how am i going to shake it off????

[poeps]

Good morning ladies, i hope I posted in the right place if not sorry in advance!

I have been battling with this constant fear in me of paasing away, to the point where i will get super intensive panic attacks, hyperventilation, sweaty palms you name it but I don't know why.... I can't seem to find the source/reason responsible for this fear I have no idea why recently I can't seem to forget about it 80% of my thoughts ends up with something to do with death, I do believe in God I know that there is a God and the devil, although there is a lot of things that doesn't make sense toe me or I can't understand and that leads me into questioning my religion, I don't go to church i have my own view of a church but would rather keep that to myself, why only now all of this it never use to be this way and how am i going to get rid of this constant horrifying fear inside of me? and just one more question for you ladies...what do you think is the whole purpose of life? why go through all of the things we do on earth? why are we here? from my view humans are busy destroying the planet, wildlife, each other, humans are cruel selfless haert less, cold, ect. yes here and there there might be something good but the negative/bad over powers the good/positive, so why create all this just so that it could be torn apart and destroyed by another creation...i want to know what your perspective is i am not attacking anyone and please no nasty comments

I often think about my passing but do not dwell on it. Everybody does. Focus on living instead.

How old are you, op?

This sounds a bit like health anxiety: have you ever tried medication OP? It's helped me and others.

I don't believe in god or an afterlife. So I ask myself: when I come to my last stage of life, what will make me look back and say "That was a life well lived"? Did I live a contented and fulfilled life? Did I do what I could to spread some good and bring some joy to those around me? Did I do my small part in making the world a kinder and more compassionate place?

I cannot change the world, but I can have a significant impact on my very small part of it. That's good enough for me.

@aquamarine1029
i am 27

@wtfisthisoneabout
I don't have anything against people that need meds for whatever reason to function normal my mom is one, but personally i don't want to drink tablets for the rest of my life to feel okay i won't allow it

I'm a christian, so the purpose of life is to have a relationship with God, and then to love one another.

When I die I believe that relationship will continue and I will be in his presence.

OP living with such a burden is hard- I would tactfully suggest that this is a mental health issue rather than a spiritual one.
I have suffered from anxiety in the past and know how having a mindset that catastrophises things is very hard.
Living with a fear of death is something we all have to do, but if the thoughts are so encompassing and disabling I would have a chat with your GP.
You can of course have a spiritual journey and ask these big existential questions, but if the anxiety is so bad then please seek medial help.

In the spirituality context of your question you can make conscious choices when these thoughts arise to leave the health worries with God this is especially useful because obviously you cannot control the factors that will lead to any future health concerns. If some “intrusive” thoughts arise during the day you can say to yourself, I am choosing to stop thinking about that because I have decided to leave that with God and I am absolutely confident that he will handle it.

Honestly, OP, but his is a MH issue, not a spiritual crisis. Talk to your GP. A good therapist would help you cope with the panic attacks.

I think those suggesting a religious answer to a mental health issue are on dangerous ground.

I was specifically answering the question "what do you think the purpose of life is?" But you're right, I should have answered the whole of the original post, I apologise.

OP please do not disregard counselling and medication. I have found both to be very helpful, and took propanalol for 4 months last year when I was really struggling. I have had personal therapy, both CBT and person-centred and found them also to be great for processing past traumas and picking apart negative thought patterns.

If you live in NI I can put you in touch with some great counsellors.

I think those suggesting a religious answer to a mental health issue are on dangerous ground.

I do see what you are saying and I do agree that the health anxiety is a mental health condition however the technique I suggested is widely used in treating intrusive thoughts in alcoholism and a version of it (non religious) in CBT to stop intrusive thoughts and it might help the OP as a coping strategy until she feels that it is time to look at other mental health options.

A different perspective, OP - I don't believe in god or the devil. I believe when we die, that's it. Nothing. After I die, I will not exist. I don't mind that I didn't exist before I was born, so why should I mind not existing after I'm gone?

I also don't believe there's a purpose in life. Having a set purpose for human life would be pretty pressured and stressful! What if you didn't achieve the purpose?! Life is what you make it. And no, I don't believe that humans are generally selfish, heartless and cold. I think most of us are pretty ok actually!

@lazylinguist...your comment have stayed with me the whole week and it played over and over....how would you explain paranormal behavior? the way i understand it is that those are trapped souls right? and what about out of the body experiences or whatever it is that they call it that's your soul leaving your body, so you are more than just a body, mind and muscle, i am just asking out of curiosity please don't think i am nasty... and what about deja Vu do you think reincarnation is a real thing?

i guess i could go see a priest, but i feel extremely guilty for questioning God, i know it's not right and i don't have money for a therapist i have tried going to the government ones but they just keep on putting me on tablet after tablet and i don't want that, i know i suffer from depression but i need to find the root of the problem and sort it out not drink pills and hope it goes away and yes i do have extreme anxiety, and no I can't make decisions when my mind gets stuck on death i freak out completely, I also put alot of pressure and sky high expectations and goals on myself more than needed most of the time

that is one of the main reasons why i am on mumsnet, maby just by chatting, and answering simple questions, try some advice, Maby this can help me more than what i expected, and it's annomous so my identity is safe and if you guys feel that i am about to hit a brick wall and need to seek professional help only then i wil try to get it, like i said its very expressive and it's never just 1 session, right now my finances are horrible

poeps that sounds really tough. To answer your points about perfectionism, anxiety etc. From my own experiences my similar issues were caused by some very dysfunctional beliefs programmed into me in childhood by very well meaning parents but equally parents who had experienced their own trauma and frankly their own poor parenting. I, like them, ended up with a very poor sense of my value and self worth and some very strange ideas about how far I had to bend backwards to meet other people approval. I definitely could not have unearthed these issues but more importantly been supported through dealing with those issues without the support of a truly excellent therapist and like you I met some not great therapists along the way before I got to him. The issues you are dealing with are definitely related to mental health and definitely your solution to these issues will come from that arena. ❤️❤️ But you can read books and online articles around these issues and take whatever time you need to address them and get into a better place financially where you can afford therapy, that is absolutely fine too. That is the real world.

I don’t think it’s a good idea for people to diagnose mental illness (or physical illness) over the internet.
If you are looking to discuss spiritual questions, I found these very good when I was in need
christianity.org.uk/
they are happy for you to ask anything and express different opinions.

l have suffered panic attacks, so l really feel for you , the symptons are horrendous. l think panic attacks affect people more who tend to overthink, l used to be terrible at creating the worst case scenario in my mind, just the thought of " what if " could literally bring one on. The fear of having a panic attack can often trigger one.
l would highly recommend a book on panic attacks called Dare. You can get it on Amazon, author suffered them himself, l am well read on them and in my opinion this one stands out.
You sound a lovely person. Try and relax, let it all come, let it all go, everything is in constant flux.
When l find myself future worrying, l have what l call my anchor thoughts, l try and switch over to, and this can help break the anxiety cycle. My anchor thoughts are all to do with the natural world, the migration of birds, geese and underwater creatures such as the whales. The ebb and flow of the tides, nature effortlessly doing its own thing.
My answer to your question why are we here, would be we are here to experiance life, simple as that.
l personally have no fear regarding death, l am grateful to have made it this far, to see my sons grow up. I just try and live the best l can, l want to die with as little regrets as possible.
l would also recomend listening to Mooji, and Sadguru on youtube. l always feel so calm and peaceful afterwards. They point you towards authenticity, inner peace. Sometimes we need to unlearn certain beliefs to see more clearly.
Good luck.

to the point where i will get super intensive panic attacks, hyperventilation, sweaty palms you name it but I don't know why...

OK, this is why - it's perfectly natural and you body's reaction to real or imaginary stress (and it can not tell the difference between the two)

You can believe in God, Allah, Buddha, Waheguru or Humans but when your body gets stressed it will act in a chemically identical way.

OP, it's pointless. There's no meaning to it. We just do it. So while you are here, enjoy it. Enjoy every moment, it's a short ride, a rollercoaster with highs and lows, at breakneck speed. Notice your breath going into and out of your body, think no further than that, and be glad.