Irrational fear of death?

[youngatheart72]

I am very new to this and I'm not sure where to start. Ever since I can remember I have been scared of death. I know that most people would be scared of this but it is affecting my life so much that it's all I think about. I won't go on an aeroplane for obvious reasons, when I travel in a car I am constantly panicking that we will crash and I can't get out of my head how the world is going to end. There have been two occasions in my lifetime where the end of the world was supposed to happen and the experience was absolutely awful for me.
I spend a lot of my day thinking how my teenage children will cope if I'm gone, what my husband will do and if my mum will be okay? How and when will I die?
I know it all sounds dramatic but this is a real fear and it was only today when I sat and thought about it that I wondered if anybody else has this problem? Am I alone? Am I being stupid? Can anybody actually help me get over this fear as its ruining my life?

[amber angel]

I am completely with you on that one!

It is all I think about as well so if you ever want to chat to me feel free!

As far as the World ending I think we will be ok :) I believe that it will just be a time of change! Not the end of the World x

[panickyme]

Awww I think most of us here fear death, I am petrified to die. I think of things like you also what if something happens to one of my children, (the rule is, I go first) I could not live without them, and I fear for them if something happens to me. You are not alone hun. We just have to believe that things will fall in place, and everyone will be fine. :hugs: Debbi

[MRS STRESS ED]

I have had these awful thoughts and yes one day it will happen ,but what I have learnt I carnt let it ruin my life and take over ,somethings in life are out of are control and this is one of them ,and your not stupid its fear that makes us think this way I have cbt its helping me ,we are in control of are thoughts until you change your thoughts it will carry on I hope you can get some help xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:hugs:

[youngatheart72]

Thank you all for responding, it's good to know I'm not a total freak. From reading various items on this website I feel CBT is the way forward. I will find it difficult talking to my GP as I've never spoken to anyone about it before. It's kind of embarrassing that I've let something so 'trivial' affect me so badly but i now realise that it's not as uncommon as I previously thought.

[Charlee123]

Im the same. I am scared of death and i look at my kids and wonder how they will be when im gone. Its a constant ongoing thing and its ruining my life. The more i think Bout death the more i panic because its definately going to happen one day.
X

[NoPoet]

Hi, first off, the fear of death is not irrational. Fear of death is the most basic and important thing we have. If you did not fear death, you would not live for very long, as you would throw your life away in what would probably be a pointless or foolhardy display.

Fear of death can take over and that's where the problems start. People usually become aware of death around the age of 8, I believe. Those of us who are vulnerable to anxiety issues, or who were exposed to death at a very young age, become aware of it sooner. Children that young cannot rationalise things so the fear stays and gradually gets worse. Health anxiety is a fear of death.

Fear of the deaths of others is probably an indicator that you need other people to "complete" you. Or maybe it's the other way around and you under-estimate their ability to cope, or you fear that your own death will "inflict" your anxiety and depression onto those you love. These are complex and painful problems which might come under the heading of abandonment issues.

It might be a good idea to start by telling yourself that you carry your loved ones with you wherever you go. Even if they aren't with you, they still think about you and know that you love them, just as you do about them. So you are never alone - you exist as an individual, but you also exist in the hearts and minds of the people who love you.

Rich people of the middle ages didn't build huge tombs and fancy gravestones so they would somehow escape physical death; they did it so they would be remembered.

There's a saying: death would be a travesty and a cosmic joke if it only happened to some of us. It doesn't; it happens to all of us, and it happens because it's right and natural. It's the way things were meant to be. We can't argue with that, so you need to ask yourself a question. If there's an unclimbable and unbreakable wall in front of you, are you just going to keep on punching the wall in frustration and telling the wall that it isn't fair, or are you going to walk away and do something else - something that makes you happy?