Thanatophobia (Fear of Death)

[xAlphaStarOmegax]

Is the fear of death or the fear of dying normal? Everyone that I have asked in person about whether they fear death or not tells me that they don't fear it; even my partner does not fear it.

I have been having an insane fear of death every single day, even having anxiety attacks often because of it, ever since losing my mom back in 2011. I was there when she died, and it gave me PTSD. It was a very traumatic experience for me. I just wonder if all of this is normal, if it will ever go away, or if I will have to endure it for the rest of my life. I have had panic attacks so bad that I would cry, begging them to just stop and give me a little respite. Because of all of this, I pretty much rely on CBD oil and natural calming pills on a daily basis.

Is there anyone at all out there that deals with this as well?

[swillfly]

Having lived with and been involved with people that are severely bipolar I can say this:

• I left before one of their swings hurt them or me
  
• certain meds/therapy either help, do nothing, or actually make episodes Worse
  
• most bp folks end up self-prescribing (typically mega-pot-heads) & other addictions
  
• most bp folks lack adequate support staff (Not friends/family)
  
• bp and keeping a schedule never seem to mix well

Once upon a time, in a America far, far away . . . kids that had various neuroses were just "acting out" & left to either sink or swim. Many sank.

Those days are long gone.

So if you got some bad therapists/meds/etc. then your next move should be: NEXT
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

checkout https://www.dailystrength.org/

[Pierce Dalton]

Publicado originalmente por Pudge:

i'm sure there is reincarnation. if you were born once there is no reason it could not happen again and that makes death much less scary to me

Wait, what?

We can come back to Earth?

Aww damn.

[xAlphaStarOmegax]

Publicado originalmente por Eréndira:

Publicado originalmente por xAlphaStarOmegax:

...

Your moments of panic you explained, I can relate. It is unlike anything a person could possibly understand unless they go through it themselves. It's sheer panic. When I faced that, I would always need fresh air, regardless if in the dead of winter, 10 below outside. It's inescapable. But please, please don't give up on finding help. You can read on Job and feel comforted knowing the stories of the sufferings of long-past individuals of faith that we're not alone in our sufferings. But when it comes to the life-altering experiences you're having, you deserve peace. And again, please know that PTSD is NO. JOKE. It is not something to rest lightly on and just say, yeah it's there and it sucks but I'll make it through on my own strength. There is no such thing for such trauma.

I pray the best for you. There -are-options out there. And mental health is something that is now looked at more holistically and a bit more realistically as well. There may be sliding scales for fees or financial assistance possible.

Thanks again. I won't give up, I'll continue to fight this. I can't / won't let it win.

[xAlphaStarOmegax]

Publicado originalmente por swillfly:

Having lived with and been involved with people that are severely bipolar I can say this:

• I left before one of their swings hurt them or me
  
• certain meds/therapy either help, do nothing, or actually make episodes Worse
  
• most bp folks end up self-prescribing (typically mega-pot-heads) & other addictions
  
• most bp folks lack adequate support staff (Not friends/family)
  
• bp and keeping a schedule never seem to mix well

Once upon a time, in a America far, far away . . . kids that had various neuroses were just "acting out" & left to either sink or swim. Many sank.

Those days are long gone.

So if you got some bad therapists/meds/etc. then your next move should be: NEXT
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

checkout https://www.dailystrength.org/

Thank you for the link, I will check it out.

[Auckes]

If you "die"
before you die
then you won't "die"
when you die.

[Xero_Daxter]

The only thing I am scared of about death is dying a painful and slow death and not doing something I really wanna do before I die.

[WaitandSee]

I think about and ruminate on the thought of what happens after you die, what does it feel like? What happens next? These things along with knowing that the world will continue after I am gone, people I know will continue living and the world at large just carries on without me.

It is a very unsettling thought process I keep finding myself in.

Death is something we can't control, we don't know anything else except what clinical death to an organism is.

There is so much I won't get to learn, find out, experience, observe.

I've nearly died on a few occasions and it never really set in until years after it how easily and quickly it could be over.

[Magma Dragoon]

I think the implosion of religiosity and the normalization of terms like "pass away" have created a culture where death is seen as something unnatural. People naturally fear death and always have, but I think people today are more anxious about it. I'm certainly anxious.

[Rhila]

i don't fear death, i was close to death many times, my first time i was a child and i knew i was dying i was half dead in my father hands holding me running to his car, i saw my father eyes he was very sure he will lose his child. he was trying to deny the reality of losing his child. then i don't remember what happened next. i was very dead but i survived miraculously.
i only fear death taking someone i love.
for me i only fear the after life. not the death itself but what is coming after death.

[xAlphaStarOmegax]

Publicado originalmente por Leunhae:

I pray you will be healthy, happy, and wise.

With regard to those who told you they don't fear death: don't take their words too seriously please. Everyone will fear death when they perceive it is imminent, which is how I presume your panic attacks are making you feel.

Try to give the things that make you feel safe all of your attention.

There's still a God-given purpose for you to be here. I pray you can occupy your mind with what that is instead.

Thanks for the kind words. There's been MANY times where I felt like just giving up, but I didn't, I know it was by the grace of God because panic attacks are not easy to deal with.

Publicado originalmente por Auckes:

If you "die"
before you die
then you won't "die"
when you die.

I am confused haha.

Publicado originalmente por Xero_Daxter:

The only thing I am scared of about death is dying a painful and slow death and not doing something I really wanna do before I die.

Yea, a torturous death would suck.

Publicado originalmente por WaitandSee:

I think about and ruminate on the thought of what happens after you die, what does it feel like? What happens next? These things along with knowing that the world will continue after I am gone, people I know will continue living and the world at large just carries on without me.

It is a very unsettling thought process I keep finding myself in.

Death is something we can't control, we don't know anything else except what clinical death to an organism is.

There is so much I won't get to learn, find out, experience, observe.

I've nearly died on a few occasions and it never really set in until years after it how easily and quickly it could be over.

I think about the same thing. I also think about people of the past who have died and aeons have passed and nobody remembers them; it's all just really depressing.

I am sorry that you have come close to dying before, I have also had many close calls with death so I know just how scary it is. I almost drowned as a young teen, and I almost died the night that my mom died, and I almost died from anorexia / bulimia a few years ago. It is crazy and sad how fragile we humans really are.

Publicado originalmente por Magma Dragoon:

I think the implosion of religiosity and the normalization of terms like "pass away" have created a culture where death is seen as something unnatural. People naturally fear death and always have, but I think people today are more anxious about it. I'm certainly anxious.

I wish I wasn't so worried about it.

Publicado originalmente por Rhila:

i don't fear death, i was close to death many times, my first time i was a child and i knew i was dying i was half dead on my father hands holding me running to his car, i saw my father eyes he was very sure he will lose his child. he was trying to deny the reality of losing his child. then i don't remember what happened next. i was very dead but i survived miraculously.
i only fear death taking someone i love.
for me i only fear the after life. not the death itself but what is coming after death.

I am sorry that you have had some close calls, I can sympathize with you on that because I have come close to death a few times myself. I know what you mean about fearing what happens after.

[Dracoco OwO]

I have witnessed peoples dying or in the verge of death before, that doesn't really reinforce my fear of death but it honestly made me more apathetic in relation to it.

Also who necroed that thread? it wasn't me.

[Lime]

awareness of my own mortality doesn't affect me

[jimbalayajones]

One does not really fear death...They fear the mechanism with which it will be rendered and the struggle of the body to stay alive...That is what they fear...

[Rain't]

Publicado originalmente por xAlphaStarOmegax:

Is the fear of death or the fear of dying normal? Everyone that I have asked in person about whether they fear death or not tells me that they don't fear it; even my partner does not fear it.

I have been having an insane fear of death every single day, even having anxiety attacks often because of it, ever since losing my mom back in 2011. I was there when she died, and it gave me PTSD. It was a very traumatic experience for me. I just wonder if all of this is normal, if it will ever go away, or if I will have to endure it for the rest of my life. I have had panic attacks so bad that I would cry, begging them to just stop and give me a little respite. Because of all of this, I pretty much rely on CBD oil and natural calming pills on a daily basis.

Is there anyone at all out there that deals with this as well?

It'll be weird when they close the thread for necro of all things

[Reddit]

Publicado originalmente por Rain't:

Publicado originalmente por xAlphaStarOmegax:

Is the fear of death or the fear of dying normal? Everyone that I have asked in person about whether they fear death or not tells me that they don't fear it; even my partner does not fear it.

I have been having an insane fear of death every single day, even having anxiety attacks often because of it, ever since losing my mom back in 2011. I was there when she died, and it gave me PTSD. It was a very traumatic experience for me. I just wonder if all of this is normal, if it will ever go away, or if I will have to endure it for the rest of my life. I have had panic attacks so bad that I would cry, begging them to just stop and give me a little respite. Because of all of this, I pretty much rely on CBD oil and natural calming pills on a daily basis.

Is there anyone at all out there that deals with this as well?

It'll be weird when they close the thread for necro of all things

awareness of my own mortality doesn't affect me