It is normal to feel some level of anxiousness and discomfort while thinking about one’s death and the death of a loved one.
Also, to some extent, it’s normal to worry about what will happen to their family and friends once they are no more. But it could be problematic if this fear and worry start interfering with your daily life functioning.
Thanatophobia refers to intense worry, dread, or fear about death itself and the procedure of dying. An individual with thanatophobia may a face high level of anxiety and fear regarding death which might make them distressful and hamper their ability to perform daily activities, affect their professional life, and may disrupt their relationships.
Thanatophobia is not defined as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM- 5) but it comes under the category of specific phobia.
Causes
Founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud explained that fears related to death reflected unresolved childhood issues and conflicts rather than fear of death itself, as he was suspicious about an individual’s ability to accept mortality.
Some other possible factors could be:
Age – It has been found that thanatophobia is at peak in both males and females during their 20s and significantly declines thereafter.
Gender- There is no evidence related to the relationship between gender and thanatophobia but research suggests that women experience a secondary raise of thanatophobia during their 50s.
Situational factors – Individuals who have encountered the death of a close person have more tendency to feel death anxiety. Also, individuals who have prolonged health issues and have a bad experience of an illness are more prone to feel anxious regarding their death.
Symptoms
Emotional and behavioural Symptoms
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Increased anxiety
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Panic attacks
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Sadness
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Guilt
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Frustration
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Persistent worry regarding death.
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Excessive fear of death and the process of dying
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Avoidance of situations that involves death and death-related rituals.
Physical Symptoms
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Sweating
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Palpitations
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Dizziness
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Loss of control
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Nausea
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Crying spells
Treatment
The course of treatment depends upon the severity of the problem.
Psychotherapy– Psychotherapy is widely used to treat phobias, so it can also be used while treating thanatophobia to find the possible reasons for the fear of death.
Relaxation technique – Different relaxation techniques are used such as deep breathing, grounding technique, and meditation which help in reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety.
Cognitive behaviour therapy- CBT is used to change and modify the thinking patterns of an individual related to the fear of death.
Medications- In some severe cases medications can also be prescribed at times to reduce the intensity of the symptoms of panic and anxiety in addition to therapy.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Harshita Mehra is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.