It is greatest in 90% of the planet. This is not surprising - for most of us, death is associated with the inevitable end, with the end of life and the transition to a new incomprehensible and frightening state. In this article we will talk about whether it is possible to get rid of such fear in principle, and how to stop being afraid of death.

We sing an ode to life

Imagine spring. Flowering trees, fresh greenery, birds returning from the south. This is the time when even the most gloomy pessimists feel ready for any feats and submit to the general good mood. Now imagine the end of November. If you do not live in warm regions, then the picture is not the most rosy. Bare trees, puddles and mud, slush, rain and wind. The sun sets early, and the night is uncomfortable and uncomfortable. It is clear that in such weather the mood is, as they say, lousy - but in any case, we know that autumn will pass, then a snowy winter will come with a bunch of holidays, and then nature will come to life again and we will be genuinely happy and excited about life.

If only the understanding of life and death were so easy and clear! But it was not there. We don't know, and the unknown fills us with fear. of death? Read this article. You will receive easy-to-follow recommendations that will relieve you of far-fetched fears.

What causes fear?

Before answering the question of death, let’s look at what it comes from.

1. It's human nature to assume the worst. Imagine that a loved one does not come home at the appointed time, and does not pick up the phone and does not answer messages. Nine out of ten people will assume the worst - something bad happened, since he can’t even answer the phone.

And when a loved one finally appears and explains that he was busy and the phone died, we throw out a lot of emotions on him. How could he make us so worried and nervous? Common situation? The fact is that people most often assume the worst in order to then breathe a sigh of relief or accept the inevitable already doomed and prepared. Death is no exception. We don’t know what she’s talking about, but we’re already prepared for the worst outcome.

2. Fear of the unknown. What we don't know scares us. Our brain is to blame for this, or rather, the way it works. When we repeat the same action day after day, a stable chain of neural connections is built in the brain. For example, you go to work the same way every day. One day you need to take a different path for some reason - and you will experience discomfort, even if the new path is shorter and more convenient. It’s not a matter of preference, it’s just that the structure of our brain also frightens us for this reason - we haven’t experienced it, we don’t know what will happen next, and this word is alien to the brain and causes rejection. Even people who don't believe in hell feel uncomfortable when they hear about death.

3. Ideas about hell and heaven. If you grew up in a religious family, then you probably have your own opinion about the structure of the afterlife. The most widespread religions today promise heaven to the righteous and hellish torment to those who lead a life displeasing to God. Given the modern realities of life, it is very difficult to be righteous, especially as required by strict religious canons. As a result, every believer understands that, perhaps, after death he will not see the gates of heaven. And boiling cauldrons hardly inspire enthusiasm to quickly find out what lies beyond the threshold of death.

Don't think about the white monkey

Next we will talk about several proven ways to stop being afraid of death and start living. The first step is to accept the fact that you are mortal. This is inevitable, and as they say, no one has ever left here alive. However, fortunately, we do not know when our departure will happen.

This could happen tomorrow, in a month or many decades. Is it worth worrying in advance about what will happen unknown when? They are not afraid of death, simply accepting the fact of its inevitability - this is the first answer to the question of how to stop being afraid of death.

Religion is not the answer

A common misconception is that religion provides comfort to the living and eliminates the fear of death. Of course, it saves, but in a completely irrational way. Since no one in the world knows what will happen after the end of life, there are many versions of this. Religious ideas about hell and heaven are also a version, a popular one, but is it reliable? If you have been honoring your God since childhood (it doesn’t matter what religion you profess), then it is difficult for you to accept the idea that not a single clergyman knows what will happen to you after death. Why? Because no one has ever left here alive and no one has ever returned from there.

Hell in our imagination is depicted as a completely inhospitable place, and therefore death can be frightening for this reason. We are not asking you to give up your faith, but no faith should inspire fear. Therefore, there is another answer to the question of how to stop thinking about death. Give up the belief, you will face an inevitable choice between hell and heaven!

Often people are afraid not so much of death as of what can lead to it - for example, diseases. This is the same senseless fear as the horror of death, but it can be effectively combated. As you know, a healthy mind lives in a healthy body, which means that as soon as you feel healthy, irrational fears will leave you. Go in for sports, but not through “I don’t want to”, but with pleasure. It may not be such a boring departure as a favorite pastime - dancing, swimming, cycling. Start watching what you eat and stop drinking or smoking. As soon as you feel confidently standing on your feet, in good health, you will stop thinking about illness, and therefore, about death.

Live the day

There is a saying: “Tomorrow never comes. You wait for the evening, it comes, but it comes now. Went to bed, woke up - now. A new day has come - and now again.”

No matter how much you fear the future, in the general sense of the word it will never come - you will always be in the “now” moment. So is it worth allowing your thoughts to take you far away, while you are always here and now?

Why not?

Nowadays it is fashionable to get tattoos in the form of life-affirming inscriptions, and young people often choose the Latin expression “carpe diem”. Literally it stands for “Live for the day” or “Live for the moment.” Don't let negative thoughts take you away from life - this is the answer to the question of how to stop being afraid of death.

And at the same time remember death

While exploring the life of authentic Indian tribes that live in Latin America, historians were surprised to discover that the Indians honor death and remember it every day, almost every minute. However, this is not because of fear of it, but on the contrary because of the desire to live fully and consciously. What does it mean?

As we said above, thoughts often take us from the now to the past or future. We know about death, we are often afraid of it, but on a subconscious level we do not believe in its reality for us. That is, this is something that will happen someday. Indians, on the contrary, understand that death can come at any moment, and therefore live with maximum efficiency right now.

How to get rid of the fear of death? Just remember her. Don’t wait with fear, but just keep somewhere in your subconscious that it can come at any time, which means you don’t need to put off important things for later. How not to be afraid of death? Pay attention to your family and friends, your hobby, go in for sports, change your hateful job, develop a business that is close to your spirit. By going about your life, you will stop thinking about death with fear.

Sometimes we worry not so much about ourselves, but about those who are dear to us. Parents are especially familiar with such experiences - as soon as their beloved child lingers on an evening walk or stops answering his mother’s calls, the most terrible thoughts creep into his head. You can cope with your fear - if you want, of course.

You will not be able to take care of your child forever, and nothing good comes from your worries. But you yourself suffer, shaking your nervous system with far-fetched fears.

Accept the fact that things will happen as usual. Be calm, don't worry in vain. And remember that thinking about bad things is a favorite pastime of the brain, but not yours.

An obsessive fear of death (thanatophobia) occurs in people belonging to the thinking type; after psychological trauma, it manifests itself in anxiety and a depressed state. This condition is treated with the help of hypnotic practices, and for those who are believers, reading prayers will help.

Fear of death is an uncontrollable fear of suddenly dying or the experience of the unknown, the inevitability. People worry about themselves and their loved ones. In extreme forms, they become depressed or even suicidal. According to experts, everything we fear in our lives is a disguised fear of non-existence.

Fear of death

When people think about leaving the world of the living, they are essentially afraid of what they think will happen in the process of dying:

• cease to exist;
• lose control over circumstances;
• helplessness;
• lose your dignity, become dependent on others;
• leave loved ones;
• feelings of pain, suffering, physical and psychological torment.

The biggest fear is the unknown of the time, circumstances and consequences of death itself. Like any unknown, upon reflection, the constant fear of death is overgrown with fantasies and conjectures that paralyze the will and common sense. If earlier it was believed that this phobia accompanies, now it is noted even in children.

Fear of death of relatives

A manifestation of the fear of death can be continuous anxiety for children, parents, and spouses. The desire to constantly control their lives, to protect them from negative situations and illnesses brings suffering not only to the one who is afraid, but also causes a lot of problems for the other side. To understand how to overcome the fear of death of relatives, you should first of all realize your dependence on them. Excessive attachment in such cases has nothing to do with love, but is more reminiscent of selfishness, so understanding the reasons for this condition will be a step towards getting rid of it.

Fear of death - psychology

Since the fear of death is a psychological problem, there are certain characteristics susceptible to this. Such people usually:

• overly impressionable;
• excitable;
• anxious;
• unsure of themselves;
• obsessed with oneself and personal problems;
• creative personalities;
• have a tendency to doubt and reflect;
• intolerant of other people's opinions;
• selfish;
• prone to obsessive behavior.

This is not always explained only by accentuation (character trait). Sometimes painful and obsessive thoughts about how to get rid of the fear of death can accompany serious mental illnesses, so if they are accompanied by behavioral deviations and deprive a person of the opportunity to work or contact with others, then it is impossible to do without the help of a specialist.

Fear of death - reasons

There is no definitive opinion on the causes of thanatophobia. Psychologists have identified a number of theories about when the feeling of fear of death arises and what are the most common reasons:

1. Hereditary predisposition.
2. The death of a loved one, especially sudden.
3. A stream of negativity from the media reporting tragedies every day.
4. The emergence of thoughts about the value of life in the process of personal growth and the study of philosophy.
5. Crisis periods of life - adolescence, maturity, the appearance of signs of aging of the body, job loss, divorce, moving.
6. Religious beliefs - fear of punishment for sins.

Fear of death - symptoms

This phobia is an anxiety disorder, so thanatophobia has both external and internal symptoms. External manifestations include the desire to avoid the circumstances associated with the idea of ​​one’s own death. For example, when a person is afraid of dying from cancer, he is constantly examined by different doctors and treated for the slightest signs of ailment. At the internal level, there appears disturbing intermittent sleep, loss of taste, appetite, reluctance to social contacts, loss of sexual activity.

Is it possible to die from the fear of death?

When studying a person's reaction to a stress factor, it was proven that panic fear of death can cause sudden cardiac arrest. This can happen because fear is an innate biological reflex in the fight for survival: the heart rate, blood circulation in the muscles, and the release of adrenaline increase. All this is aimed at escaping from danger. If this does not happen, then under the influence of adrenaline fibrillation (trembling) of the heart muscle may occur, a disturbance in the ejection of blood and the heart stops contracting.

How to overcome the fear of death?

To understand everything and understand how to overcome the fear of death, you need to think about the following:

1. You can talk about your problems, admit them and get friendly advice or help from a psychologist.
2. You need to understand your values ​​- do what makes you happy, brings benefits, live a full life.
3. It is advisable to stop watching depressing films and television shows, news and crime chronicles, and watch only life-affirming films and programs that bring only positivity.
4. The unrest in this case is untimely: the fact of transition into oblivion is not given to a person to realize, because only living people experience feelings. Death is neither bad nor good, it is nothing.
5. Recognize that life and death are a natural biological cycle that always exists.

No one has proven that a person feels bad after leaving for another world, which means he should feel good, therefore, after the death of loved ones, especially those who died after serious illnesses, thinking that for them death was deliverance from suffering can be a consolation. Love remains with a person in the soul, regardless of the presence of a loved one nearby. Finding an answer to the question of how to get rid of the fear of death leads a person to understand how important it really is to appreciate every moment of life.

Fear of death - treatment

The complete absence of such fears is also not considered the norm, because a person must have an instinct of self-preservation, but if this feeling either makes him passive, existence seems meaningless, or, conversely, too careless, then this requires treatment. Thanatophobia, which is treated by specialists in this field, usually responds well to the following methods:

1. Hypnosis (usually 5-8 sessions are enough).
2. Cognitive behavioral therapy (persuasion treatment).
3. Drug therapy with tranquilizers and antidepressants.

Orthodoxy on the fear of death

Believers and atheists fear death differently. For atheists, this is the fear that after death they will disappear forever, and for a believer, the expectation of retribution for sins turns out to be a particularly difficult test. Christianity teaches us to perceive this calmly, as a natural completion of the physical segment of earthly life, because the soul is immortal. If an Orthodox Christian feels the fear of death, this is a sin, because this means doubts in religion, attachment to earthly life, because a person can only fear one God, and then other fears will disappear, because everything is in his power.

Prayer for fear of death

For all people, prayers are the simplest and safest method of achieving peace and getting rid of worries and worries. Orthodox priests advise their parishioners and even people far from religion to experience the power of the word. This programs thoughts and creates positive attitudes. In order to live a life without you need to read:

1. Our Father.
2. Mother of God, Virgin, rejoice.
3. Psalm ninety and fiftieth.
4. Prayer to your Guardian Angel.

It is necessary to read prayer texts regularly, several times a day, preferably out loud, and while reading, imagine how fears disappear. It is good to concentrate on the candle flame at this time. This will help not only calm down, but also find the right solution to how you can get rid of the fear of death. The most powerful effect is faith in a positive result and gratitude to the Creator for deliverance from suffering.

The article examines the fear of death as one of the phobias with specific signs and characteristics. The causes of fear of death, manifestations at different ages, possibilities of correction and treatment are characterized.

Thanatophobia, fear of death or phobia (fear, fear) of death - this synonymous series reflects a phenomenon associated with a person’s attitude to the finitude of life: to death and dying, fear of this possibility and the real state.

Experiencing anxious feelings about the interruption of life is normal for a healthy person. If such fear does not affect the everyday course of life, then it is justified and natural.

In a situation where this fear turns into an uncontrollable state, when it is impossible to get rid of it and overcome it, we are talking about the fear of death, which manifests itself as a phobia.

Thanatophobia manifests itself through a string of symptoms:

• awareness of the inevitability of death results in a feeling of despair;
• constant fear and continuous anxious thoughts in the absence of a real threat to life;
• fixation on a specific and fictitious scenario of dying - death in a plane crash, from an incurable disease in agony, which is accompanied by avoidance of conditions conducive to the scenario (people do not travel by air, avoid doctors and hospitals);
• somatic manifestations: loss of normal sleep, appetite and weight loss; decreased or absent sexual activity; painful sensations of a neurotic nature;
• manifestations of accentuated character traits (increased suspiciousness or impressionability, anxiety, self-doubt and excitability);
• obsession with extremely valuable ideas created by the person himself and energy (persistence, aggression) in the process of their implementation and implementation;
• the number of social contacts (including family and friends) is reduced;
• Vital and professional matters are relegated to the background;
• constant stress contributes to negative effects in the physiology of the body (malfunctions in the functioning of organs and systems; shuddering is typical when falling asleep);
• prolonged emotional stress leads to drug addiction, alcoholism, and other addictions.

Forms

How does a person's fear of death manifest itself? There are several forms and manifestations:

1. Fear of pain, suffering and loss of dignity. It manifests itself through fear of the circumstances of death, and not the death itself. It seems that before death a person will suffer and suffer and lose his dignity. A concomitant form is fear of getting sick (nosophobia).
2. Fear of the unknown and uncertainty. No one can say exactly what kind of death it is - no one has ever returned from it. The individual is unable to comprehend the nature of death and is lost in his own expectations.
3. Fear of eternal punishment and nothingness. Belief in painful punishment after death is not limited to religious people. Fears are actualized due to the expectation of punishment for bad deeds. Anxiety also arises about the absurdity and injustice of human mortality - the individual simply ceases to exist.
4. Anxiety about loss of control. Death is uncontrollable, it is impossible to influence it - this frightens many. Even following the strict rules of a rational (healthy) lifestyle does not give a person a sense of control, but leads to even greater worries.
5. Fear of irreparable losses and mental anguish. It can manifest itself in women before childbirth as a fear of losing a child. Or like the loss of loved ones and relatives for any individual. It feels like the world has stopped, everything is collapsing.
6. Fear of being alone at death. Expectation of complete loneliness during dying - everyone goes through death individually.
7. Fear of the duration of dying that this process will drag on for a long time, will be gradual over many hours, days or even months.

Causes of fear of death

It is difficult to clearly name a specific reason for the fear of death. There are always several versions: starting with hereditary predisposition, the conditions for the formation of personality, ending with the influence of society and social reality.

Generalized causes of thanatophobia can be:

1. Features of the formation of personal life experience. An individual is formed in various circumstances, including those associated with sudden loss (death of friends and loved ones) as a result of catastrophic events. Tragedies and misfortunes force us to pay special attention to death.
2. Abrupt changes in individual life events. Loss of health, financial status, work and opportunities can become a provoking factor.
3. Disturbances in the spiritual development of personality. Development in general develops according to the scenario of progress and positivity, or as degradation and negativity. In the second case, philosophical approaches to solving existential problems (questions of existence) lead to conclusions about threatening non-existence, thoughts about the meaninglessness of all things, and give rise to suicidal thoughts.
4. Life (age) crises. Here there is a reassessment of personal priorities and approaches to existence. Anything related to the debunking of plans and hopes, goals and principles of self-realization is a problem. Painful experiences arise.
5. Consequences of religious beliefs. It manifests itself in the fear of making a mistake and doing something inappropriate, not according to the canons.
6. Feeling dissatisfied with life. The brighter its manifestation, the more strongly thanatophobia manifests itself.
7. Pathological fear of everything new. This personality trait forces a person to keep himself within the usual framework at any cost. The possibility of death does not fit into this framework, which leads to a distorted and irrational perception of it and alarming behavior.

Psychiatrists also include manifestations of a person’s subconscious as common causes of fear of death.:

• unusually vivid and powerful dreams;
• signals of the subconscious in the form of an inner voice and intuitive hunches (insights).

Age characteristics

Perception and understanding of the phenomenon of death changes with age. Each period of a person’s life - childhood, adolescence, adulthood, maturity - has its own characteristics of the fear of death.

In a child/teenager

In childhood, a child determines the existence of death indirectly:

• by the disappearance of a grandparent, a beloved pet, falling leaves and approaching insects;
• reactions to grief of parents, gravestones - a copy of the reaction of adults: silent restraint and grief; If fear is manifested by a child, parents try in every possible way to distract from it.

Perceiving the fact of death, children begin to experience fear of it consciously only under the influence of an adult’s reaction. An incorrect understanding of death creates a psychologically difficult situation for children, which can also lead to a fear of death.

Adolescence is characterized by the stage of personality formation. The understanding of death is specific: the process of dying causes increased anxiety, and thoughts of suicide may even arise due to perceived hopelessness.

To overcome fear, compensatory behavior arises:

• a teenager seeks “salvation” in hard games on the computer (a feeling of mastery over events appears);
• manifests itself through impudent and unceremonious behavior;
• takes activating substances, although after alcohol, nicotine or drugs, fear becomes stronger.

In adults

Teenage anxieties and fear of death in a growing person are replaced by basic life goals: career and family. The phobia of death manifests itself with renewed vigor during a midlife crisis (after 30-35). There is a feeling of the beginning of the decline of life, a reassessment of achievements and place in life occurs.

A person’s anxious thoughts about death remain with him forever. Neurosis, as a consequence of the intensification of the crisis and getting bogged down in it, develops the fear of dying in even greater negativity.

In older people

Old age and fear of death coexist side by side - in “everyday” mode. In old age, this is a consequence of reflection and acceptance of the inevitable.

Fear intensifies in the case of a severe and protracted illness: it is not the death itself that frightens, but its duration, the loss of reason and the humiliation of dignity. Reactions of apathy and hopelessness are also possible, even a desire to speed up the end of one’s own life so as not to suffer.

When a fear becomes a phobia

A phobia is a state of fear when it goes beyond the norm.Pathological manifestations of fear of death have a number of signs:

• obsessive fear, permeates all actions: making decisions or delaying them, becomes the cause of inexplicable actions and reactions;
• complete apathy develops(“there is no point in doing anything, the end result is death anyway”);
• alternating apathy and hyperactivity, excessive fussiness (“you have to do everything in time, suddenly death is tomorrow!”);
• fear of events and objects related to death (cemeteries, funerals, tombstones, wreaths, stories about death).

Is the absence of fear a pathology?

A healthy fear of death - as an instinct of self-preservation, an indicator of a formed personality that understands the biological and psychological nature of a person - is quite natural.

If an individual’s fear of death is completely repressed from consciousness, this is a sign of the absence of a norm. Such people manifest themselves in the following ways:

• they lack or manifest at an insignificant level the mechanism of empathy;
• no satisfaction when communicating with another person (rejection of people in general);
• no or reduced sense of physical danger;
• reduced threshold for pain perception;
• The fear of death in highly criminal individuals is reduced.

The lack of fear of death itself is not the cause of destructive manifestations; rather, it accompanies emotional disturbances in mental pathologies.

Contemplation and an analytical approach are mental phenomena that will help overcome the painful perception of death. This is largely facilitated by cognitive-behavioral and humanitarian psychotherapy, as a result of the interaction between the psychologist and the client in the process of working through the disturbing and negative manifestations of the fear of dying.

How to overcome the fear of death to get rid of unhealthy fears? Some tips:

1. Awareness of cyclicality. Human existence is a natural chain, starting with birth, continuing through the life period, and ending with the process of death. This is neither good nor bad - just a fact. All people go through this chain.
2. The memory remains in the minds and hearts. Memories of loved ones and relatives about the individual are preserved. The more people experience positive attention, a person’s good deeds, and the more constructive actions he takes during his life, the stronger and more durable these memories will be. We need to hurry to do as much as possible!
3. It's important to share with others. Self-isolation leads to cyclical anxious thoughts, to movement in a vicious circle.
4. Enjoy life, while it is possible. Worrying about the finitude of life and the inevitability of death can take up too much time and prevent you from expressing yourself as an individual. You should distract yourself from hopelessness with hobbies, new activities and experiences, reading books, work, and so on.
5. No need to worry in advance. With obsessive thoughts about death, a person only brings the end closer and will not be able to feel or appreciate any joys of life. This should be remembered.
6. Optimism is a pillar. A cheerful attitude and positive thinking help get rid of many diseases, including the obsessive phobia of death.
7. Materialism or faith? Relying on them gives a clear position and reassures: either a person understands the biological nature of living things and takes it for granted, or faith gives support and hope for the existence of a person outside the body.
8. Humor. You can simply read jokes or funny stories about death.

No matter how varied the advice of experts, the main thing is the desire and motives of the person himself in an effort to reduce the significance of the fear of death.

Video: Fear of death

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The fundamental goal of an optimist is to get the most out of life, enjoying the amazing surprises of the new day. According to pessimists, fate has prepared a series of trials and tests leading to an invariable result - death. This type of people is prone to dark thoughts and depression. They do not see the positive aspects, complaining about the injustice of the current situation.

If you have the makings of a mental disorder, accompanied by regular thoughts about death, it is important to think about the scale of the emerging problem in a timely manner. You can cope with such a dilemma on your own only in the initial stages. If you allow negative thoughts to firmly settle in your mind, the result will be the emergence of a fear of death on a subconscious level.

Causes of a person's fear of death

Loss of loved ones.

Staying in a familiar environment without a loved one is an eternal fear, which has incredibly large and realistic “eyes”. There are so many dangers and threats in the world that you can’t help but worry about your parents, spouse or children. Having imagined for a moment the possible development of events, it becomes eerie as they take over your consciousness.

The unknown.

We don't know what we will experience in the future. Endless changes in the world do not allow us to project our own destiny. Some people trust practicing magicians and psychics, while others humbly wait for the allotted hour. If the unknown overtakes a person in the real world, then thinking about the afterlife is not a practical solution. Such thoughts, which gradually settle in the mind of the “victim,” slowly destroy the rationality inherent in strong individuals. and depression are examples of variations of the oppressive fear of the “unknown.”

Losing control over your own life.

Death often occurs gradually, gradually turning off biological mechanisms in the human body. In a short period of time, vital processes cease to function, the soul goes into oblivion, and the cold body goes to the cemetery. People are afraid of being left helpless, unable to see or walk. It is impossible to restore the joy of life if you do not enjoy the day, but greet it like a plant, in a room “case”.

Leaving loved ones.

Often a person worries about his own life solely because of its importance to close friends and relatives. An elderly mother and father may not survive the death of a young son, so the son is concerned about the safety of his pastime. This fear is similar to the loss of a loved one. At the heart of synonymous concepts is the fear of never seeing parents, comrades and the chosen one again.

And a depressive state, if the cause of the fear of death is possible pain - useless exercises. We don’t know which way to die, so people independently come up with various options for the development of events. Some claim that the heart stops working in a second, and the person simply falls asleep. Others are convinced that death takes place in indescribable pain, which is a great test to endure. The question belongs to the category of rhetorical, because not a single person is able to resolve the dilemma.

To get rid of the oppressive fear of death, returning the joy of life, you must first of all sincerely want to get into your own bright future. It is incredibly difficult to cope with an established problem on your own, so it is recommended to use the services of a competent psychologist who can correctly diagnose the features of your case:

Fear of impending death may be a sign of depression. In this situation, try to change your daily and established lifestyle. Replace it with the company of cheerful friends, or vice versa, take a day off and be alone with your own thoughts.
If the emerging phobia acquires pathological proportions, then do not think about the expediency of such a phenomenon, but immediately contact a practicing psychologist. Only a professional will be able to correctly diagnose your problem, finding out the prerequisites for its occurrence.
In those associated with the future, nostalgia becomes an indispensable psychological “tool”. Remember how wonderful it is to enjoy a new moment, feel the rhythm of life, make fateful decisions and experience adrenaline. Are you ready to give up such privileges?
Regularly “check” your own thoughts, which every minute are trying to deceive you into the next portion of unpleasant imaginations. and – ungrateful “helpers” who should not be counted on.
Remember that fear is a temporary phenomenon that tends to begin and end. Succumbing to phobias due to short-term panic or to life is an independent decision of a person obsessed with the fear of death.
Do not perceive non-existence as a cultic and inexplicable phenomenon. Apart from you, the great minds of our time cannot answer an identical question, so worrying about the rhetorical subtext of a judgment is not a practical choice. Think about it, many people live with such information and enjoy the adventures of a new day without forcing others to think about possible death.
Don't be alone with your own fears. Share information that worries you with people close to you. They will support you in difficult times and advise you on a rational solution to the problem.

Classify your life beliefs and understand your worldview, bringing the work done to its logical conclusion. If you organize your own daily routine, guided by “sober” thoughts, you will be able to get rid of far-fetched facts and illusory fears.
Don’t overwhelm yourself by projecting imaginary situations and aggravating your damaged psyche with intricate outcomes of events. If you regularly fantasize about death, then with the power of thought you will only bring an absurd accident closer. Learn to enjoy life by freeing yourself from fear of the future. Constantly worrying about your own safety, you will never taste the truth, having comprehended the delights of existence.
If you are worried about the futility of being in this world, then think about the material benefits you left behind that your followers can appreciate. Devote your free time from work to making a sculpture or draw a picture, sign up for programming lessons and create a multifunctional website - capture your talents in a tangible object, engaging in self-realization instead of bad thoughts.

Are you sincerely convinced that dangers lurk around every corner? Are you really ready to be afraid of an unforeseen outcome for the rest of your life? Take advantage of the moment and enjoy the amazing surprises of fate. Jump with a parachute or go rafting on a mountain river, travel in a hot air balloon or conquer a majestic ridge - get the most out of life, which is full of adrenaline.
Realize that a person remains alive in the hearts and memories of people close to him. We will not sink into oblivion - we will be remembered by relatives and friends, lovers and work colleagues. The main thing is to live your life in such a way that you are not ashamed of your actions and words spoken.
Learn to think positively by finding positive moments in everyday situations. If you forgot your lunch at home, then you have the opportunity to taste a culinary masterpiece in a restaurant located near work. You didn't get a bonus last month? There was a reason to prove my professional worth to my superiors in the next decade.

People often justify their own fear of death by the possible pain they will have to experience. It is important to remember that a painful outcome is rare. In the 21st century, a variety of drugs and anesthetics have been developed that can significantly alleviate the suffering of a dying person.

Verbal codes and amulets phrases

For people who adhere to religious principles, an effective way to get rid of the fear of death is affirmation. Through regular self-hypnosis, carried out by repeating short verbal codes, you can gain. If you are looking for an answer to the question of how to get rid of the fear of death and regain the joy of life, then use the following amulets:

My life's path is full of adventures and surprises. I entrust my fate and the choice of my own path to the angels who patronize me.
I surrender my mind completely to God. Under any circumstances, I feel the participation of Higher powers in my life. I am in a state of absolute peace. I am carefree and not prone to panic, because I feel the protection of the Almighty.
I am grateful to the Creator of the world for a number of trials and obstacles destined for my life's path. The events that happened in my life are natural and non-random. I completely trust the will of the Higher Powers.
I can’t help but feel the presence of heavenly guardians in my life - they are constantly watching over me, I feel their hands on my shoulders, the angels help me cope with pressing problems. They were sent to me by the Higher powers, as a gift from God.
I am constantly under the protection of guardian angels, they protect and protect me from evil spirits every minute.

Regular repetition of simple verbal codes helps to mentally tune into the right mood, feeling the delights of the world around us. will leave your mortal body, because you will be under the protection of the Almighty.

Death is the logical conclusion of life’s journey, which must be accepted by accepting such a phenomenon as an integral part of existence. The main thing is to learn to enjoy the new day, realizing the illusory nature of such a judgment.

10 February 2014, 10:29

Fear of death is a common phobia. People are afraid not of death itself, but of what happens after it. They do not attend funerals and avoid funeral shops. But you can overcome the fear of death by using the services of a psychotherapist.

Now there are many excellent and effective methods in psychotherapy. They are aimed at replacing negative thinking with positive ones. The goal of others is to change the reaction and perception of fear, thereby overcoming thanatophobia.

Causes and symptoms of thanatophobia

Often, the fear of death occurs in people who like to control all processes. They always have everything planned out. They are afraid of force majeure. And death is something that cannot be prevented. It cannot be controlled or predicted.

Typical causes of phobia:

• fear of death of close relatives;
• bad feeling;
• fatal disease (oncological, AIDS);
• childhood trauma;
• death of a loved one;
• attendance at a funeral;
• participation in military operations, accidents, emergency situations;
• stereotypical thinking;
• religious beliefs;
• negative experience (long stay in a coma, fainting, consequences of a severe illness), etc.

Another source for the emergence of thanatophobia is the media. Negative information has a bad effect on the human psyche.

He is haunted by thoughts about the meaning of life, his own life after death. The patient is frightened by the mortality statistics in the country and around the world.

Scary thoughts

A person begins to think a lot about death. He imagines how he will die, what feelings he will experience. Fantasizes about possible causes of death. He thinks about what the reaction of others will be.

Some people have a fear of the unknown. Obsessive thoughts prevent you from sleeping normally and disrupt your normal life processes. In this case, a panic attack occurs, which is the body’s reaction.

Hysteria

If a thanatophobe gets sick, he becomes hysterical. Thinking about death, he is sure that he will not be able to recover and will die. His whole life is accompanied by negative attitudes. Thoughts about a threatening event predominate. He dreams of death, war, his own funeral, a cemetery.

Anxiety

The patient begins to be overly interested in the well-being of loved ones. Fever, high blood pressure, cough and other manifestations of illness cause panic.

Body trembling

When a patient is invited to the funeral of a loved one, he begins to tremble slightly. Sweating increases, headache appears. Feeling dizzy and experiencing muscle weakness. A strong, causeless hysteria is possible.

Most often, this condition occurs in older people. They cannot live in peace, knowing that death can come at any moment.

Depressive disorder appears. The person becomes irritable, aggressive, nervous. He doesn't notice anything good. The holidays no longer spark joy.

Psychotherapy as a treatment method

A psychologist diagnoses, prescribes treatment, gives consultations and makes psychocorrection of the patient’s mental disorder. Each client is given an individual course of treatment. The direction of the course is influenced by the causes and symptoms of thanatophobia. The general psychology of the individual is taken into account, on the basis of which the patient’s characteristics are made.

The therapy is based on art healing. A few years ago she limited herself to drawing. Now this is a complex of types of art: literature, modeling, music, dancing, acting, etc. It is important to choose what the patient really likes.

The goal of art therapy is to learn to know yourself, understand emotions and thoughts, and be able to get rid of negativity. The technique is based on sublimation, that is, the transfer of internal conflicts and objects of fear to the result of creativity.

Areas of art therapy:

• abstraction – images in the form of simple combinations of patterns and lines;
• materialization - the drawn picture can be cut, burned, crushed or destroyed in another way;
• games where the main character is fear, which needs to be drawn or shown in some other way.

Art therapy influences personal development, harmonization of the inner world and normalization of relationships in society.

Some patients do not even notice that in the creative process there is a struggle with a phobia.

When drawing, a person should not limit himself. The main thing is complete emancipation.

During this therapy, the patient's thinking changes. Negative attitudes are replaced by positive ones. A person learns to analyze his actions, thoughts, and actions. He struggles with an obsessive fear of death.

The doctor’s task is to predispose the patient to be as sincere and interested in healing as possible. After all, a person with a fear of death does not recognize this phobia. Accordingly, he also does not see the need for treatment.

During therapy, the patient is asked questions:

• who said it was bad;
• why did you do this;
• why do you think this is forever;
• what will happen if you do this;
• what happened after the loss of loved ones;
• why are you afraid of funerals;
• what worries you about death, etc.

Based on the answers, the doctor will find out the reasons for the appearance of fear. After which he invites the patient to sit in a comfortable chair, close his eyes and imagine something that frightens him very much - death, a cemetery, a grave, a funeral, etc. It is important that there are manifestations of thanatophobia. The client must describe what he sees.

After this, the patient must abruptly change the picture to a positive one. It should evoke joy, happiness, pleasant memories. Next, the patient must again imagine the objects of his fear. In 1 session, such a task takes 15–20 minutes.

In addition to individual sessions, the client receives homework. They have the highest value, because during the execution process the patient feels discomfort, being alone with himself and leaving his comfort zone.

It is important that the doctor after each session asks the patient to explain what he heard and understood. This is how he checks the effectiveness of the treatment.

During treatment, feelings, actions and thoughts must be one. In psychology this is called Gestalt. In a person without disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system, this pattern is observed. Those who suffer from death phobia have an imbalance.

Gestalt therapy is the opposite of cognitive behavioral therapy. There is no need to look for the cause of the disease and eliminate it. You need to accept that the problem is there, and that’s normal. According to the idea of ​​the technique, a person should operate with feelings, not reason.

The main objectives of Gestalt therapy:

• Working with emotions. Don't block negative feelings. They can be replaced with positive ones.
• Perceptions of phobia. The patient learns to listen to himself and his feelings. The doctor’s task is to give the right direction.
• Analysis of the past. The client needs to think about what in the past caused his phobia. Perhaps this is a consequence of incorrect upbringing and perception of funerals and death.
• Concentration on the body. The physical manifestations of fear are important to the doctor. It will help the client get rid of mild tremors, rapid heartbeat, headaches, etc.
• The goal of therapy is to help the client find inner support. After treatment, he should receive positive vital energy and continue to work independently on his problem. It is important for the patient to get rid of the childhood fear of cemeteries, graves and death. You need to understand that life is beautiful, and you shouldn’t waste it on empty thoughts.

Exposure therapy

The main idea is to forget about past failures, negative experiences, and fears. There is only the present and the future.

The doctor shows the patient from the outside how he behaves during the activation of the phobia.

Next, he asks the patient to find an interfering behavior - how to behave in order to get rid of thanatophobia. The client must highlight the person’s qualities, characterize him, and identify the positive aspects of such behavior.

There are 3 techniques in exposure therapy:

1. Hidden sensitization. The psychotherapist teaches the patient to enter a state of complete relaxation. Then you need to imagine yourself in a situation that frightens and causes a panic attack - a walk to a cemetery, attending a funeral, your own death, the loss of relatives right before your eyes, etc.
2. Gradual exposure therapy. The essence is a slow, gradual cure. Sessions take place in a smooth, calm manner. Quiet, relaxing music can be played in the background. It is necessary to very carefully understand the primary sources of thanatophobia. It is important that the client himself suggests treatment options.
3. Flood method. The patient is involved in a situation that provokes increased panic and anxiety. The fear must be strong and reach the point of a panic attack or hysteria. This is how the doctor checks how a person will behave if panic occurs again. If no violations are found, the course of treatment ends. Otherwise, the technique changes. The “flood” method is used at the final stage of treatment. It serves as a test for the patient's abstinence in moments of intense fear.
4. Another effective method is to “go from the opposite”. The patient does not get rid of internal conflicts and experiences. He changes the type of behavior and attitude towards his own phobia. After all, fear depends on the experiences of the individual.

After treatment, the patient should not have any fear of death. He understands that dying is normal and natural; no one can avoid it.

Drug treatment

In combination with psychotherapy, you can take a course of medications. Most have no side effects and are not addictive. Medicines are aimed at mitigating the signs of thanatophobia and calming the patient during hysterics and panic attacks.

Antidepressants are necessary if the patient has a severe form of mental disorder. They will help if he has been depressed for a long time or has obsessive thoughts. Antidepressants relieve irritation, nervousness, anxiety, and panic.

After use, the patient’s well-being, mood, and emotional state improves. The drug does not cause drowsiness. But its main drawback is that it begins to act after 1 month.

The medicine is sold only with a prescription from a doctor. The following antidepressants are considered the most effective:

• Bellataminal;
• Atropine;
• Fluoxetine;
• Prozac;
• Framex.

It is best to take them before sleep or an event that may activate fear. Remember, for those who are not diagnosed with depression, the remedies will not help.

Sedatives

You can get rid of the fear of death with the help of herbal medicines. They are harmless and do not cause pain. The main components are valerian, motherwort, lemon balm, mint, thyme and chamomile. They reduce nervous excitability, eliminate stomach cramps, and relieve cramps. St. John's wort improves tone and mood.

If the disease is pronounced, it is worth taking combined medications. “Fitosed”, “Persen Forte”, “Novo-passit”, “Dormiplant” are the most effective. They are consumed before bed and promote sleep.

Neuroleptics

Particularly effective when it is necessary to get rid of panic attacks of fear. They have a sedative, anti-anxiety, muscle relaxant, and anticonvulsant effect. Not recommended for use at an early stage.

The drugs have a very strong effect. Sold exclusively by prescription. They are prescribed only in particularly severe cases.

Preventive measures

To reduce the frequency of manifestations of thanaphobia, maintain contact with optimistic people. Communicate with those who inspire and show that life is beautiful, and there is no time to dwell on suffering and fears.

Watch less news and mortality statistics. Doctors recommend avoiding:

• disaster films;
• negative news chronicles;
• books in the horror genre, etc.

They only increase fear and panic. Subsequently, the person becomes nervous and irritated, and the phobia worsens in the subconscious.

Do what you love. It doesn’t matter what it is: creativity, ordinary cleaning or cooking. The activity should be enjoyable. You will not notice how in the process you will forget about your own negative thoughts about death. The disadvantage of this method is the short-term effect.

Some patients become visitors to forums for thanatophobes. This is the wrong decision. It is necessary to avoid contact with people who have similar problems. Better spend time with your family, loved ones, and friends.

Learn to notice details. A compliment from a loved one, delicious coffee, an interesting book, a meeting with an old friend - there are many reasons for joy. Plan every day to make life interesting and rich.

Conclusion

Thanatophobia or fear of death is a rare phenomenon in psychology. It is formed as a result of improper upbringing, childhood trauma, negative experience. Manifests itself in the form of mild trembling, convulsions, stomach cramps, and dizziness. Panic attacks and hysterics are possible at the sight of a cemetery, graves and funeral shops.

You can overcome the fear of death with the help of psychotherapy. The main methods to overcome thanatophobia: cognitive-behavioral, exposure therapy, art therapy and gestalt therapy. It is recommended to simultaneously take antidepressants, sedatives, and antipsychotics. As a preventive measure, you don’t need to watch news feeds, mortality statistics, or read horror books.