Where do people get visions of impending death and the very feeling of imminent death?

Types of fears: fear of the unknown

Thanatophobia can also be rooted in fear of the unknown.
It is part of the human condition to know and understand the world around us. However, what happens after death cannot be definitively proven while we are alive. People who are highly intelligent and inquisitive are often at greater risk of this type of thanatophobia, as are those who question their own philosophical or religious beliefs.

Clinical picture

The clinical picture of the pathological condition is quite diverse. The phobia can manifest itself in the following forms of varying severity:

Fear of possible pain or loss of self-esteem. In this case, a person is afraid not of death itself, but of the circumstances that will precede it.
Anxiety for the future of relatives , how they will cope without material and moral support. It is especially developed in people who have young children and elderly parents in their care who cannot take care of their own lives.
Fear of prolonged dying.
Eternal punishment and oblivion . The expectation of punishment for committed actions is not limited to religious people.
Fear of being completely alone during death . For example, being in intensive care will become an obstacle for relatives. Reuniting with loved ones in the last days of life becomes a priority for many dying people.

Implicit thanatophobia can also bring a positive message. Fear becomes a definite impetus for rethinking the world and one’s place in it.

Episodic anxiety for one’s life is an indicator of the norm, until such attacks begin to disrupt a person’s usual life activities. Often the rapid development of a pathological condition is observed in people with higher education, erudite, inquisitive, and with a high level of development of intellectual abilities.

Thanatophobia has an interesting variety , which is more relevant to women - this is the fear of old age. The fear of losing attractiveness and former beauty causes great harm to health.

Necrophobia

The term "necrophobia" comes from the Greek word for death (necro) and fear (phobia). A person with necrophobia is afraid of dead things (human or animal corpses) or things associated with dead things (coffins, cemeteries).

In a sense, necrophobia involves two separate fears. While fear of these things is common and somewhat normal, someone with necrophobia becomes fixated on death. They often go to extreme measures to avoid this. Even the thought of being near something dead can send a necrophobe anxious or extremely disgusted.

Symptoms

The diagnosis takes place in the psychiatrist's office. A person needs the help of a specialist if he or she reveals the following pathological symptoms that have been present in the anamnesis for more than six months:

increased excitability, irritability, nervousness, aggressive behavior, feelings of despair, in especially severe cases, behavior becomes uncontrollable;
reduction in social contacts, restrictions apply to family and friends;
continuous anxious thoughts;
problems with sleep, the patient has nightmares, it is difficult for him to wake up and fall asleep, shuddering when falling asleep;
the appearance of pseudopain;
obsession with super-important ideas, unprecedented persistence in achieving them;
sexual dysfunction;
alternating periods of apathy and overactivity;
severe weight loss due to partial or complete loss of appetite;
professional and vital matters are relegated to the background;
fixation on a certain scenario of dying, which scrolls through the brain every day;
the emergence of accompanying fears, which manifest themselves as fear of ghosts, souls of the dead;
the appearance of an inner voice as a signal from the subconscious.

Physical symptoms of phobic attacks include dizziness, trembling limbs, fainting, and increased sweating.

Thanatophobes are also distinguished by a special attitude towards death. Most patients discuss this topic with pleasure and obsessively, or, on the contrary, are panicky afraid of any mention of it.

Thanatophobia is often accompanied by nosophobia - an uncontrollable fear of a serious illness. Such patients endlessly visit doctors, undergo all kinds of tests and examinations, and undergo comprehensive examinations.

Symptoms of Necrophobia

Specific symptoms of necrophobia include:

All-consuming fear
Obsession with death/dead things
Nausea, vomiting, or dry mouth
Hyperventilation and fainting
Heavy sweating or shaking
Headaches/migraines
Difficulty thinking or speaking
Terror when leaving home
The patient constantly seeks medical confirmation that he is healthy

Due to the high level of fear caused by necrophobia, other problems may arise, such as agoraphobia (fear of certain places) and insomnia (trouble falling asleep/staying asleep).

Symptoms of this type of fear

There is no need to be afraid of death, because this is the natural end of a person’s life.
However, not everyone can accept this fact and do not want to come to terms with it. At the core of this phenomenon lie problems associated with personal perception of the surrounding reality. A complete absence of fear of death is also impossible. This is considered a type of psychological disorder. It is absolutely impossible to give up fears about your death. The presence of unexpressed fear should not be too frightening. However, when emotions about this go wild, it’s worth thinking about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=https:www.googleadservices.compageadaclk

The fear of dying can be associated with a variety of factors. They may be present since childhood. Fear of death, the causes of which are varied, is one of the most serious types of phobic disorders. Main factors:

Fear of illness or serious death. Many people are afraid of this. Their phobia is based on bodily sensations. Such patients are afraid of pain and agony. These fantasies may be reinforced by some kind of illness or certain negative experiences that the person has experienced in the past.
Pointless care. Most patients fear dying without leaving a trace. That is, not doing anything significant in life. Such people are always late. They are chasing luck. They want to achieve something significant to be appreciated. The fear of leaving without a successfully completed task is worse than bodily pain for them.
Lost contacts. This phobic disorder affects people suffering from loneliness. At the same time, they are afraid to die, left alone with themselves. Such patients cannot be alone for a long time. Here the cause is reduced self-esteem and impaired socialization.
Religion and superstitions. People who are immersed in any beliefs are afraid to die because after death they will go to some terrible place. The fear of hell is often much greater than the fear of death itself. Many are waiting for death with a scythe or something similar.

Why are people afraid of death? The answer can be unequivocal. People are primarily afraid of life. Both fears are identical.

Fear of death has varied symptoms. First of all, there is increased sensitivity to any irritant. A person is afraid of almost everything. He is afraid of becoming deathly ill. Associated phobias appear, which provoke a number of serious psycho-neurological disorders.

People who fear for their lives often stay at home and avoid any changes. The upcoming plane flight can cause them to faint and panic attacks. The second type of disorder deserves special attention.

Panic attacks, which are often based on fear of death, are a complex somatic disorder. In this case, the person suddenly develops shortness of breath, dizziness, tachycardia, blood pressure rises, and nausea occurs. There may also be upset bowel movements, frequent urination and severe fear, which leads to panic.

The fear of death reaches its peak intensity. A person may fall into despair. Panic attacks can occur at different times. Sometimes they happen at night, for some people they appear in public places or during some sudden changes.

The fear of dying always accompanies people with panic disorders. Often an attack begins with a sharp release of the hormone adrenaline into the blood. In this case, the vessels sharply spasm and characteristic symptoms occur, accompanied by a jump in blood pressure and nausea. Panic attacks may be accompanied by a feeling of shortness of breath.

Panic fear of death in children is less common than in adults, and is much easier to correct. People who live in constant anticipation of illness and trouble are afraid to leave the house and refuse relationships, as a phobia of contracting some kind of infection appears.

Thanatophobia is often accompanied by anxiety disorders. The person cannot relax. He is in constant good shape. As a result, the nervous system is depleted and blood circulation in various organs and systems deteriorates. People with a constant feeling of anxiety often experience painful manifestations in the stomach and intestines, suffer from colitis, gastritis and ulcerative defects of the mucous membrane. As a result of increased anxiety, the production of gastric juice is stimulated, which negatively affects the walls of the organ.

Stool disorders often occur. A person may suffer from constant bouts of diarrhea or constipation. Lack of appetite often occurs. Patients with such fear lose weight and performance due to fixation on the phobia.

Thanatophobia

Thanatophobia is a disorder characterized by an extreme fear of death. Because Necrophobia and Thanatophobia are similar phobias, many people confuse them.

Although they have many similarities, the two disorders have significant differences. People struggling with thanatophobia may not be afraid of dead bodies, coffins, and may even attend funerals. Their fear is not focused on the death of others, but on the possibility of dying themselves. There may also be an underlying fear of being buried or cremated after death. In medical settings, thanatophobia is called “death anxiety.”

What methods can be used?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=https:accounts.google.comServiceLogin

How to overcome the fear of death? You need to understand that all people are susceptible to this. You should not be afraid of its premature arrival, since this is only a negative thought and has nothing to do with the real state of affairs. It is very important to learn to take care of yourself. Rest more and pamper yourself with pleasant little things.

It is not always easy to understand how to cope with the fear of death, because sometimes phobias can be so progressive that they prevail over common sense. In this case, you need to work with a psychotherapist. Breathing exercises have a good effect.

To get rid of the anxiety that accompanies such a phobia, you need to instill positive attitudes in yourself. Swap the bad for the good. Thus, you need to mentally chew the problem and digest it. As long as a person’s subconscious cannot do this, nothing will work.

Symptoms of Thanatophobia

The symptoms of the two forms of phobia overlap. Thanatophobia can also cause frequent panic attacks, dizziness, sweating and nausea. It can also cause some unique physical, mental and emotional problems, such as:

Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
Feeling like one is suffocating
Looking for ways to stay young or immortal
Inability to distinguish reality from fantasy
Obsessive ideas about how a person might die
Severe emotional symptoms

This last symptom can be particularly challenging, as extreme anxiety can make some people feel agitated or angry, sad or even ashamed. An intense fear of death may also cause sufferers to avoid family and friends, as well as places where they fear they may die. Some may have problems leaving the house at all.

Causes

In general, the fear of death can have different reasons. Many scientists talk about genetic predisposition; sociologists - about the influence of society; gynecologists and obstetricians note the relationship with hormonal changes in the body; but psychologists and psychiatrists are inclined to believe that the fear of death is a psychological problem.

The first of the often cited reasons is personal negative experience of contact with death. In this case, personal fears, like the fear of death of loved ones, are an adequate temporary response of the psyche to a traumatic situation. But for the development of thanatophobia in this case, an additional predisposition is still necessary: increased personal anxiety, accompanying phobias. And, if in the first case, time heals. Then, in the case of pathology, time will further aggravate the experiences, transfer them into the area of debilitating, obsessive anxiety.

You can best notice the difference after a few months. In its usual manifestation, grief provokes compensatory actions: a person begins to actively try to resist, gets involved in work, rearranges plans and revises his share of responsibility, thus internally “protesting” against the inevitable. In the case of thanatophobia, there is an even greater decrease in performance, constant worries, a depressed state, and changes in sleep. And this is a reason to definitely contact a specialist.

Russian scientists and sociologists from different countries have recently increasingly pointed to the influence of society in the formation of phobias. Even the concept of “hypnotization by death” was introduced. The point of this approach is that the media constantly dump information on a person about someone’s deaths, tragedies and disasters, forcing a person to think about the possibility of ending up in the same situation himself. For some, this turns into the overwhelming burden of the topic “how will I die.” Outbursts of such mass hysteria are observed at moments of supposed general apocalypse: the millennium, the end of the Mayan calendar and similar things.

It is worth saying that in the case under consideration, those individuals who spend a lot of time listening to this information on TV or finding it on the Internet are most susceptible to influence: housewives, elderly people, teenagers. Therefore, you should be attentive to situations when your parents, wife or children try to start a conversation on such topics and be sure to consult a psychologist.

A number of psychotherapists talk about the possibility of developing thanatophobia in parallel with a personal crisis, especially a midlife crisis. Life begins to seem like “running in a vicious circle,” and “existential anxiety” or the idea of “a threatening and imminent non-existence” arises. As a result, everything in this world loses its attractiveness and meaning.

Also noted is the possibility of developing a fear of death, as a fear of punishment in the event of a sinful life in religious people, or as a fear of not being able to control the situation in people who are overly pedantic, overly responsible and disciplined, striving for control and planning, as well as in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Thanatophobia may be a component of a large phobia of the unknown, of everything new and unusual.

Separately, it is worth mentioning thanatophobia and the fear of death of a loved one (child) during the prenatal and postpartum period in women. It develops, according to doctors, against the background of hormonal changes in the body. And it is most pronounced in women who have toxicosis or problems with pregnancy. Psychological factors are called concomitant factors: quarrels with husband, parents, unsettled life and many other personal shocks. A striking example of such a disease was described in the novel Anna Karenina, where the main character constantly had obsessive dreams about her death during childbirth.

Also, 99.5% of the women surveyed whose pregnancy was desired expressed anxiety about the possibility of the baby’s death in the first months of life: women periodically listened to the child’s breathing. For many, this also developed into stronger and more debilitating phobias: they worried about the possible end of the world and the impossibility of saving their baby; his personal death and leaving the child “to the mercy of fate”, “without the opportunity to make his way in life.”

Causes of thanatophobia

While the causes of necrophobia are somewhat dry, this does not apply to the fear of death, which is classified as thanatophobia. There are several different theories about what causes a person to reach extreme levels of fear when thinking about death, most of which deal with psychological concepts such as the self and ego.

Not everyone will develop death anxiety, but there are certain risk factors that make it more likely. A large amount of scientific research has been conducted on this topic, and a number of risk factors have emerged from this research. These risk factors include:

Age:

Surprisingly, young people have more problems with fear of death than older people. Research shows that people under 20 years of age are most at risk of dying, and death-related anxiety usually subsides with age. The only exception is some women. Research shows that some women experience outbursts of thanatophobia that begin or appear after age 50.

Traumatic event:

those who have experienced a psychologically traumatic episode are even more likely to develop a phobia. For example, a person who witnesses the death of a stranger in a car accident may begin to worry about his own death.

Parents are close to death.

A dying parent increases the likelihood that a person will develop a fear of death. As they help their parents go through the death process, their fear of death may increase.

Personal health:

People with chronic illnesses are more at risk of developing an extreme fear of death. Forced to look to the future, health problems can exacerbate fears about the afterlife and lead to a full-blown death phobia.

Manifestations

The first experiences of the fear of death and thoughts of how to overcome it appear at the age of three to five years and are associated with the formation and development of a small personality and the discovery of the finitude of biological existence. But, in the overwhelming majority, overcoming the fear of death occurs after communicating with close, significant adults (mom, dad or guardian). The baby has not yet fully emerged psychologically from the care of stronger individuals, and he is helped by the option when “he will definitely be protected, even from death.”

In the case of true thanatophobia, fear of illness and death can manifest itself in the form of:

fear of the most painful process of dying;
the unknown that brings death;
inability to control oneself during the dying process and look “wrong”;
inability to control the process itself (for individuals who tend to control and plan everything);
fear of being a burden;
fear of leaving significant people without support;

Although, some patients, especially at the first appointment, cannot indicate a specific manifestation, and thanatophobia manifests itself in them in the form of an emotional outburst and poorly verbalized sensations. That is why you cannot be left alone with this problem.

A psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist, before raising the question of how to get rid of the fear of death and anxiety, will help to express it in words, and, therefore, translate an abstract concept into something real. This means something that has a reason and is specifically worth working with.

Overcoming the fear of death or death

Necrophobia and thanatophobia are life-altering phobias, but sufferers should not lose hope. There are several things you can do to reduce your symptoms and overcome your fears.

Seek help from a psychologist

Hiring a mental health professional to help is usually the first step. Because of the physical, mental and emotional aspects of death phobias, those who suffer do not have to deal with the problem alone. Finding a qualified therapist with experience in dealing with phobias can be the difference between failure and success.

Try cognitive behavioral therapy

One good thing your psychologist can try is called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This proven treatment method has been used to overcome depression, anxiety and phobias of various types. This is important because the DSM 5 reference book used by psychiatrists does not classify death anxiety as a separate disorder.

During the therapy process, you will discuss your fears and talk not only about death in general, but also about places and situations that cause anxiety or fear of death. For example, you might go to a cemetery, morgue, or funeral. Exposure to these “trigger” places and circumstances will counteract unhealthy thinking and reduce death anxiety. Learning relaxation techniques is also an integral part of the CBT process so that you can cope with crippling anxiety if it arises during or after therapy.

Explore Spirituality

Several different studies have shown that those who have strong faith and belief systems are much less likely to suffer from fear of death or death.

Such was the case with Tanishia Pearson-Jones, a remarkable mother and writer who died at the age of 36 after a two-year battle with a rare form of cancer. Never wavering in her religious faith, she fought to the end, but did not fear death when it came. Many people who knew her or heard about her battle through social media were inspired by her dignity and grace, even in the face of death. If you are like Tanisha and raised with a strong belief system, embrace it. If not, explore different religions and spiritual practices.

If religion is not for you, then rituals can be another reliable option for dealing with the fear of death. When you read the word ritual, you might think of something as complex as an incense altar, but your ritual doesn't have to be that complicated. This could be something as simple as lighting a candle when you wake up or go to bed, taking a walk during the day, or writing about your feelings in a journal.

Make death a part of your life

The ultimate goal of death phobia therapy is not to rid you of all thoughts about death, but to stop these ideas from negatively impacting your life. Instead of seeing death as a negative event, you will see it as a positive event.

Get ready to break up

One of the causes of phobia is lack of control. Because we know that we will have little control over how and when we leave this world, we feel anxious. To combat this, you need to take control of what you leave behind. It's much easier than you think.

Focus on health

The final way to lose your obsession with death is to focus on the here and now. Then you can focus on what you can do to live your life to the fullest. Eating well, exercising, taking care of your mental and physical health, and focusing on the things you enjoy can help you overcome your obsession with fear and enjoy the present.

Reasons for appearance

First of all, this is personal experience. When faced with accidents, disasters and other tragic events, a person begins to think about death.
Unexpected negative changes and changing living conditions: loss of a favorite job, health and other circumstances can serve as a catalyst for thanatophobia.
Judgments about the meaninglessness of life. The worse a person’s existence is, the lack of opportunity to realize himself, the more thoughts he has about death.
Life crises. Collapsed hopes and lost priorities lead to painful experiences and disappointments.
Religious Beliefs. Having committed any act not according to the canons of the church, a person may begin to suffer and think about heavenly punishment and eternal torment “in the next world.”
Subconscious signals in the form of vivid prophetic dreams, inner voices, and insights can also provoke fear of death.
Fear of pain. It has been established that people are burdened not by the phenomenon of death itself, as the end of physical existence, but by the “mechanism” of their own dying with the presence of suffering from prolonged physical pain. The situation is also aggravated by thoughts of loneliness at this difficult moment, when there will be no one nearby who can help and support. If, for example, a person “drew” a picture of his own death from cancer, then he will certainly be a frequent visitor to hospitals. A plane crash means he will stop using the aircraft.

Fear of the unknown and irreparable loss.
The influence of television, newspapers, the Internet, where there are even groups that call for committing suicide in order to end this sinful world and problems once and for all. A person begins to wonder: how and why does he live? What's the point if there's death anyway?

The fear of death can become a very unpleasant, debilitating feeling, causing inexplicable anxiety and even aggression. Suspicious, impressionable people who, moreover, are insecure and tend to obsess over problems are prone to this.

When does fear become a phobia? (this is fear going beyond the norm). Let us consider the pathological manifestations of the fear of death.

First of all, a person with a phobia will experience such manifestations as obsession, which will begin to accompany all his actions, prolonged apathy - he will not see the further meaning of life.

The next symptom is an alternation of increased activity and indifference - a person will try to do everything faster in order to finish things “in this life.”

These pathological manifestations are also accompanied by the fear of what is associated with death: conversations, wreaths, cemeteries, ghosts, etc.

However, according to psychologists, there are also individuals who have no fear of death at all. By the way, in healthy people, the fear of dying is a natural state, an instinct of self-preservation, but repressing the fear of death, on the contrary, is considered a sign of the absence of a norm. Such people actually do not have a feeling of empathy, they do not experience pleasure from communication and therefore reject people, they have a reduced threshold for the perception of pain and a sense of danger. As a rule, the fear of death is also reduced in persons with criminal tendencies.

Consequences

Without appropriate treatment, anxiety disorder radically restructures a person’s life, adjusting his personal qualities and destroying the nervous system. Timely medical care can reduce the likelihood of developing serious complications.

The disease poses the following threats:

Development of various psychomatic diseases. Excessive production of stress hormones negatively affects the body, there are irreversible changes in the cerebral cortex and a heavy load on the cardiovascular system. Thanatophobia significantly increases the risk of stroke and heart attack, neurological disorders, provokes vasospasm, and a disturbance in the excitation system.
A person completely withdraws into his inner world. For such people, relationships with the opposite sex, as well as building a family, pose a serious problem. Gradually they become outcasts in society, avoiding any communication. The true meaning of life is relegated to the background.
Destroying a career. A person with anxiety disorders is not able to fully study, master new skills, or perform their professional duties at the proper level. When the pathology worsens, the individual ceases to see the meaning in work.
The emergence of suicidal thoughts. The individual does not even allow the thought of overcoming his illness and further happiness. As a result, prolonged depression begins, requiring urgent help.
Alcohol or drug abuse. In combination with thanatophobia, bad habits lead to premature death. It should be understood that this is not a way out of the current situation.

The pathology in question interferes with normal life activities, so every effort should be made to maintain peace of mind.

For example, you should limit watching films that contain scenes of violence. In some cases, thanatophobia can be contagious, so you should minimize any interaction with pessimistic people. On social networks you can join a group of optimists and try to look at the world through their eyes.