First Gray Hair Could Cause Fear Of Death

Irina Gusakova

Thanatophobia, or the fear of death, is something that almost every person faces. From the point of view of existential philosophy and psychology, this is one of the givens of life and a source of anxiety. Daria Yausheva told Pravda.Ru readers how to deal with the fear of death. Anxiety about death accompanies us throughout life. We come into contact with her in situations that Karl Jaspers, the German psychiatrist, called "borderlines."  This occurs during a serious illness and someone close dies and there are upheavals in life.

Fear arises when something terrible happens. But he passes. We see death nearby, time passes, and we return to a conditionally normal state. And also - during periods of crisis, including age, especially on the eve of round dates, when a person sums up, compares life with an ideal. People often feel that they are not up to it. The first health problems, the first gray hair, wrinkles - all this can cause fear of death.

A phobia is already a disorder. These are obsessive thoughts that turn into an acute fear of specific actions: panic fear of flying on an airplane or driving a car, fear of catching a deadly virus and protective behaviour such as constant hand washing and excessive use of sanitisers or social isolation and fear of touching electrical appliances.

Or the person starts to  avoid all kinds of addictions - alcohol, drugs and gambling,  and overcompensation, proving to yourself that death does not exist: extreme hobbies or dangerous driving; if we are talking about a midlife crisis, then he can decide on a divorce and leaving for a "free life". Behind all, this is an acute fear of coming into contact with the given - I am mortal.

The fear of death is normal. Existential psychologists are convinced that the fear of death protects us from rash actions, it leads to a careful attitude towards ourselves and exacerbates love for loved ones. And it also puts before us a choice: how to spend, how to fill that segment of life that is measured out to us. That is why not avoiding, but contact with this fear is healing and in a sense inevitable. Everyone has to make this choice, even if a person does not make it consciously.

It is also a stage of growing up and maturity, when a person accepts limitations and chooses to make himself the starting point in his life: his values, his way of thinking, takes responsibility and feels inner freedom. But what to do if it is precisely a phobia, a painful condition, fears, compulsive actions? It is difficult to cope with this on your own, then you should contact a psychotherapist or clinical psychologist. But even this is not enough. Special techniques, mainly from cognitive-behavioural therapy, help to work out thoughts, beliefs, work with behaviour, and regain a sense of control over one's life.

Mindfulness techniques (this is the third wave of CBT) help you learn to cope with anxiety, better control your body, and live life consciously. Existential therapy is an opportunity to go deep and work through important topics, discover meanings, values in life, find steps that will bring you closer to a life in which there is hope and fulfilment. If the situation is particularly difficult, the specialist may recommend medication support to relieve the acute condition.

- Prvda.ru