affecting his personal characteristics. Here are some Negative consequences illness.

As a result of the chosen line of conduct, there is a reduction in the number social contacts and breaking close relationships with people;
For many, it becomes impossible to carry out daily activities and professional activity, since thanatophobia forms its motives, relegating the true meaning of life to the background;
Under influence constant stress at the physiological level, failures occur in the interaction of the functional systems of the body, informational disintegration appears;
With the predominance negative emotions, with failures in the processes of excitation-inhibition, irreversible changes occur in the cortex hemispheres brain: various psychosomatic diseases are formed;
Against the background of strong long-term emotional stress, the likelihood of joining alcoholism, drug addiction increases.

Treatment of thanatophobia

Due to the fact that thanatophobia has many probable causes of occurrence and manifests itself in various forms, diagnostics, counseling, drug treatment and psychological correction of the disorder should be carried out by a qualified specialist - a psychiatrist. The appropriate course of treatment and rehabilitation is determined for each specific patient on an individual basis based on a combination of factors: root causes, intensity, form, duration, personal characteristics of the patient, the presence of other disorders.

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Why is there such fear?

There is no need to be afraid of death, because this is the natural end of human life. However, not everyone can accept this fact and do not want to come to terms with it. In the depths of this phenomenon lie problems associated with personal perception of the surrounding reality.

Complete absence of fear of death is also impossible. This is considered one of the types of psychological disorders. It is absolutely impossible to give up fears about your death. The presence of unexpressed fear should not be too frightening. However, when emotions about this go off scale, it is worth considering.

Fear of death can be associated with a lot of factors. They may have been present since childhood. The fear of death, which has a variety of causes, is one of the most serious types of phobic disorders. Main factors:

Fear of illness or severe death. Many people are afraid of this. Their phobia is based on bodily sensations. Such patients are afraid of pain and agony. These fantasies may be reinforced by some kind of illness or certain negative experiences that a person experienced in the past.
Pointless care. Most patients are afraid to die without leaving a trace. That is, not to do something significant in life. These people are always late. They are chasing luck. They want to achieve something meaningful, to be appreciated. The fear of leaving without a successfully completed task is worse for them than bodily pain.
Loss of contacts. This phobic disorder affects people who suffer from loneliness. At the same time, they are afraid to die, left alone with themselves. Such patients cannot be alone for a long time. Here the cause is reduced self-esteem and a violation of socialization.
Religion and superstition. People who are immersed in any beliefs are afraid to die because after death they will fall into some kind of scary place. The fear of hell is often much stronger than that of death itself. Many are waiting for death with a scythe or something like that.

Why are people afraid of death? You can answer unambiguously. People are primarily afraid of life. Both fears are identical.

Symptoms of this type of fear

Fear of death has a variety of symptoms. First of all, it appears hypersensitivity to any stimulus. A person is afraid of almost everything. He is afraid of being mortally ill. Concomitant phobias appear, which provoke a number of serious psycho-neurological disorders.

People who fear for their lives often sit at home and avoid any change. The upcoming flight on an airplane can cause them to faint and panic attacks. The second type of disorder deserves special attention.

Panic attacks, in which the fear of death often underlies, are a complex somatic disorder. At the same time, shortness of breath, dizziness, tachycardia appear quite suddenly in a person, blood pressure jumps, and nausea occurs. There may also be upset stools, frequent urination, and intense fear that leads to panic. Patients with these disorders think that they are about to die, but these are just manifestations of the autonomic nervous system, which thus reacts to phobias.

The fear of death at the same time reaches a peak of intensity. The person may fall into despair. Panic attacks can occur in different time. Sometimes they happen at night, in some people they appear in public places or with some drastic changes.

Fear of death always accompanies people with panic disorders. Often an attack begins with a sharp release of the hormone adrenaline into the blood. In this case, the vessels spasm sharply and characteristic symptoms, accompanied by a jump blood pressure and nausea. Panic attacks can be accompanied by feelings of lack of air.

Panic fear of death in children is less common than in adults, and is much easier to correct. People who live in constant expectation of illness and trouble are afraid to leave the house, refuse relationships, as there is a phobia of contracting an infection.

Thanatophobia is often accompanied by anxiety disorders. The person cannot relax. He is in a constant state of flux. As a result, the nervous system is depleted, blood circulation in various organs and systems worsens. People with a constant sense of anxiety often feel painful manifestations in the stomach and intestines, suffer from colitis, gastritis and ulcerative defects of the mucous membrane. As a result of increased anxiety, the production of gastric juice is stimulated, which negatively affects the walls of the organ.

Often there are stool disorders. A person may be tormented by constant bouts of diarrhea or constipation. Often there is a lack of appetite. Patients with this fear lose weight and performance due to obsession with the phobia.

How to get rid of the problem?

Working with the fear of death is divided into several stages. First of all, it is necessary to be aware of the pathological nature of this phenomenon. Psychologists recommend approaching treatment with awareness of the inevitability of the transition from temporary to eternal life.

Most people want to know how to learn not to be afraid of death. Some psychologists use a unique technique that is based on playing a disturbing phobia. To do this, you need to imagine your own death, how to survive it here and now.

Additionally, you should realize that a certain reason is hidden under this phobia. Revealing it is much more important than all the techniques combined. It is important to understand not how to stop being afraid of death, but what tool is better to use in this case. It will not be possible to eradicate fear forever, but it is quite possible to correct it and make it more rational.

How not to be afraid of death? It is necessary to eradicate fear by replacing it with a positive image. When a phobia comes to mind and haunts, you should imagine something exactly the opposite. For example, a wedding, some kind of fun event, and so on. This must be done until this fear ceases to be so intrusive.

To say how to get rid of the fear of death, it is recommended to understand the specifics of phobias. The more you feed a negative thought, the more dynamically it will progress. We need to recognize the need to replace the negative with the positive. Over time, positive changes will be noticeable.

In order to accurately answer the question of how to overcome the fear of death, one should delve into the essence of the problem and understand what a person is really afraid of. If it's related to fear pain during the transition to another world, it is recommended to analyze all cases when a similar fear or unpleasant manifestations arose. Perhaps the person has experienced a serious illness or something like that.

Knowing how to overcome the fear of death, a person receives powerful tool which allows him to look at life in a new way. When an attack sets in, and the thought literally begins to choke, it is recommended to turn it off abruptly. You can do this in any way. Turn on the music, start cleaning up, replace the negative fantasy with a positive one, etc. You need to do anything, just do not concentrate on fear.

What to do if constant fear is accompanied by panic attacks, you also need to know. First of all, when an attack occurs, you should stop and pinch yourself. You can simply hit yourself with the palm of your hand or leg. The main thing is to get involved in reality. Here it should be realized that given state does not threaten life and health. Additionally, it is recommended to change the breathing. Make it deeper, more conscious, learn to breathe with your stomach. In general, it is recommended to engage in reality using the described approach.

What methods can be applied?

How to overcome the fear of death? You need to understand that all people are subject to this. You should not be afraid of her premature arrival, as this is only a negative thought and has nothing to do with the real state of affairs. It is very important to learn how to take care of yourself. Relax more and indulge yourself with pleasant little things.

It is not always easy to understand how to cope with the fear of death, because sometimes phobias are so progressive that they prevail over common sense. In this case, you need to work with a psychotherapist. Good effect gives breathing exercises.

To get rid of the anxiety that accompanies such a phobia, you need to inspire yourself with positive attitudes. Change the bad for the good. Thus, one must mentally chew the problem and digest it. As long as the subconscious of a person cannot do this, nothing will work.

Additional techniques

It is necessary to answer the question, what is the worst thing about death. Then analyze your answer. If it is pain and torment, then try to remember similar situations. When the feeling of loneliness is the basis, then it is already necessary to solve the problem of socialization.

Fear of death is a phobia that affects almost 80% of people on the planet. To live with it, you need to be aware of your presence in real world and not in the cloud of their negative fantasies. The phobia of death tends to progress if the thought is constantly replayed in the head and experienced. It is very helpful to write down your fear on a piece of paper. It is desirable to state in detail all the unpleasant sensations, down to minor details. Then imagine yourself as a different person and read what is written, analyzing from the outside.

The fear of death has been studied by psychology for a very long time. The described method is effective. When a state of aggravation occurs, and the thought begins to choke, it is recommended to imagine yourself from the outside. Look at your condition from the position of a doctor and draw a conclusion.

You can even give yourself advice and prescribe treatment. Death from fear occurs in isolated cases. Therefore, you should not be afraid that a panic attack will end in death. This type somatic manifestations refers to cyclic. During an attack, it is recommended to take any sedative and vasodilator drug and sit in a horizontal position.

It must be understood that the stronger the fear, the more intense the symptoms will manifest. All this is easy to avoid if you keep at hand essential oil mint or ammonia. When there is a feeling of the onset of an attack, you just need to inhale the listed funds and it will immediately become easier. Will help correct breathing. If the heart beats very strongly, then you need to try to calm yourself. To do this, you can slowly walk around the room, turn on relaxing music or your favorite movie.

How to deal with the fear of death correctly, the psychotherapist will tell you after a preliminary consultation. In this case, the assessment of the patient's condition is very important.

Fear of death is a common phobia. People are not afraid of death itself, but of what will happen after it. They don't attend funerals, they bypass funeral shops. But you can overcome the fear of death by using the services of a psychotherapist.

There are now many excellent effective methods in psychotherapy. They aim to replace negative thinking with positive. The goal of others is to change the reaction and perception of fear, thereby overcoming thanatophobia.

Causes and symptoms of thanatophobia

Often, the fear of death occurs in people who like to control all processes. They always have everything planned. They are afraid of force majeure. And death is something that cannot be prevented. It cannot be controlled or predicted.

Typical causes of a phobia:

fear of death of close relatives;
feeling unwell;
fatal disease (cancer, AIDS);
childhood trauma;
death loved one;
presence at the funeral;
participation in hostilities, accidents, emergencies;
stereotypical thinking;
religious beliefs;
negative experience (long stay in a coma, fainting, consequences of a severe illness), etc.

Another source for the emergence of thanatophobia is the media. Negative information has a bad effect on the human psyche.

Thoughts about the meaning of life do not leave him, own life after death. The patient is frightened by the mortality statistics in the country and around the world.

scary thoughts

A person begins to think a lot about death. Imagine how he will die, what feelings to experience. fantasize about possible causes of death. He thinks what the reaction of others will be.

Some people have a fear of the unknown. Obsessive thoughts do not allow you to sleep normally and disrupt the usual processes of life. In this case, a panic attack occurs, which is a reaction of the body.

Hysteria

If the thanatophobe gets sick, he starts hysterical. Thinking about death, he is sure that he will not be able to recover and will die. His whole life is accompanied by negative attitudes. Thoughts of a threatening event predominate. He dreams of death, war, own funeral, cemetery.

Anxiety

The patient begins to be overly interested in the well-being of loved ones. Temperature increase, high pressure, cough and other manifestations of illness cause panic fear.

body trembling

When the patient is invited to the funeral of a loved one, he begins to shiver slightly. Sweating increases, headache. The head is spinning, arises muscle weakness. Possible strong, unreasonable hysteria.

Most often, this condition occurs in older people. They cannot live in peace, knowing that at any moment death can overtake.

There is a depressive disorder. The person becomes irritable, aggressive, nervous. He doesn't see anything good. Holidays no longer bring joy.

Psychotherapy as a way of treatment

The psychologist conducts diagnostics, prescribes treatment, gives consultations and makes psychocorrection mental disorder sick. Each client is given an individual course of treatment. The direction of the course is influenced by the causes and symptoms of thanatophobia. taken into account general psychology personality on the basis of which the characteristics of the patient are made.

The therapy is based on art therapy. A few years ago, she limited herself to drawing. Now it is a complex of arts: literature, modeling, music, dancing, acting, etc. It is important to choose what the patient really likes.

The goal of art therapy is to learn to know yourself, understand emotions and thoughts, and be able to get rid of negativity. The technique is based on sublimation, that is, the transfer of internal conflicts and objects of fear to the result of creativity.

Directions of art therapy:

abstraction - images in the form of simple combinations of ornaments and lines;
materialization - the drawn picture can be cut, burned, crushed or destroyed in another way;
games where main character- fear that needs to be drawn or shown in another way.

Art therapy affects the development of personality, harmonization inner world and normalization of relations in society.

Some patients do not even notice that in the creative process there is a struggle with a phobia.

At the time of drawing, a person should not limit himself. The main thing is complete emancipation.

In the process of this therapy, the patient's thinking changes. Negative attitudes are replaced by positive ones. A person learns to analyze his actions, thoughts, actions. He struggles with an obsessive fear of death.

The doctor's task is to predispose the patient to be as sincere and interested in the cure as possible. After all, a person with a fear of death does not recognize this phobia. Accordingly, he also does not see the need for treatment.

During therapy, the patient is asked questions:

who said it was bad;
why did you do that;
why do you think it's forever;
what will happen if you do so;
what happened after the loss of loved ones;
why are you afraid of funerals;
what worries you about death, etc.

Based on the answers, the doctor finds out the causes of fear. After that, he invites the patient to sit in a comfortable chair, close his eyes and imagine something that frightens him very much - death, a cemetery, a grave, a funeral, etc. It is important that there are manifestations of thanatophobia. The client must describe what he sees.

After that, the patient should abruptly change the picture to a positive one. It should evoke joy, happiness, pleasant memories. Next, the patient must again imagine the objects of his fear. At 1 session, such a task takes 15-20 minutes.

In addition to individual sessions, the client receives homework assignments. They have the most high value, because in the process of execution the patient feels discomfort, being alone with himself and leaving the comfort zone.

It is important that the doctor after each session ask the patient to explain what he heard and understood. So he checks the effectiveness of the treatment.

During treatment, feelings, actions and thoughts should be one. In psychology, this is called Gestalt. In a person without disorders of the central nervous system, this pattern is observed. Those who suffer from a phobia of death have an imbalance.

Gestalt therapy is the opposite of cognitive behavioral therapy. There is no need to look for the cause of the disease and eliminate it. You need to come to terms with the fact that the problem is present, and this is normal. According to the idea of the methodology, a person should operate with feelings, not with reason.

The main tasks of Gestalt therapy:

Working with emotions. Don't block negative feelings. They can be replaced with positive ones.
Phobia perception. The patient learns to listen to himself, his feelings. The task of the doctor is to set the right direction.
Analysis of the past. The client needs to think about what caused his phobia in the past. Perhaps this is a consequence of the wrong upbringing and perception of the funeral, death.
Body concentration. Physical manifestations of fear are important to the doctor. It will help the client get rid of mild trembling, heart palpitations, headaches, etc.
The goal of therapy is to help the client find inner support. After treatment, he should receive positive vital energy and continue to work on his problem on his own. It is important for the patient to get rid of the childhood fear of the cemetery, graves and death. It is necessary to understand that life is beautiful, and you should not waste it on empty thoughts.

Exposure Therapy

The main idea is to forget about past failures, negative experiences, fears. There is only the present and the future.

The doctor shows the patient from the outside how he behaves during the activation of the phobia.

Then he asks the patient to find a behavior-hindrance - how to behave in order to get rid of thanatophobia. The client must highlight the qualities of a person, give him a description, determine the positive aspects of such behavior.

There are 3 techniques in exposure therapy:

hidden sensitization. The therapist teaches the patient to enter a state of complete relaxation. After that, you need to imagine yourself in a situation that frightens and causes a panic attack - a walk in the cemetery, attending a funeral, your own death, the loss of relatives right in front of your eyes, etc.
Gradual exposure therapy. The essence is a slow, gradual cure. Sessions are held in a smooth, calm mode. Quiet, relaxing music can play in the background. It is necessary to deal very carefully with the primary sources of thanatophobia. It is important that the client himself suggests ways of treatment.
flood method. The patient is involved in a situation that provokes the activation of panic and anxiety. Fear should be strong and reaching to a panic attack or hysteria. So the doctor checks how a person will behave when panic occurs again. If no violations are found, the course of treatment ends. Otherwise, the method changes. The "flood" method is used at the final stage of the cure. It serves as a test of the patient for abstinence in moments of great fear.
Another effective method is to “go from the opposite”. The patient does not get rid of internal conflicts and experiences. He changes the type of behavior and attitude towards his own phobia. After all, fear depends on the experiences of the individual.

After treatment, the patient should not have a fear of death. He understands that dying is normal and natural, no one can avoid it.

Medical treatment

In combination with psychotherapy, you can drink a course of medication. Most do not have side effects and is not addictive. Medicines are aimed at alleviating the signs of thanatophobia and at calming the patient during tantrums, panic attacks.

Antidepressants are needed if the patient is in a severe form of mental disorder. They will help if he is depressed for a long time, has obsessive thoughts. Antidepressants remove irritation, nervousness, anxiety, panic.

After application, the patient improves well-being, mood, emotional condition. The drug does not cause drowsiness. But its main drawback is that it begins to act after 1 month.

The medicine is sold only by prescription from a doctor. The most effective antidepressants are:

Bellataminal;
Atropine;
fluoxetine;
Prozac;
Framex.

They are best taken before bedtime or an event that may activate fear. Remember, for those who do not have depression, the means will not help.

Sedative drugs

You can get rid of the fear of death with the help of herbal medicines. They are harmless and do not cause pain. The main components are valerian, motherwort, lemon balm, mint, thyme and chamomile. They lower nervous excitability, eliminate stomach cramps, relieve convulsions. St. John's wort improves tone and mood.

If the disease is pronounced, it is worth taking combined drugs. "Fitosed", "Persen Forte", "Novo-Passit", "Dormiplant" are the most effective. They are taken before bed to help induce sleep.

Antipsychotics

Especially effective when it is necessary to get rid of panic attacks of fear. They have a sedative, anti-anxiety, muscle relaxant, anticonvulsant effect. Not recommended for early use.

The drugs have a very strong effect. Sold by prescription only. They are prescribed only in especially severe cases.

Preventive measures

To reduce the frequency of manifestations of thanaphobia, maintain contact with optimistic people. Connect with those who inspire and show that life is beautiful, and there is no time to dwell on suffering and fear.

Watch the news and mortality statistics less. Doctors recommend avoiding:

disaster films;
negative news chronicles;
horror books, etc.

They only increase fear and panic. Subsequently, the person becomes nervous and irritated, the phobia is aggravated in the subconscious.

Do what you love. It does not matter what it is: creativity, ordinary cleaning or cooking. The activity should be enjoyable. You will not notice how in the process you will forget about your own negative reasoning about death. The disadvantage of this method is the short-term effect.

Some patients become visitors to forums for thanatophobes. This is the wrong decision. Contact with people with similar problems should be avoided. Spend more time with family, friends and family.

Learn to notice details. A compliment from a loved one, delicious coffee, interesting book, meeting with an old friend - there are many reasons for joy. Plan every day to make life interesting and eventful.

Conclusion

Thanatophobia or fear of death is a rare phenomenon in psychology. It is formed subsequently by improper upbringing, childhood trauma, negative experience. It manifests itself in the form of mild trembling, convulsions, stomach cramps, dizziness. Panic attacks and tantrums are possible at the sight of a cemetery, graves and ritual shops.

You can overcome the fear of death with the help of psychotherapy. The main techniques to overcome thanatophobia are cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, art therapy and gestalt therapy. It is recommended to take antidepressants, sedatives, neuroleptics at the same time. As a preventive measure, you do not need to watch news feeds, mortality statistics, or read books in the horror genre.

First of all, it should be understood that this fear is useless, because death comes when the moment intended by fate arrives. And a person cannot change anything. One must learn to accept the concept of death as inevitable. In a word, death is an irreversible life process, which is the transition from one life to another. But this does not mean at all that a person will certainly die from a particular disease.

There is no need to close in on yourself, remaining alone with the problem. Such an approach can only exacerbate the situation. Be sure to share your experiences with family and friends.

No need to succumb to panic fear and even more so to run away from it. After all, only by turning to face it, you can analyze it and understand with surprise that this fear is created by your own imagination.

The help of a psychologist in the fight against the fear of death

As a rule, anxiety, depression and stress due to illness significantly impede healing. Very often, a sick person is not able to cope with anxiety on their own. Therefore, in such a situation, it is advisable to apply for psychological help. It is a qualified specialist of this profile who is able to listen to the patient and help him cope with his state of mind.

You should not neglect the help of a psychologist. Psychotherapy is one of the important conditions for the formation of an adequate attitude not only to the disease, but also to life in general.

A psychologist at a difficult moment in a person's life can understand his problem and suggest the right solution. Thus, during the patient gets the opportunity to take a fresh look at the situation.

To date, there are various ways and methods psychological impact, allowing you to relax a person, reducing the grip of fear. Via different methods you can overcome the feeling of fear acquired at any time in life. You can also deal with fear by distracting yourself from harmful thoughts. You should occupy your head with something else: read a book, breathe deeply, count your breaths. This will help drive away the terrifying images and, accordingly, maintain control over yourself.

Weaken Influence obsessive fear death can be done with proper nutrition and physical activity. It is imperative to eliminate caffeine from the diet, as it contributes to supporting the symptoms of a phobia. There are also different kinds psychological trainings aimed at treating a specific fear. In the fight against fear, deprogramming of consciousness, isotherapy and hypnosis help well.

All people are mortal. Sooner or later everyone will have to step over the line that separates being from non-being. It is not surprising that people have always wondered and continue to wonder: what fate awaits them beyond that very line? And the fear of death to one degree or another is inherent in any person, even the most brave. It’s just that someone knows how to muffle it, due to their character traits or religious beliefs, while for someone it takes the form of a real panic, an obsession.

Instruction

First of all, figure out why this fear exists and holds on so stubbornly. Yes, because there is still no clear understanding: “What will happen next?”. It is the uncertainty, the uncertainty that envelops death and everything connected with it with a mysterious and sinister halo, making people afraid. This is very well said in D. Defoe's famous book about Robinson Crusoe: "What we know torments us less with horror than omissions and conjectures."

Now that you have answered this question, call for help common sense and cold logic. Think: if a person, fearing uncertainty, mystery, torments himself with fear, imagines the worst, to whom does he make it worse? Yes to myself! This is not life, but sheer torment.

There will be no fear of death. But a person who lives fully, busy with what is necessary, useful thing who has interesting hobbies, hobbies, sincerely enjoys life. And thoughts of death visit him very rarely.