“The fear of death is the most unjustified of all fears, for here's no risk of accident for someone who's dead.”
Thanatophobia is an extreme fear of death. Death is inevitable. A person may be scared of his/her own death or the death of a loved one. This is quite natural because it is normal to fear the unknown.
Women are more likely to have thanatophobia since women tend to have more anxiety than men. Older people are generally less anxious about death because they accept it more by seeing others die.
Common symptoms are dizziness, excessive sweating, heart palpitations, nausea, shortness of breath, stomach upset, and trembling.
Thanatophobia is treatable. The most common treatment for thanatophobia is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which helps to change the way a person thinks about death and react to thoughts of death. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation techniques also help. Meditation and Exposure therapy are also effective.
