What is thanatophobia? At Stelae we analyse why this fear appears and how it can affect people's lives. We also suggest ways to overcome thanatophobia.
Understanding thanatophobia
Thanatophobia is the anxiety suffered by those who fear death. Although everyone is uncertain when they think about death, for those who suffer from this disorder, it is a persistent, abnormal and unjustified fear, both of death itself and of the process of dying.
In psychology, this anxiety about death is known as thanatophobia and its most common symptoms are:
- Sweating
- Palpitations
- A feeling of tightness in the chest
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
- Nausea
In addition, there is also a feeling of helplessness due to the inability to control such reactions at the thought of death.
When this fear becomes very intense or even obsessive, to the extent that a person spends the whole day thinking about it in a pathological way, thanatophobia can seriously affect the quality of life.
Roots and causes of thanatophobia
When thanatophobia appears, the causes can be very varied. However, the most common factors are:
- Having experienced a traumatic personal experience related to the death of a loved one or one's own death (having had a near-death experience).
- Having received information about near-death experiences during childhood, which may have been a traumatic experience.
- Pathological or unresolved grief about people who were important in our lives.
- Illness or hypochondria, even if the illness is not necessarily terminal, as it generates an excessive concern for health.
- Fears that have been learnt, as a consequence of learning from the people around us who are important in our lives (e.g. parents and children).
The significance of thanatophobia comes to the fore when thoughts and fears about death become uncontrollable and recurrent.
Impact on daily life
Fear of death is intrinsic to human beings. It is natural and almost a matter of survival. However, when this fear turns into thanatophobia, it can affect our daily lives.
Not only is there a fear of death, but also a fear of separation or of having to face a loss, and even an excessive anxiety about leaving loved ones alone.
These fears may be persistent and interfere with our daily life and activities with thoughts that can alter our behaviour. What are the symptoms of thanatophobia?
- Symptoms of anxiety
- Trouble sleeping
- Panic attacks
- Obsessive thoughts about death
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Feeling sick
- Avoidance of things or places related to death
This irrational and uncontrolled fear, which lasts for more than six months and has a negative impact on your life and social relationships, should be treated by specialists.
Strategies for coping with thanatophobia
Is there treatment for thanatophobia? In psychology, work is done with patients who suffer from this disorder so that they learn to refocus their fears. There are different ways of dealing with this problem.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy
Cognitive-behavioural therapy is the most commonly used treatment and the one that offers the best results in psychology to treat specific phobias such as this one. When we are unable to solve this problem on our own, a professional who is familiar with this technique can be of great help.
Such an expert will help us to find practical solutions to overcome our anxiety and to develop strategies to calm down and overcome our fear when we think of death.
Among Stelae’s services, our bereavement management experts are available to help families cope with the loss when a loved one dies.
Relaxation techniques
Self-care is fundamental to mental health. It can be an effective way to manage the anxiety caused by the thought of death.
There are specific relaxation techniques that allow us to clear our minds and push our fears aside. For example, through:
- Deep breathing exercises.
- Meditation.
- Thinking of positive images.
- Concentrating on objects in a room.
Emotional support and support networks
Making the subject of death taboo does not help to overcome fear either, as this increases fears and insecurities. Therefore, to overcome thanatophobia, it is important to talk about death with people close to you.
It is not a matter of making the subject constant and recurrent, but such thoughts should not be repressed or avoided when they come up.
Support networks are very important to find the emotional support we need when these obsessive thoughts about death arise. Letting those thoughts go and thinking about death as part of life is one of the best ways to deal with thanatophobia.
