Thanatophobia: obsessive fear of death. How to get rid of the fear of death and regain the joy of life

Panic fear of death has the same symptoms as any other phobia.

However, there are also specific signs characteristic only of thanatophobia.

Thanatophobia: the essence of the problem

Thanatophobia is included in the group of anxiety disorders. It represents the fear of death, which is pathological in nature. Any living creature feels such fear - and this is normal. Thanks to this fear, a person’s instinct of self-preservation is triggered in life-threatening situations. However, some people - and in fact there are a lot of them - experience constant panic fear of the possibility of dying. These thoughts become intrusive, crowding out other thoughts, interests, and experiences. A person cannot control or explain this feeling. This is thanatophobia.

Very few people do not sometimes worry about what the process of dying and death itself are, what will happen to them after they leave this world. These thoughts are within the normal range, but only until a person begins to think only about this. It is normal to worry, be afraid, or worry about this in conditions that pose a threat to human life. But if he is constantly afraid, even when there is no real threat, these are already signs of pathological fear that goes beyond the norm.

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Personality characteristics of a thanatophobe

Not every person develops a feeling of panic before death. People with accentuated character traits are usually susceptible to developing this condition: they are sensitive, vulnerable, suspicious, excitable, and anxious. They usually have low self-esteem, they are not confident in themselves, they are prone to fixation, and there are many hypochondriacs among them. There are a lot of creative and scientific people among people with thanatophobia. Such people are very often selfish, stubborn and do not tolerate criticism, ignoring any views of others that differ from their own. Along with this, they are incredibly energetic and motivated.

A constant feeling of fear exhausts a person. Thanatophobes are in a state constant anxiety, depression, anxiety, the cause of which they cannot explain. They are often nervous, irritable and aggressive, and they are not able to control this. Their mood is gloomy and depressed. Against this background, depressive disorder often develops.

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Signs of panic fear of death

Thanatophobia is accompanied by a number of characteristic symptoms. In particular, it is possible to identify that a person experiences fear of death by the characteristics of his behavior and reactions. Here are the most characteristic signs:

Personality type. Patients are very impressionable, doubt everything, are easily excitable and anxious.
Attitude towards death. Thanatophobes can behave in different ways. So, one person can in every possible way suppress any conversations on the topic of death, avoid funeral processions and funerals, experience horror in front of symbols (for example, monuments, tombstones, wreaths). And the other, on the contrary, will constantly and obsessively discuss the topic of death.
Panic attack. A person may experience a sudden attack of fear, which is very acute. Panic attacks are accompanied by increased sweating, tremors of the arms and legs, internal trembling, severe shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, derealization, dizziness, fainting, and nausea.
Associated fears. In addition to funerals and the symbolism associated with them, a person may be afraid of ghosts, spirits, and the dead. Usually such fears have a religious basis.
Other violations. Shallow sleep, nightmares, insomnia, loss of appetite, decreased libido - these are characteristic manifestations of fear.

Thanatophobia is one of the most complex phobias. Firstly, it turns a person’s life into a complete nightmare. Secondly, it is not so easy to cope with and cure.

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Causes of fear of death

The reasons that trigger the development of thanatophobia are not fully understood. Psychotherapists point to the following possible factors:

genetic predisposition;
social influence;
heredity.

In addition, there are several theories explaining the occurrence of thanatophobia. Here they are:

Personal experience. Often it is sudden death loved one becomes a trigger for the development of fear. A person protests against death in an irrational way.
External influence. The Internet, newspapers, television, etc. have a strong influence on the human psyche. Through information received from these sources, a person may develop an image of death.
Personal development. Throughout life, a person develops, degrading or progressing in his development. As a person develops, he asks philosophical questions about existence, the meaning of life, death, etc. This can develop existential anxiety when a person’s thoughts are filled with ideas of a threatening nature (for example, about non-existence after death, etc.).
Age. A person can experience fear of death at any age, but people between the ages of 35 and 50 are most susceptible to it. This is due to the crisis mature age, a new round in personal development, the acquisition of new thinking, values, ideology.
Religious Beliefs. Believers are convinced that they know everything about what awaits them after death. But their great fear is not of death itself, but of their own sins, and of the fact that after death God will punish them for these sins.
Fear of the unknown. If a person is terribly afraid of everything new, incomprehensible, unknown, this can serve as a springboard for the development of thanatophobia.
The desire to control everything. If a person is pedantic and strives to control everything that happens in his life, this can over time become accentuated and become an impetus for the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Thanatophobia is one of the most difficult phobias to treat.

Instructions

The first step towards getting rid of the fear of death is recognizing the problem. Awareness of the fear of death should lead a person to perceive death as the natural end of life, as something obligatory and irreparable. Such a perception of death is necessary for a person to exist intelligently. After all, if people were not afraid of death, there would be much more victims car accidents, extreme sports, reckless acts and deaths various everyday situations.

Another important aspect is to openly express your thoughts. You need to discuss the fear inside you with a friend, relative or psychological specialist - with any person around whom you can be yourself. This way you can identify the main reasons for this fear and choose rational ways to overcome the current situation. If the cause of a strong fear of death is an illness, you can talk to people who were able to overcome the same illness, find out how they coped with fear, etc.

Then you can think about your life principles and beliefs. One thinks about the meaning of life and values precisely when thinking about death, the finitude of one’s existence. What is important here is that a person begins to understand that all material wealth or external characteristics- this is nothing compared to kindness, honesty, love, patience. The fear of death becomes less when a person realizes that after his death his relatives and friends will be for a long time keep in mind the memories of his most beautiful deeds, good deeds, strengths character and achievements.

Many people, identifying themselves as having a fear of death, do not understand that in fact they are not afraid of death itself, but of possible pain. However, here the equal sign between pain and death is inappropriate. The dead do not feel pain. Pain is a property of life. It is specially given to a person in order to preserve his life, warning about various kinds of dangers. In addition, if a person suffers for a long time before death, then for him death is deliverance from suffering, which, in some way, is its positive aspect. Although it is quite difficult for the relatives and friends of the deceased to understand this at first.

Optimism and a sense of humor allow you to cope with many fears and difficult situations. The fear of death in this regard is no exception. It has been proven that positive, cheerful people are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, which are often the cause of death. Treat with humor not only life, but also death. Moreover, you don’t have to become a fan of black comedies, you can simply remember jokes about death (and there are quite a few of them, the authors of which also once overcame this fear) or mentally add glamorous pink slippers to its stereotypical image in a cape and a scythe.

The main thing to remember when working with the problem of death is that it should not interfere with life. You need to live as brightly, fully and wisely as possible. Meet people you like more often, relax in nature, sing songs by the fire, remember stories from your school childhood or stormy college youth, walk in the evenings, dance in the rain, go away on weekends in an unknown direction - this is the only way you can understand and feel life in everyone its manifestations.

Thanatophobia, a generalized fear of death, occupies a separate niche in the group of anxiety disorders. This pathological, uncontrollable, obsessive and inexplicable fear is one of the most common in the modern world, and it is a relatively difficult phobia to treat.

There are very few people who are free from the fear of death. First of all, this can be explained by the fact that a person is not destined to know what death is. It is not known whether the inevitable physical death from life is evil or whether death was intended by the Creator for good? After all, while a person is alive, there is no death, and no one knows the fact: when does it stop? physical life– can the spiritual component of a person continue to exist? Emotions and reactions that arise when faced with a real threat to life: excitement, worry, fear, anxiety - a natural and normal reaction of a healthy person.

The paradox of the pathological fear of death is that a person suffering from thanatophobia is constantly afraid, even without a source of danger to existence. Although the semantic direction of anxiety is anticipation of the fact of his own death, the patient does not specifically know what provokes and is the object of his anxiety. Some are afraid of the unknown that awaits after death, others are afraid of the painful process of dying, in their opinion.

Like other human fears, thanatophobia also has positive intentions. Pathological fear of death is a unique basis for self-improvement, allowing you to symbolically end a false, meaningless life and acquire a new, authentic “I”. Confirmation of this is the desire of the majority of thanatophobes: when applying for medical care, they still don’t know what to do to get rid of the anxiety that dominates their minds and how to live on, but they realize that it is impossible to lead the existence that was before.

When diagnosing the disorder, it is necessary to take into account that a pathological fear of death is characteristic of patients in whom the presence of an obsessive delusional idea is associated with an underlying mental illness. In any case, to confirm the diagnosis of thanatophobia, consultation with a specialist is necessary. In the case of thanatophobia, self-medication is categorically undesirable!

Causes of obsessive fear of death

An unambiguous cause and mechanism of development of thanatophobia have not been established. In addition to versions about genetic predisposition, heredity, and the influence of society, psychiatrists put forward several more basic, still poorly understood, theories about the origin of the fear of death.

Version 1

Often the trigger for the development of fear is personal experience: contact with death (especially unexpected) of a loved one. The idea of searching for the meaning of death has been launched, and this fact is enough to involve a person in a painful search for an answer to the question: “What is death?” Misfortune, tragedy, grief often awaken a person from hibernation: he comes to life and begins to feel and empathize. Thus, the loss of loved ones leaves behind an irrational way of protesting against death - to remain alive, creating and cherishing the fear of death.

Version 2

Some Russian scientists offer a different explanation - the so-called “death” hypnotization. Under the influence of negative information affecting an individual through television, the Internet, newspapers, bright image termination of life. A person takes on an unbearable burden, thinking about when and how he is destined to die.

Version 3

Some psychologists explain the mental crisis of the individual with a natural, continuous and never-ending process of human development: degradation or progress. On the path of self-knowledge, the individual asks philosophical questions, trying to define existential problems: the purpose of death, the meaning of life. As a result, " existential anxiety“—the predominance in thoughts of the idea of threatening non-existence.

Version 4

Symptoms of pathological fear of death can appear at any age. However, doctors note a significant number of patients with severe thanatophobia aged 35 to 50 years. Psychologists attribute the end of the crisis of adulthood to this period of life, which results in the acquisition of fresh thinking and a different ideology. A critical re-evaluation by a person of life priorities, principles and goals, getting rid of youthful illusions, parting with unfulfilled plans and hopes are quite painful experiences. A long stay in an artificially created stressful environment is ideal soil for the development of pathological anxiety.

Version 5.

Psychotherapists note that the fear of death of some patients has its origins in their religious beliefs. Although believers believe that they have accurate information about what awaits them at the end of their “earthly” life, they are afraid of possible “punishment for sins.” Treatment of this category of patients is quite difficult, because the doctor often has to act as a “competitor” to the spiritual leader who is authoritative for the patient.

Version 6.

Thanatophobia often has its origins in another disorder: panic fear of the unknown. Pathological fear of everything new, incomprehensible and beyond logical explanation is often present among inquisitive, well-educated, intelligent individuals.

Version 7.

Most pedantic, responsible and disciplined people try to keep all life events under control. However, they understand that they can influence and control biological processes: birth, aging and death are not given to them. Often the desire to control all the smallest aspects of life takes on an accentuated character, and over time transforms into obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Features of thanatophobia

In the clinical picture of the disorder, thanatophobia quite often manifests itself not as fear of the fact of death, but as fear of the circumstances accompanying the process of dying. Many patients are afraid of the excruciating, painful manifestations of an incurable disease. For others, it is unacceptable to lose self-esteem in the last part of life: when an incapacitated patient will not be able to independently care for himself, and he will be forced to resort to the help of outsiders. This type of thanatophobia occurs in patients whose medical history includes hypochondriacal disorders, accompanied by an irrational fear of various diseases.

Among middle-aged people, for whom the main life priorities are caring, raising, and providing for children and other family members, the fear of one’s own death is associated with worries about the future of relatives. Patients, mostly young, hyper-responsible single parents, worry about the fate of their children after their death. They are afraid that without their help, family members will experience financial difficulties, and children will not be able to “make their way” in life.

It has been established that the natural anxiety that occurs occasionally for one’s own life is defense mechanism a person who indicates a normal state of mind. However, psychologists note that in recent years Panic fear of death, which can be classified as a phobia, began to be observed in children and adolescents.

Patients diagnosed with thanatophobia quite often suffer from concomitant disorders, which some experts classify as types of fear of death. Secondary phobias can include fear of the dead, fear of tombstones and other symbols of death, fear of ghosts.

Symptoms of a phobia

Like other anxiety disorders, thanatophobia manifests itself not only on a visible level, but also has hidden (subconscious) symptoms.

In most patients with this disorder, there is a certain frightening situation - an object of fear. Patients do not have the concept of “abstract death”, as a natural end to life in general. They are focused and fixated on the specific fictional act of their own death. For example, a patient with a mythological fatal outcome as a result of a plane crash will avoid flying by air. A person who “contemplates” his own death from cancer will be a frequent patient in medical institutions. Such apparently obsessive behavior is combined with changes in physiology: sleep disorders and insomnia, loss of body weight and loss of appetite, decreased sexual function, and the appearance of neurotic pain.

The hidden manifestation of fear brings a person an exhausting feeling of constant, inexplicable anxiety, uncontrollable irritability, nervousness and aggressiveness. In a thanatophobe, gloomy “colors” predominate in the mood, and a depressive disorder is often added.

Persons suffering from thanatophobia are distinguished by accentuated traits and character traits: increased impressionability, suspiciousness, excitability, anxiety, self-doubt, and a tendency to obsess. Many patients can be considered gifted creative individuals or to the “thinking” type. They are predisposed to constantly thinking about the super-valuable ideas they have created. They are distinguished by stubbornness, selfishness, they do not tolerate criticism and do not accept the opinions of others that differ from theirs. At the same time, thanatophobes can be called “energy survivors”: they have high motivation, an unquenchable desire to act according to their fictional scenario.

Consequences of severe disease

Without timely and adequate treatment, thanatophobia completely changes a person’s lifestyle, affecting him personal characteristics. Here are some negative consequences diseases.

As a result of the chosen line of behavior, there is a reduction in the number of social contacts and a break in close relationships with people;
For many, it becomes impossible to carry out daily activities and professional activities, since thanatophobia forms its motives, relegating the true meaning of life to the background;
Under the influence constant stress at the physiological level, disruptions occur in the interaction of the body’s functional systems, information disintegration appears;
With the predominance of negative emotions and failures in the processes of excitation-inhibition, irreversible changes occur in the cortex cerebral hemispheres brain: various psychosomatic diseases develop;
Against the background of strong, long-term emotional stress, the likelihood of alcoholism and drug addiction increases.

Treatment of thanatophobia

Due to the fact that thanatophobia has many probable causes occurrence and manifests itself in a variety of forms, diagnosis, counseling, drug treatment and psychological correction of the disorder should be carried out by a qualified specialist - a psychiatrist. The appropriate course of treatment and rehabilitation is determined for each specific patient individually based on a combination of factors: root causes, intensity, form, duration, personal characteristics of the patient, and the presence of other disorders.

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Fatal or dangerous disease

When a person learns of his serious diagnosis, even if his illness is curable, it is a huge shock. Many people only become seriously ill when they realize their fragility and vulnerability. human body, his finitude and the reality of death.

This painful openness inevitably leads to thoughts of death, and time and internal resources in order to accept your new condition, come to terms with the proximity of the end of life and learn to live with this knowledge.

Death of a loved one or relative

If he dies dear person, this is always an irreparable loss, and we are not always ready to survive such a shock. Losing loved ones is always difficult, but the sudden death of relatives and friends is especially painful, which simply cannot be accepted as a natural state of affairs. The fear of sudden death often becomes haunting and obsessive.

Sudden death of others

The death of strangers can also be a traumatic experience for a witness, because sometimes mortal danger hidden in very ordinary things and this discovery can come as a shock. Terrorist attacks, disasters, wars and other tragedies that claim the lives of innocent people can be difficult to experience even for those who are not directly related to the victims.

It's scary that this happens somewhere in the world, even if we only see it on TV. The consequence of experiencing the death of another person can be not only boundless grief, but also a haunting feeling of the inevitability of death, its omnipresent power: the life of each of us can end at any moment. Well, how can you ignore it?

Internal conflict

The fear of death is studied in detail by the psychology of attachment and psychoanalysis. Sometimes anxieties around death accompany a person throughout his life or a significant part of it, at times subsiding and becoming stronger again. Often behind this there is some kind of internal conflict - unconscious contradictory impulses in the psyche.

For example, the fear of death expresses the basic fear of separation characteristic of most people - the fear of losing the object of attachment (initially the mother).

The simultaneous need to be an autonomous, separate person, and the fear of loss can find its way to consciousness in the form of fantasies about death. We can talk about separation anxiety if the fear of death is accompanied by thoughts of loss: it’s scary not to see you again sunlight, never touch your family, never breathe the fresh wind... It’s scary to lose your life and the world around you.

Ambition, self-realization, and feelings of inferiority can also be a provoking factor for exacerbation of anxiety. During periods of transition to maturity, and then to old age, we ask existential questions. What have I managed to do in my life? Have I realized my potential sufficiently? Have I lived a good life? What legacy will I leave behind?

If the answers are not satisfactory, then the idea of death turns into a symbolic surrender, an absolute recognition of one’s own inferiority and insolvency.

Elderly people and old people are more afraid of dying than younger people. Their own lives are approaching sunset, and death is becoming more and more around - as if it is getting closer and is already breathing down their necks.

Thoughts about death occupy the minds of older people more and more if an active lifestyle gives way to a passive one, relationships with friends and family become poorer and a person finds himself in a vacuum own loneliness and anxiety.

The gloomy future begins not only to frighten, but leads a person into chilling horror with its hopelessness.

Old age then turns into a painful, anxious “survival” that sometimes lasts for years and even decades, and they do not always manage to understand how to deal with the fear of death in such despair.

What to do with all this?

Every fear, especially if it interferes with life, deserves attention. Painful emotions are always a signal that something important is happening in the soul, just like any pain is a signal of problems in the body. Therefore, it would be productive not only to ask the question of how to overcome the fear of death, but also to find out the reasons for its occurrence.

Depending on the reasons, you can develop an integrated approach, which includes both self-help and work with a psychologist or psychotherapist, and, if necessary, drug treatment of painful symptoms of fear of death.

If you have to cope on your own, then there are some self-help techniques that allow you to work with your emotional state, as far as reflection allows, free time and internal resources.

Relax and calm down

When feelings go off scale, anxiety grips a person and prevents him from sleeping, eating and living, then first of all it is important to bring himself into a more or less acceptable state. It's not always possible to do this alone, but it never hurts to try:

Meditation. An endless number of meditation techniques from oriental practices allow you to find a suitable one for almost any person to relax, relieve stress, and immerse yourself in a harmonious and calm state of mind. The impact of meditation on the state of mind is difficult to overestimate, and generally difficult to evaluate. Therefore, it is advisable to practice meditation under the supervision of an experienced practitioner in order to minimize unpredictable consequences.
Dancing and other physical activity. Sport helps to distract yourself and relieve mental stress. If the body requires movement, you should listen to it - constant fear retreats when there is an opportunity to distract and be in contact with one’s own body.
Adequate sleep and rest. During emotionally stressful periods, it is very important to take care of yourself, starting with physiological needs - sleep, nutrition, rest. To fight fears you need resources, including physical ones.

With an optimal degree of relaxation, you may feel as if your anxiety has gone away forever. At this moment, it is sometimes important to make a strong-willed effort and continue to think about the frightening subject. When the condition can be stabilized, you can make careful attempts to explore and work through feelings, listening to your feelings.

Eric Michael Wilson

Explore the content of fear

For the development of emotional self-regulation, it is very healthy to get to know your inner world as closely as possible, which so often remains unattended despite the fact that its impulses often control behavior. Self-knowledge is an opportunity to further structure internal content and adequately process emotions.

When using any technique, you should always be attentive to your condition and not do anything that feels unbearable or destructive. A little worry is good sign, but severe panic will not benefit anyone.

To better understand what exactly thanatophobia hides, you can try the following techniques:

Compose detailed description. In the form of a list, you can describe in detail what exactly scares you (object, subject, event), why it scares you (indicate all known reasons), what the consequences could be if the worst happens, what actions can be taken to avoid this, what actions are already being taken and so on. Such a list will help you distance yourself somewhat, and experience horror as something limited and specific.
Draw a diagram or map of fear - perhaps the map will include some or all of the items on the first list, but in the form of pictograms or artistic images. The diagram can be compact (a small fear of death is not so scary) or large (to display all the details and emotional strength of feeling), color or monochrome, volumetric or flat, but it is important that it reflects the connections between real objects, actions and internal experiences.
Make a portrait of fear. An artistic image, even the most detailed and expressive, as a rule becomes not as terrifying as a pure experience of horror. After the work is ready, you can look at it and try to understand the meaning of colors, shapes and images, their emotional content. You should not destroy the drawn fear; this will rather prevent you from understanding its nature and establishing contact with your inner world.

Do not forget that self-help is not a cure, but often good way support yourself and develop new psychological skills. In the process of work, new thoughts and feelings may appear that give strength and confidence.

Neutralize the destructive effect

What to do next? When thanatophobia becomes something more concrete and tangible, as a rule, it already brings relief. It becomes possible to keep your feelings under control, do some mental manipulation and transform your fear. To overcome the fear of death, at least partially, you can do the following:

Allow yourself to be afraid. It turns out that if you “clean” the phobia from feelings of shame and guilt, stop holding back and allow yourself to plunge into panic, then after some time you can find yourself having survived all the mortal horror and are ready to move on with your life. This cathartic experience is valuable but difficult. At some point, panic can get out of control and this is a serious threat to the psyche, so it is important to be aware of what is happening and immediately seek treatment if the situation becomes threatening.
Use humor. You can remake the portrait from the previous exercise into a caricature, write funny story about death or come up with a joke. The ability to laugh at a frightening phenomenon is an important step towards getting rid of a phobia, since laughter allows you to emotionally distance yourself from scary thoughts and look at them from a different perspective. Sometimes the solution to how to cope with the fear of death comes in the form of a joke.
Give yourself time. Sometimes we need time for overcoming the fear of death to become an organic stage of life. Accepting the idea of the inevitability of death is not easy, but most of us are capable of this sooner or later, acceptance comes naturally, and worries quietly recede. Of course, this does not mean that you should always endure torment and suffer in the hope that everything will pass. It can be appropriate to talk about your experiences with another person.

We cannot always cope with psychological difficulties alone, so there are helping specialists who can organize treatment and provide timely professional support in a difficult situation.

What can specialists do?

Eat different types providing professional assistance, which depend on the area of training, specialization and qualifications of the specialist. Basically, the following specialists deal with the problems of fears and phobias:

Psychologist-consultant. A psychologist will help you deal with thanatophobia, tell you how to overcome the fear of death, correct symptoms, and may suggest special exercises for desensitization or working through fear. Different psychologists work within different practical approaches, so you can always choose a specialist who is right for you.
Psychotherapist. Psychotherapy is a longer process that allows you to deeply work through the source of thanatophobia and transform your personality. Therapy will gently and gradually lead to the fact that the phobia will disappear in a harmonious and natural way.
Psychiatrist. Medical assistance in the form of a treatment regimen with tranquilizers, antidepressants or sedatives is quite appropriate if thanatophobia manifests itself in the form of sleep and appetite disturbances, panic attacks and other symptoms that require correction as soon as possible. Taking medications does not replace, but qualitatively complements psychotherapeutic treatment.

It is normal to doubt that professional help is necessary. It is expensive, scary and even embarrassing - often asking for help is perceived as an inability to cope with problems on your own, and this is a sign of weakness and failure. But in essence, asking for help is an adult and courageous step, which is sometimes necessary in order to cope with difficulties as effectively as possible. No one has to be left alone with their fears.

Ask an expert a question in the comments

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;
feeling unwell;
fatal disease (oncological, AIDS);
childhood trauma;
death of a loved one;
attendance at a funeral;
participation in hostilities, 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 reasons 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. Temperature rise, 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 mental disorder sick. Each client is given an individual course of treatment. The direction of the course is influenced by the causes and symptoms of thanatophobia. Taken into account general psychology personality 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 main character– fear that needs to be drawn or otherwise shown.

Art therapy influences personality development, harmonization inner world and normalization of relations in society.

Some patients do not even notice that they are creative process there is a fight against 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 wonderful, 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:

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, own death, loss of relatives right before our eyes, etc.
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.
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.
Another effective method- “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 don't have side effects and does not cause addiction. 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, has intrusive thoughts. Antidepressants relieve irritation, nervousness, anxiety, and panic.

After use, the patient’s well-being, mood, emotional state. The drug does not cause drowsiness. But his main drawback– 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 medicines plant based. 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. It’s better to spend time with your family, loved ones, and friends.

Learn to notice details. A compliment from a loved one, delicious coffee, interesting book, 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.