fear of death

[lil_zed]

Hi everyone,
I've posted this on the intro page as well but thought I should post it here too as it relates to a phobia.
I'm 20 years old. I have suffered from a medical condition called fibromyalgia for several years and this has significantly impacted upon my mental health, causing me to be low and frustrated about many things. However, this isn't the reason I joined NMP, it's because I was desperately searching the net for an answer to a very recent problem which seems to be having a severe impact on me; a fear of death. I don't think I'm going to die anytime soon (at least I hope I'm not) but I know I will one day and I am petrified of one day being here and the next, not and not knowing I am not here. I am also afraid for my family and their deaths, it sounds totally strange, I know but it is having a real impact on my life, I can't sleep properly because I wake up randomly and think about it. When I do think about it I feel sick, I shake and my heart skips a beat. I know death comes to us all and I want to live my life to the full whilst I am here but I am petrified of the day it comes to an end, which in turn isnt helping me live my life as best I can. I never used to really think about death it was only a few days ago that it was triggered and now I can't stop thinking about it. Does anyone else have the same or similar expirience?
Best wishes
-x-

[PhoenixGrey]

I am exactly the same - and 2 months of worrying endlessly has done nothing to help me, now I feel I'm more comfortable with dying, but unfortunately constantly thinking about it is not helping me live life.

Unfortunately I can't give you any reassurances, I can just let you know that I feel exactly the same way, I too, am 20, and I feel horrible, but I look at people 20-30 years older than me and panic as to whether I'll ever see that age, although I don't like thinking about it. I'm freaking out just writing this.

Hopefully someone somewhere has the answer to this . Good luck x

[Cherbear]

I know exactly how you feel I spend ages lying awake being petrified about dying, not being with the people I love and what will happen to them. The thought scares me more than anything else. However I have to train myself just NOT to think about it because my mind goes around in circles otherwise. If this is the only life I have then I don't want to waste it! Hope things get easier for you xx

[lennons_mammy]

I am exactly the same. Its called Thantophobia. I started a thread about it a while ago but didn't get many replys. I thought I was the only one who felt like this.

[PhoenixGrey]

It's so good to find out other people feel the same way. I just wish it was something I could ignore so I could get on with living!

Has anyone developed any way of dealing with it? Or any way of at least forgetting about it? I want this part of my memory erased so I don't remember everything I've learnt over the last 2 months of health obsession and therefore the endless panic.

I don't want to ruin my life with this! I wish I could be 'normal'.

[nickieb]

Its vile..

[graham58]

I think fear of death is extremely common, it's just that most people blot it out or try to. You're not alone if you fear death by any means.

[Cherbear]

I usually think about it when I try and go to sleep, I don't know why. So I make sure when I go to sleep I am really tired so I fall off straight away. It has a name? I never knew that, it drives me crazy sometimes xx

[Chross]

Same here, I have sever panic and anxiety because of it and possibly even a pure o obsession.

I used to try to block it out but about a week ago it came back and hit me likea big truck full of rocks and near destroyed me mentally. I'm currently in counselling at my school and am being referred to the school's mental health advisor.

I feel like there's nobody who can help me, I feel like I can't live normally, even though I have done in the past. I'm really mentally unstable about it right now and I'd really love to feel better but I don't know how. Hearing other peoples philosophies just make it worse and stand a greater chance of freaking out.

[mike83]

I sometimes read things about cosmology, the study of the universe. It makes me remember how insignificant my own problems are and how in the grand scheme of things most things we worry about or even do make no difference. I don't really know what a death phobia is like, but it seems you shouldnt worry about things you can't change and if you spend all your life worrying about something you can't change then you wont have much of a life to begin with. I think as you get older you will probably come to terms with it more.