Fear of death: subconsciously everyone feels fear of dying sometimes. This is a normal phenomenon. It becomes annoying when the fear threatens to become a phobia. The fear of dying can then dominate your entire life. This fear occurs in every religion such as Christianity and Islam.
Fear of death
Animals don’t think about dying. People, on the other hand, realize that life ends after a few years. Knowing that you will die at an old age is acceptable to most people. But we are increasingly becoming aware of deadly diseases and external dangers that can end our lives prematurely. This can be frightening, because we often realize that we are vulnerable and could die sooner than we planned. Fear of death is common among many people.
The real fear of death itself
A number of people feel fear about life after death: this is discussed further below. A large proportion of people are afraid of dying itself. The fear that one will slowly wither away during an illness, have an accident, or be burned or drowned. People often think of family and friends who are suddenly left alone. People with children in particular often have a hard time with this: the realization that their immature children have to continue living without their parent(s) frightens the parents themselves. Young people also often feel this fear. They still have their whole life ahead of them, and they don’t want to suddenly end it. So many plans for the future, so much to do. Death can then be very frightening.
Life after death
Of all the people who fear death, a small proportion fear life after death. Believers hold on to life after death. Non-believers cannot accept this. The fact remains for both parties that no one can say exactly what happens after death. This brings uncertainty. What happens after my death? Is my soul going somewhere? Will I be buried or cremated and will I notice anything about this? Will I see deceased relatives again? These are all questions that no living person can answer, simply because the experience cannot be conveyed.
There may also be a fear of life after death if a certain thought is associated with it. For example, Christians believe that a bad person goes to hell. No one wants this after his death. Life after death can therefore also frighten.
Losing grip on life
Dying means losing control over one’s own life. And that’s something that scares people. Everyone wants to have and maintain control over their own life. Decide for yourself what happens in your own life, when and how. An illness or an accident are events that we have not planned and that can take away our lives in one go. All future plans are lost in one fell swoop.
Being afraid of death can also mean that we are afraid of losing control over other people’s lives. Caring for small children, a partner or a family member is something that we do not want to outsource. Dying means that someone who until then was dependent on you remains behind.
Dealing with fear of death
Being afraid of death is a normal phenomenon and certainly not something to be ashamed of. It becomes problematic when fear turns into a phobia. Panic attacks may occur, with the feeling of suffocation, sweating and the eyes becoming black. These panic attacks can cause even more anxiety.
Discuss the fear. Talk about it with family, friends or partner. Being afraid of death is not something to be ashamed of. Sometimes it helps to realize that everyone has been chosen to live : of millions of sperm cells, only one has reached the egg cell. That is why everyone is unique and a lottery ticket to experience life. Enjoying life is something we should all do. But that sometimes sounds so easy.
Sometimes it helps to realize that dying is not always as terrible as it seems. In a long-term death process, a revival will first take place. The pain often disappears. Afterwards, vision will decrease, as will reflexes. The muscles become weak. Blood circulation deteriorates and unconsciousness occurs. At that time, little is known about the mortality process. Finally, breathing becomes irregular and will then stop. In the case of sudden death, these phases will not occur, but death will occur very quickly without anyone being aware of anything.
Many people die in their sleep: they fall asleep at night and never wake up. Here too, the deceased person had no awareness at all of impending death. Most people die peacefully: they sleep more and more deeply, eventually never waking up again. The realization that death does not have to be scary often makes the thought of dying more bearable.
If we fear death, it is also important that we know who will care for our relatives if we are (suddenly) no longer there. By discussing this openly, concerns and fears can often be (partially) alleviated.
If self-help does not work, it is advisable to seek psychological help. This can help one to (partially) overcome the fear of death. Because no one has to go through life afraid.