I’m scared of death, Thanatophobia.
A lot of people are scared of dying, but all I ever find online when looking for help is Thanatophobia as in, the fear of having regrets at death, or the fear of the dying process.
But I don’t really have either of those.
I am scared of the “sensation” or lack of sensation of being dead itself.
The idea of like, not being able to think, not being able to feel, not existing or knowing anything or having any awareness, that is just absolutely terrifying, but I cannot find anyone else who shares this fear.
This once led to the worst week or so of my life, which was like a week to two week of my life in which I was so caught up thinking about being dead that I couldn’t even properly function in the world around me, and I found no help, but that was years ago, nothing that bad has ever happened ever since, but I have still occasionally panicked from this fear.
If it’s not obvious, I am an Atheist, or at least vaguely Agnostic.
HOW TO HELP YOURSELF
- Thank you writing into TeenCentral and sharing your story with others.
- Is there someone that you can talk to about this fear? A great way to work through and process information is to talk to others. This can be anyone from someone in your family, someone at school, or even a professional.
- You can find professionals in your area by looking at the back of your parents’ insurance card and calling the number with their help. They will give you a list of providers in your area that take your insurance. This could be a great way to start as a professional might be able to get to the root as to where this fear is coming from. It also helps prevent us from self-diagnosis, which we can tend to do when we are fearful of something.
CONSIDER THIS
- The reality of death is that there are many different suggestions on what could happen to us after death. This in itself can cause fear and panic in those who are focused on it. A great way to maybe work through and process why this might be coming up for you is journaling. Journaling allows for us to work through how we are feeling and process our emotions that appear to be surface level but can go much deeper.
- We have some great material on anxiety in our LEARN section of our website which can really fuel fear. Maybe check it out and see if you find anything that speaks to you and what you are feeling.
- Take time to find something that calms you down. We have a ton of tools in our TOOL section about calming our minds. Things such as the yoga journal or the sun salutation could help in calming you down when you are feeling anxious about this.
