Anxieties about death

[Stella8234]

This may sound crazy to a lot of people but since my first pregnancy I have developed an increasingly worrying anxiety about death. I worry about dying now or even in the future and it makes me feel very scared and slightly depressed. I know its a natural part of life and will obviously happen at some point I just wish I didn't worry so much about it right now and wish it didn't affect me so much. I'm not sure why I feel this way and can't talk to anyone close about it because I think they will just worry. Not sure how to deal with problem... Any suggestions please?

I think this is very common and also behind a lot of fears and phobias so you are definitely not alone. Is there a chance you could have post natal depression which is making your anxiety worse? I think most of us have your fear but we do not focus on it and just get on with our lives as it is pointless and a waste of our lives to worry about something you cannot control. Try reading the power of now that helps me a bit to accept things.

I have bad health anxiety and am terrified of cancer :( I'm even going to a breast clinic next week as I have lumpy boobs (I'm breastfeeding) but I can't help but fear the worst. And every time I think about it I feel sick to my stomach. It's only really been bad since I've had dc3

How long ago was your first pregnancy?

And have you talked to anyone like your Dr about how you feel?

I would say it's a pretty usual thing to focus on, to my mind it's 'exploring' the deep seated emotions and fierce love you have for your children that you don't necessarily have so strongly with other people in your life.

It's thinking about worst case scenarios where one of you is without the other person, say if something happened to you or them, and what that would do to the world.

Is it possible this has just gone into overdrive for you and you've got into a bit of a 'routine' for thinking this way? If it's 'normal' to wonder what would happen if you couldn't be with the people who make you feel strong emotions you haven't come across elsewhere, it must have got to a certain level with you to become a problem?

That's maybe the time to look for 'outside' help with it?

My total obsession with 'the big questions started at the end of my pregnancy with DS1 - and I'm now a month into DD1 and they've not ceased. It's not nice, but you're not alone.