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Fear of Death
Ziac45
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So every few months I get a debilitating fear of death, this lasts about two weeks and completely interrupts my life. My question is is this something a psychiatrist or a psychologist could help me with? If Not is this just something I will have to live with until I actually do die? If anyone else has gone through something like this what helped you through it?
Ziac45 on
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If talking to those folks isn't an option, or they aren't helpful, then do what Nappuccino said and talk to a psychologist.
Death is pretty much the only sure thing in life. Sure, every healthy person tries to avoid it for as long as they can, but letting the prospect of death hinder your ability to live your life is not productive.
PS4:MrZoompants
If you're religious to a moderate degree or more then there are also faith based counseling programs that you can find in most towns or cities. I found myself giving one of these a try despite not really holding any strong religious beliefs and got pretty much no comfort at all from it. Granted most of these services are offered more or less free of charge.
Until you manage to get around to a psychologist, counselor or spiritual leader for some advice I would recommend that you try your best to just switch off a bit of the forward planning part of your brain so to speak. My fear of death sprang from my worry that nothing came after it, meaning that really it didn't matter what I did, or indeed what anyone did, because eventually the entire universe was going to die eventually, even if it was countless trillions of years off. Until I got to some counseling though I found that I had to adopt the mindset that whatever my fears of death might be it didn't change the fact that I had classes to attend, friends to spend time with and a girlfriend who really wanted her old LandoStander back. So while I certainly encourage you to seek counseling from whatever source best suits you I would also advise that you "man it up" as it is often suggested in this forum. This isn't a suggestion that you're being a wimp, after all I sobbed like a little girl sometimes, but even with counseling a great deal of this is going to depend on your ability to accept the reality of death and realize that whatever that might hold for you, it doesn't change the reality of this moment, that you're a person with a life, obligations, friends and hopes and plans for the future that comes before that inevitable end, if it even is an end.
If you find yourself unable to break away from thinking about death, a friend of mine had a suggestion that actually helped calm me down once or twice. Try reciting the alphabet backwards as quickly as you can or if you're not in a place where you can really speak out loud start playing a word game with yourself. Start with one word and then think of another that starts with the letter the previous word ended with. If you have a DS and Brain Age, that'll work too.
So, my advice is simply to chill out and enjoy life to the fullest. Everybody croaks at some point. Take in as much life experience as you can while you're still able.
And a good chance it's the last great mystery. >_> I can understand people wanting to put it off so they can cram in more of life's other mysteries first.
Assuming we don't get another go at discovering those mysteries.
Surprise, the last great mystery is an eternity of torment and punishment in a lake of fire because you weren't a Jehovah's Witness!
PS4:MrZoompants
Good on you, mate. Good luck!
Also people suggesting you talk to your parents and siblings about it? That is a really good way to put someone in an incredibly uncomfortable situation. It is really awkward.
PS4:MrZoompants
I'll take the lake of fire over a Saturday 8:00AM knock on the door, thank you.