Contents:
- Medical Video: Why You Shouldn’t Fear Death
- Tanatophobia, when someone is very afraid to die
- Why are there people who are very afraid to die?
- What are the risk factors for thanatophobia?
- What signs do people have the fear of dying excessively?
- Is there anything that can be done to overcome thanatophobia?
Medical Video: Why You Shouldn’t Fear Death
Nobody knows when and how death will come. But certainly, everyone will die eventually. A little fear of dying is natural, because nobody knows about the future. The unnatural thing is to feel very, very afraid to die to the point of stress and confine themselves so as not to get hurt or get sick.
Tanatophobia, when someone is very afraid to die
Worrying about health is a natural thing. That way, you will learn to be able to take care of yourself better - both by eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and being more careful in your activities so as not to get injured.
Worrying about personal safety also helps you take into account every step that must be taken in life while preparing yourself for all the worst possibilities, for example when faced with natural disasters.
Likewise with grief and sadness that struck the heart after being left forever by loved ones. Grieving trains you so you can become a more mature and tough person to face life.
Even so, a handful of people in this world can feel extreme fear of death or the process of death itself. This unnatural fear is called tanatophobia, aka death phobia.
Thanatophobia is not officially recognized by American Psychiatric Association as a psychological disorder. Even so, stress and severe anxiety that might be caused are often associated with generalized anxiety disorder.
Why are there people who are very afraid to die?
Phobia itself is a psychological disorder characterized by a sense of extreme fear and unreasonableness. Unlike fear in general, phobias are usually related to one specific thing.
In addition, ordinary fears generally only last a little while and can subside as soon as the trigger disappears. Unlike phobias. You might know and realize that your fears don't make sense, but you still can't control those feelings.
It is not known exactly what causes phobias. However, excessive fear of dying can be triggered by certain factors. For example, traumatic past experiences. One can have extreme fear of death if they have experienced a life threatening situation or almost caused a death, such as a natural disaster, accident, or illness - both to themselves and their closest people.
Tanatophobia can also be triggered by religious or religious factors. Almost all religious teachings must teach about life after death, like life in heaven and hell. Some people with thanatophobia experience excessive worry about life after death, because they don't know what will happen at that time.
What are the risk factors for thanatophobia?
Young adults are more at risk of having tanatophobia than elderly people. Excessive anxiety over death usually begins to occur in the 20s. In women, this extreme fear can continue until the 50s.
In addition, people who have many serious health problems are also more likely to experience excessive anxiety about the future of their lives.
What signs do people have the fear of dying excessively?
Just like other phobias, the signs and symptoms of tanatophobia are not present at all times. You may only realize the signs when you start thinking about the death of you or someone you love. In fact, even thinking about a phobia trigger can make you very stressful and cold sweat.
The most common symptoms of this psychological condition include:
- Frequent panic attacks
- Feeling very, very worried
- Dizzy
- Sweating
- Irregular heartbeat
- Nausea
- Stomach ache
- Sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures
Apart from physical symptoms, tanatophobia can also cause emotional symptoms, such as:
- Closing yourself from the environment
- Avoid friends and family for long periods of time
- Angry
- Feeling too sad
- Easily offended
- Feel guilty
- Continual worry
Is there anything that can be done to overcome thanatophobia?
The focus of treatment for tanatophobia is to reduce your excessive fear and anxiety about death. Therapy can include a consultation session with a psychologist, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), relaxation techniques to relieve anxiety, to the use of prescription medication if deemed necessary.
You may also undergo a combination of phobia therapy from several of the options above. To find out which treatment is right for your condition, consult with your doctor further.
