Death Anxiety / Thanatophobia

[timothy-ww]

Hi all,

My name is Timothy, and I help produce a podcast about new emerging technologies. We recently came across a technology that has to do with death, and that got us thinking about our own fears of death. I think everyone, rightly, has some capacity for it. Some more than others. We wanted to hear from you about your dealings with the thought of it.

If anyone would be so kind to share and speak of their own fears, I would love to talk. How has this impacted your life -- from the day-to-day to the larger scope of things? This is obviously a sensitive and personal subject, and I want to take all the care in the world to be respectful of you and your stories and experiences. With that being stated, if anyone would like to reach out, please feel free right here on the forum through a private message or otherwise.

Thank you, all.

Best,
Timothy

 

[Rosy]

I think everyone who has GAD has this fear at some point. I know I do. I am 80 years old and of course the pains and weirdness I felt years ago bother me now. Is this anxiety OR could this be something fatal now that I am 80. I can't speak for younger sufferers but with anxiety and obsessive thinking things that would never bother someone who does not suffer from this disorder might never give it a second thought, but we do. I m sure you will get a lot of responses on this topic.

 

[ManaClash]

I'm 36 years old so my thoughtson death different than someone in their 80's. I don't fear death or at this point in life I don'ti fear life more than anything. I take solace knowing that one day it will all be over and I won't have to worry or suffer like I do. At one point I was suicidal but I'm not any more. To me life seems so overwhelming and I never felt like I fit in or found my place I know this is terrible way of thinking but right now it's how I feel. There's still alot I want to do in my life so I don't want to go anywhere anytime soon but I do not fear death. I believe when you die the journey begins to whatever realm or dimension or plane that is next so no I do lot fear death at this point in time.

 

[ManaClash]

Sorry I have fat fingers and my grammar is terrible lol.

 

[daysinthesun]

Hello, Timothy.

I am a twenty-eight year old female and wanted to contribute a bit since talking about my feelings usually help me. This fear that I carry around with me impacts my life in various ways. Sometimes I have good days where death is not on the horizon. I can hope and dream and be moderately content. But sometimes I have bad days. I have days where I don’t want to leave the house for fear that if I do, I’ll die in front of strangers and no one will know to call my parents.

In the grand scheme of things, I struggle. My mental health is like a battlefield most days. I hesitate to call myself a sick person because millions have it worse than I do. All I have is a fear of dying slowly. Dying before I do anything worthwhile. I fear dying because i haven’t lived a life worth living yet. GAD has taken so much time from me. And I let it. But I’m starting to get help. It’s slow going. Every time I feel a twinge of pain in my body, I wonder if my time has come. It’s never ending to know my brain is hurting me. It’s causing fear and stress and turmoil so great that it affects me physically. It’s terrifying.

But everyday is a day to start anew. It’s a day to fight.