Massive fear of death/dying

[HelpMePlease32]

I've had anxiety mainly health anxiety and OCD for many years, sometimes it can be very well managed and other times not so much. I have developed this intense fear of dying and death. It terrifies me and fills me with dread. There the fear of becoming sick or dying suddenly, checking my body obsessively etc and then there is the thought that one day I will die and I won't be here. I can't comprehend it. I think about it and it sends chills through my whole body, my whole body feels Shakey and horrible and it just makes me want to cry. Sends me into complete panic and meltdown. I just cannot get my head around one day I won't be here and I won't be a living person. It's fucked up. It's destroying my life. I've had many therapies and medications over the years but nothing has stopped it, it's always there. Anyone else ever felt the same?

It sounds like your OCD is manifesting as obsessive thoughts. Mix that with anxiety and it’s like a bomb goes off. Have you tried sertraline? I found it helpful with OCD and anxiety but only on a high dose (200mg).

This may not work for you at all but I find listening to near death experience reports on you tube really helpful

Yes iv had high dosages anti ds and even Prozac etc but nothing can calm me down. It's like this terror that washed over me when I realized one day I won't exist. I can't even describe it, it's worse than feeling anxious, it's almost like an out of body terror feeling. I do struggle with obsessive and intrusive thoughts not rational and irrational but I don't see this as an intrusive thoughts b cause it's 100 percent going to on happen.

No I've never felt like that.

Though I have a huge belief in the afterlife.

So I don't think we ever really die.

Go to nderf.com and read about all the near death experiences there.

They are beautiful. And they all said that we don't die. We just change form

It sounds a bit like existential ocd, where the intrusive thoughts tend to be about things there is no answer to, like why are we here? what is existence? etc.

"For most, leaving these thoughts unanswered and moving onto other thoughts does not pose a challenge. However, for individuals with existential OCD, it is not quite as simple. People with this subtype of OCD may spend hours contemplating these questions and thoughts over and over again, the weight of which can cause a great deal of distress, and anxiety"

"Although it may be difficult to identify at first, the only real difference between existential OCD and any other form of the disorder is the nature of the intrusive thoughts. As such, the recommended treatment for existential related OCD remains the same as for any other variety of OCD: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that has been referred to as the gold standard approach for treating OCD."

I understand a lot of this because you described how i feel when i think about death. However i am usually able to distract myself from focusing on it too much. I just make myself stop and think about something else. Easier to say then to do i know.

I feel that rather than relying on medication, talking therapies/counselling might help. Perhaps exploring the root of your fears.
Out of interest, have you suffered bereavement, or lost someone/something close to you as a child?

Death is very much a societal taboo - it's inevitable, but it isn't talked about.
People will have different perspectives, such as a strong faith.
I just think that talking things through with the right person would really help with those overwhelming/intrusive thoughts.

I do understand that all encompassing fear OP, I felt it many times in the past. However, when I became a Christian, my fear left me and for once in my life the world, death, suffering and eternity made sense. I think, for me, it was not being able to understand why we are here etc that left me so scared of death. I can honestly say that I no longer feel that way and am at peace with death now.

" I just cannot get my head around one day I won't be here and I won't be a living person" I feel exactly the same. It makes it harder that I do not believe in an afterlife. I make myself think of something else as I would sink into depression. Hope it helps to know you are not the only one to feel like that

Yes I did. When I was 18 my brother aged 8 passed away very suddenly. I was always an anxious child due to growing up with a very emotionally, physically and neglectful mother. I do know that these are probably the reasons for my OCD and anxiety and depressive episodes. But it still doesent seem to offer me any comfort.

OP, I completely understand this feeling you describe, you're not alone. When I have this, I can feel my body run cold, I suffer from anxiety in lots of ways, but death anxiety causes this cold feeling.

I have been feeling grief about my children growing up for about a year now, this intense feeling that washes over me and lately has interfered with my day to day. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to die soon and wonder if that's where some of the grief comes from.

These are huge subjects, and really difficult to move forward from when no one can give you an exact answer. It's so difficult OP, all we can do is figure out what makes us happy and content and try and do more of that

I do have this as well and when I really think about it it terrifies me but then I think well I can’t control it and manage to change my thinking. I used to believe in the afterlife but since having a baby I don’t as it’s like thinking she was something before. I do suffer with anxiety but more about other things that really are silly compared to that but I guess anxiety does what it does

I did. I had hypnotherapy. Death still unnerves me, but the waves of terror and panic attacks have gone.

Please do not repeat this garbage
You do NOT go anywhere when you are dead. Nor do you exist on a different plane, haunt people, or wander endlessly in torment.
No do you go towards a light
near-death experiences have a clinical explanation

You forgot to write the words.

"In my opinion"

What you have stated is your opinion, not fact.

As you can see, I also stated that it was my opinion, not that it was fact.

Other people on here have also said that they believe in an afterlife.

Learn to have your own opinion. And let other people have there's.

You can't control anyone else's opinion.

I firmly believe in the afterlife. And I always will

Oh, sorry for the omission
As a former clinician, I believe in science rather than woo
But of course, using science is just an opinion
So, you believe in an afterlife; how do you see it panning out? Sharing your thoughts on how it may look may help the OP worry less, and zone out the nay-sayers such as myself

I have felt like that.
It was extremely crippling in my late 30’s and early 40’s.
I would wake at night in total fear.
For me getting on a decent antidepressant helped.. citalopram changed my life.
I think getting older helped too.. I am more accepting of how brief life is and how important to live well and ethically….If we lived forever we would loose this preciousness.

Many scientists believe in the afterlife too.

A lot of them have written books about it.

I recently read a book written by a medical doctor.

Her son died and she talks to him (through a medium) in the afterlife.

Her name is Dr. Elisa Medhus

There will always be outliers in any bell-curve
Sorry, but such people are dangerous and give false hope. As do mediums. In my opinion, of course

I actually have a Science degree myself.

I don't think that we have to be one thing or another.

We can be both spiritual and scientific if we want to me.

The main thing is to accept and respect other people's opinions.

I definitely believe in an afterlife. I've read loads of spiritual books.

If you want to discuss your opinions maybe start another thread? Given what the OP is worrying about you're really not helping. Although I suspect you already know that.

It's not knowing I get anxious about. I like things cut and dried. What about hypnotherapy.

Again that's your personal opinion.

It's amazing the amount of people on here who think that they speak for everyone.

No I won't start another thread. I'll stay here.

OP did you get grief counselling for your brother's death?

It can be very helpful.

My cousin's mother died twenty years ago, and he just did grief counselling last year, as there were some things he wanted to talk about.

He found it very helpful.

(I don't believe in "woo" ghosts etc) I understand a first principle of physics is that all matter exists always. So when you die "you" do change state and continue to exist (just as "you" are created from pre-exisiting matter). Some people then attach a personality to that matter. Others don't think about it at all once it's stopped being the human being you recognise. I think belief in an afterlife is not that different from what actually happens ..