Do You Suffer From Death Anxiety?

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One of the things that separates humans from other animals is that humans are aware that death is the final stage of life. While other animals are spared a sense of their own mortality, human intellect keeps most people well informed of the different stages of life and the effects that come with them. You read obituaries and are otherwise informed when someone you know dies and you understand your time will also come. It's enough to instill some level of fear and discomfort in almost everyone.

Some people are better able to cope with the idea of death than others, and some stoically accept death—their own and that of those they love— as simply a final act over which they have no control. Those who suffer from thanatophobia (extreme fear of death or the process of dying), however, find themselves so consumed by anguish and fear, that it handicaps their day-to-day lives.

What’s to Fear?

Thanatophobia can affect people of all ages, though older people are more likely than not to accept the idea of impending death. Anxiety may stem from fear of a physically painful death, the terrifying idea of simply not existing, or anticipation of missing out on the future lives of those you love while also being missed by them. Thanatophobia can also relate to losing someone else to death. Even a simple thought or reminder of the inevitability of death has been found to trigger panic attacks and contribute to both physical and psychological symptoms.

Who is Most Affected?

Death anxiety has been linked to numerous mental and physical health issues. Psychological studies have found that general anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorders, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, separation anxiety, eating disorders and depression have all been linked to death anxiety. For example, behaviors such as compulsive hand washing in some people with OCD, social avoidance as occurs in social anxiety disorders, and food restriction practiced by some people with eating disorders significantly increase when death anxiety is also found to be a symptom of these conditions.

According to a recent meta-analysis of 99 studies, performed by researchers at The University of Sydney and the Memzies Anxiety Centre, both in NSW Australia, death anxiety also contributes to somatic anxiety disorders experienced by people with physical diseases and disorders that cause deep distress and interference in daily activities, such as rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease. For these patients, the fear of death from an accident or heart attack can exacerbate both physical and mental symptoms of distress.

While there is an established relationship between death anxiety and nearly all clinical anxiety disorders, the degree to which fear of death affects the health and behavior of anyone with a mental or physical disorder depends on how much the disorder-related anxiety actually focuses on death. For instance, death anxiety will generally have a stronger relationship with an anxiety disorder than with a trauma-related disorder like PTSD.

What Can You Do?

Knowing that your time on earth is limited to an unknown lifespan can be motivating, make you more eager to explore your life’s individual meaning and purpose, and help you accomplish your goals and responsibilities. And since you also know death happens to everyone, it can also help you feel less alone in pursuit of a purpose for the greater good. But if your fear of death is extreme, or routinely ruining your day-to-day life, it will only be a handicap. You can seek the help of a cognitive-behavioral therapist. If you don’t know where to start, speak with your primary health care provider. In severe cases, medications such as antidepressants or beta blockers may be prescribed along with therapy.

To find a therapist, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.