Thanatophobia: Fear of Death
Thanatophobia is an intense fear of death or dying. For some, this involves a fear of being dead.
Others are afraid of the dying process. A person with thanatophobia can fear their own death or they might fear the death of someone they love.
Fortunately, thanatophobia can be treated, such as by engaging in psychotherapy. This requires first identifying the symptoms, then receiving a formal diagnosis.
What Does Thanatophobia Feel Like?
While Thanatophobia is not specifically listed in the DSM-5, there are symptoms of a phobia that could be applied in examining whether someone has a typical fear of death or something more. Namely, it may be a phobia if they:
- Have excessive worry or fear of death or dying that gets in the way of their life
- Actively avoid any situation involving death or dying
- Experience intense anxiety when encountering or thinking of death or dying
More specifically, an anxiety disorder could produce the following physical symptoms:
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Racing heart
- Nausea
- Headache
- Fatigue or insomnia
Reasons for Thanatophobia
There are numerous reasons for thanatophobia, some of which commonly include the following.
Fear of the Unknown
Thanatophobia may have roots in fears of the unknown. It is part of the human condition to want to know and understand the world around us. What happens after death, however, cannot be unequivocally proven while we are still alive.
Fear of Loss of Control
Like knowledge, control is something for which humans strive. Yet the act of dying is utterly outside anyone’s control. Those who fear the loss of control may attempt to hold death at bay through rigorous and sometimes extreme health checks and other rituals.
Over time, it is easy to see how people with this type of thanatophobia may be at risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), illness anxiety disorder (formerly called hypochondriasis), and even delusional thinking.