Thanatophobia is the fear of your own death, it is different to fearing death. When suffering with thanatophobia you fear your own death but with fearing death you worry about everything that comes with the idea of death.
What is a phobia
A phobia is an extreme fear or panic to objects, places or living thing. Having a phobia can control your daily life. Phobias can be formed by different influences. A traumatic experience, genetics or even learning of your friends or family can all play a part in if you develop a phobia or the kind of phobia you have. A phobia can affect anyone, gender, age or social background do not play a part in you will develop a phobia. Developing a phobia is very common, around 10 million people have a phobia.
How does thanatophobia affect a person?
How does Thanatophobia affects a person?
Thanatophobia affects a person’s daily life. Living with a fear of your own death changes how you think to prevent your death. You can stop doing the things you enjoy in order to live safer or avoid places you enjoyed going to as you worry about dying. Those who suffer with thanatophobia also develop agoraphobia, this is a fear of going outside. The outside world can be very dangerous and those who fear death start to fear danger and the dangers being outside brings.
Thanatophobia is a fear that is influenced by different things. Leaving family behind, the dread of losing control, having a poor death or the fear of the unknown can be influences that cause thanatophobia. Although most people have a fear of dying it only becomes a problem when it interferes with daily life. Thanatophobia has been linked to depression and other disorders like PTSD. Living in fear or sadness can also make you fear death for many different reasons. Having a health issue or a sudden can bring on thanatophobia as you begin to fear the unexpected.
Who can suffer from Thanatophobia?
Both women and men can develop thanatophobia in their 20s but it begins to decline as they get older, however women have another spike in their 50s. The reason for the spike in women is unknown but it is assumed the decline in health plays a role. Parents near the end of their life also develop thanatophobia as they fear leaving behind their children.
Thanatophobia falls into the category of anxiety disorder and other disorders similar but depression can also play a part in developing this fear. Treatments and side effects are similar to these disorders and mental health illnesses. Panic attacks, insomnia, fatigue, nausea and heart palpitations are all signs and side effects of living in fear of death.
Why do people suffer from Thanatophobia?
It is found that people suffer from the fear of death because it has been triggered by something. Developing a terminal illness can kick off the fear of death. Aging can also play a part, as you get older it is inevitable that eventually you will pass away. These are natural ways that can cause thanatophobia to develop.
Other situations that can play a part in developing thanatophobia are near death experiences. Being in an accident or working as part of emergency services can impact the development of fearing death and PTSD because of what you have witnessed or been through.
Signs of Thanatophobia.
Signs are commonly found under three different areas, behavioural, mental and physical. Thanatophobia affects these areas as would most phobias and disorders.
Mental signs
- Unable to relax. The inability to relax comes from the constant fear of death, the fear out weights the ability to relax
- Worry about the future. You begin to worry about what happens in the future with you passing away or how others will cope without you.
- Feeling tearful. Having thoughts about death can then lead to you feeling tearful or having tearful moments
- Obsessive thoughts. You can begin to obsess over death or even obsess over what happens after. These thoughts can become unhealthy and you can develop other mental health issues.
Physical signs
- Irregular heartbeat. The constant feeling of fear can cause your heart to beat at an irregular pace. This can cause a heart attack and lead to fatality.
- Headache. The constant fear can begin to cause stress. Over stressing can cause headaches and migraines.
- Loss of appetite. Having little or no appetite can be the start of an eating disorder. Which can have negative impacts on all health issues.
- Feeling hot. Feeling hot but having no fever is a sign of stress and stressing for longer period of times can impact overall health negatively.
- Breathlessness. Feeling breathless can cause pains in the chest. As you become aware of your breathlessness it can cause you to struggle more.
Behavioural signs
- You may not be able to enjoy leisure time. Fearing death you may not be able to enjoy leisure time as most leisure activities involve going outside.
- Difficultly looking after yourself. You may see a decline in your ability to look after yourself. Mostly because you are living in constant fear but also due to the depression that will eventually hit.
- Compulsive behaviours. Preforming an act repetitively can be a sign as you are repeating acts that will keep you out of harm’s way
- Avoiding new places or situations. Living in fear of death you wont go to new places or put yourself in a situation you haven’t been in due to the unknowing of what will happen.
- Struggling to form or maintain relationships. Friendships and other relations will eventually be impacted as you don’t want to do the things you used to before.
Treatment for Thanatophobia
Treatments are very similar to when suffering with anxiety disorder or PTSD. Psychotherapy, CBT and self-care relaxation techniques are all proven ways to help thanatophobia. As your brain is in control of the possessive thoughts you have these treatments rewire how you think to a more positive outlook. Talking to your local GP about your fears can get you referred to these therapies.
Self-treatments can also help. If you suffer from thanatophobia gaining control over finances and your funerial can help you to worry less. Depending on your reasoning as to why you fear death these ways are able to help comfort you as you are taking control of what you can.
Religion and Thanatophobia
Religion can also play a part in treatment for thanatophobia. Most religions talk of what happens after death in a positive manor. Religious believers seek comfort in knowing the unknown and the positivity that will come in death as long as they have followed their religious teachings.