Death is something that we all, sooner or later, have to face. But how do nosotros respond to it? Why are some of usa more afraid than others? And what is information technology, exactly, that scares us about death? We offer an overview of theories related to death feet, and what you can do to accost it.

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Decease is frequently a taboo subject field, so when death feet comes into play, it is hard to know how to confront it.

To a greater or bottom extent, it is probable that we are all scared of death – whether it be the thought of our own cessation or the fearfulness that someone we love might pass away. The idea of death is not a pleasant i, and many of the states avoid such morbid musings, naturally choosing to focus on what life has to offer, likewise as on our ain wishes and goals, instead.

Nevertheless, as Benjamin Franklin one time famously wrote, "In this world cipher tin be said to exist sure, except expiry and taxes," so information technology is no surprise that death-related worries sometimes have united states by tempest.

Fear of death is sometimes referred to as "thanatophobia," deriving from the Aboriginal Greek words "Thanatos," the proper noun of the god of death, and "phobos," pregnant "fearfulness."

Notably, thanatophobia – which is called "death anxiety" in a clinical context – is not listed as a disorder in its ain correct in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Notwithstanding, this rarely spoken-well-nigh anxiety has the potential to seriously affect people'southward lifestyles and emotional health.

Thanatophobia was first tackled by Sigmund Freud, who did not consider it to exist fear of expiry, equally such. Freud thought that we cannot truly believe in death as a real occurrence, and so whatever death-related fears must stem from unaddressed babyhood trauma.

But it was the theory put forth a little later past an anthropologist called Ernst Becker that ended up informing nearly current understandings of expiry anxiety and its causes. Becker believed that death anxiety comes naturally to all people who discover the thought of death and dying unacceptable.

That is why, he argued, everything anybody does – the goals we set, our passions and hobbies, and the activities nosotros engage in – is, in essence, a coping strategy, and that these are things nosotros focus on then nosotros that need non worry well-nigh our eventual death.

Becker's work gave rise to "terror direction theory" (TMT), which posits that humans must constantly bargain with an internal conflict: the bones desire to alive against the certainty of death. TMT emphasizes individuals' self-consciousness and their drive to achieve personal goals, motivated past the sensation of mortality.

Likewise, according to TMT, self-esteem is key for the degree to which individuals experience expiry anxiety. People with high cocky-esteem are better at managing fear of decease, while people with low self-esteem are more hands intimidated by decease-related situations.

Some newer approaches suggest a "eye way" between TMT and another theory referred to every bit "separation theory," which highlights the importance of early trauma, reinforced by an sensation of mortality later in life.

Some other contempo approach to understanding and explaining death anxiety is that of "post-traumatic growth theory" (PTG). According to PTG, going through a lamentable event – such as the decease of a loved ane or receiving a worrying wellness diagnosis – can actually accept a positive effect, causing individuals to appreciate the modest things in life a lot more, or to become more goal-oriented.

Although information technology is probable that we will all exist worried almost death or a death-related situation at some time in our lives, decease anxiety is only pathological when information technology reaches extreme levels, disrupting the normal lifestyle of an individual.

One account of death anxiety – as reported by a man's worried wife – emphasizes how this kind of fear can go obsessive and get out of control.

"The fear is specifically of expiry (not pain or dying every bit such) and the emptiness of it (he's not religious) and the fact that he will no longer be here. […] this is an irrational, emotional fear that he has problem controlling. Recently it has got worse – he's not sure why – but it has made him feel panicky and the thoughts have been straying into the daytime."

Dr. Robert Kastenbaum has reviewed various psychology theories and studies related to the concept of death, outlining which populations are most likely to express a persistent fear of expiry. Drs. Patricia Furer and John Walker summarize the findings in an article published in the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

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Women are more likely than men to feel death anxiety, and this tends to pinnacle twice: once in their 20s and again in their 50s.

  1. The majority of individuals are afraid of decease. Most people tend to fear death, but they unremarkably merely exhibit depression to moderate levels of anxiety.
  2. Women tend to be more than afraid of death than men. Additionally, a newer written report has found that while decease anxiety seems to surface in both women and men during their 20s, women too experience a second surge of thanatophobia when they reach their 50s.
  3. Young people are only as likely to feel death anxiety as elderly people.
  4. There appears to exist some correlation betwixt a person's educational and socioeconomic status and reduced expiry anxiety.
  5. No association has been plant betwixt religious date and reduced death feet.

Specialists contend that mostly, death anxiety does non come on its own, and that it is instead accompanied past another blazon of mental health disorder (such every bit generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder).

Other studies testify that people exhibiting wellness anxiety, or hypochondriasis, are too afflicted by death anxiety, as it naturally correlates with an excessive worry about health.

At nowadays, specialists tend to recommend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to people who face up severe death anxiety. CBT is based on discussions and exposure, and it is often used to treat low and many different kinds of anxiety and phobias, such as the fear of flying.

Drs. Furer and Walker advise a six-step "cerebral-behavioral intervention" in the case of individuals dealing with expiry anxiety.

1. Exposure to fears

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Willing exposure to places and things associated with fright of death could help to counteract unhelpful mental habits.

Individuals seeking to reduce their death anxiety must be convinced not merely to express their fear explicitly, only also to identify what exactly it is that scares them about decease, and whether in that location are any situations or places – such every bit funerals or cemeteries – that they tend to avoid so as non to trigger their fearfulness.

Drs. Furer and Walker advise "exposure (both in vivo and imaginal) to feared themes related to death," since facing elements associated with the individual's particular form of anxiety is an important role of CBT.

two. 'Reducing reassurance-seeking behavior'

This pace targets the private's tendencies to obsessively check their own body for alarming changes, to speak to mentors or respected peers seeking emotional reassurance regarding their expiry-related worries, and to take an abnormal reliance on idealized wellness and emotional aids, ranging from supplements to superstitious behavior.

To prevent these unhelpful behaviors, Drs. Furer and Walker suggest "postponing the target behaviors, gradually decreasing their frequency, or simply stopping the beliefs altogether" through "response prevention homework."

3. Reviewing personal experiences

It is also important to review the individual's "personal experiences with death," such as having witnessed the expiry of a loved one or being faced with their own or someone else'southward life-threatening illness.

"Helping [them] move toward more counterbalanced views of these issues," Drs. Furer and Walker explain, "may assistance them cope more calmly with the prospect of death."

four. Switching focus to enjoying life

Next, the individual should conspicuously identify their "brusk-, medium-, and long-term goals," to be able to focus on what they want to achieve in life and how best to enjoy their experiences, rather than obsess over their fright of death.

v. 'Developing a healthy lifestyle'

The therapist must also place and accost any consistent sources of stress for the person facing death anxiety, or any other "unhealthy aspects of their lifestyle" that are potentially aggravating the fear.

6. Preventing anxiety relapse

Finally, Drs. Furer and Walker acknowledge that, even later on initial successes in diminishing death anxiety through CBT, many people experience a relapse. To prevent this from happening, they say that information technology is crucial to help each individual "develop coping strategies" for challenging situations that might re-trigger death anxiety, such as sudden affliction or an emotional crunch.

Recently, professionals from the funeral manufacture, as well as even laypeople interested in tackling death anxiety-related bug, have fix up resources to help other people bargain with thanatophobia.

Mortician Caitlin Doughty, for instance, founded The Gild of the Practiced Expiry, which is a commonage of professionals from all walks of life who are defended to informing the public about death-related practices, and encouraging people to "stare down [their] expiry fears."

A similar initiative that has picked up steam over recent years is the Death Cafe, a projection that allows people from all over the world to organize meetings wherein they explore themes of decease. The Decease Cafe's objective is "to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives."

In social club to face up death anxiety, yet, one must first empathise what it is, more than specifically, that they fear about death. In one classical paper on thanatophobia also cited by Doughty, 7 possible reasons for fear of death are indicated.

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Identifying your specific death-related fears could help you to tackle them pragmatically.

  1. I could no longer take whatsoever experiences.
  2. I am uncertain as to what might happen to me if there is a life after decease.
  3. I am afraid of what might happen to my body after death.
  4. I could no longer care for my dependents.
  5. My death would cause grief to my relatives and friends.
  6. All my plans and projects would come to an stop.
  7. The process of dying might be painful.

Doughty suggests picking up to ii reasons that nosotros strongly place with as our personal rationale for fearing decease, and taking businesslike steps to accost them.

If we are agape, for instance, that someone depending on united states of america might be left in a financial crisis after our decease, then we should take steps to ensure they are provided for in that state of affairs.

In her view, existence able to "unpick" the elements of our death anxiety and facing them separately tin help us to regain our at-home and be less bothered by our fears.

Death and fear of death are often hard topics to broach, especially when even healthcare professionals are unsure of how to talk about it or are also afflicted by information technology.

As a club, nosotros are and so smashing to avoid thinking about the end of life that we have started obsessing over ways of artificially preserving life – such as cryonics, or "augmented eternity," which is a project that aims to create "digital heirs" able to reason and respond in a similar way to their man "originals."

There is no lucent manner of dealing with the thought of our own or others' mortality, and yet we must practise information technology if we are to lead productive lives. What are your thoughts: is decease best confronted with your eyes wide open?