I don’t know, maybe the key lies in accepting the inherent absurdity of existence and living each moment to it fullest. You know, as if tomorrow never comes. I think we all worry about the meaning of life at some age. I foud mine in helping people, and it keeps me going.
It's tough, really tough. When I was in college, I was into spiritual practices that offered insights on purpose, existence, and mortality. Can’t say that it helped me overcome the fear of death, however, it taught me to accept it as something inevitable and not worry about it too much.
I advise you to find a therapist who specializes in panic attacks, specifically existential panic. My own humble thoughts on it: the most obvious way to overcome this is to engage in activities that bring you into the present moment. Walking in nature, finding joy in the little things, like a good cup of coffee, a funny meme, or a chat with a friend. The small stuff that matters to you.
Just wanted to say I’m with you. I have the exact same fears. Like a sudden realization that some day I won’t breathe anymore, there will be no me. Even typing this now triggers me… My only coping strategy is to block such thoughts and distract myself immediately.
There’s no secret. It’s pointless to worry about things we can’t change. I know it sounds very trivial and doesn’t help much, but it’s the cruel truth.
Meditation might help you, though it should be done in the right state of mind. So you should practice it when you’re calm, it won’t help with a panic attack, it may only prevent your mind from going there.
Try exploring Buddhism. It’ll make you aware that you’re trying to live in the future; all your fears are from the future. Instead, you should learn to live in the present 🔮
Fear of death is absolutely normal. I’ve never had panic attacks, but this topic is uncomfortable for me too. Psychotherapy helps. Sometimes our fears do not even stem from the things we believe them to be. Panic attacks are often a symptom of some major stressors in your life, and even if you address your fear of death, other fears will come in its place, unless you address the stress that causes your anxiety. If you visit a psychiatrist, and they choose to prescribe you some anxiety medications, it might be that your panic attacks will stop or lessen, and you’ll find it easier to think and talk about death and life.
yesyesyes! I constantly doubt my own existence. It’s impossible to take my mind off it. I feel disconnected from the rest of the world and lonely. Sometimes it’s a challenge to get out of bed in the morning...
When my brain tries to spiral down this kind of rabbit hole, I focus on my breath and do grounding exercises, just to ease the intensity of the moment. You should go to therapy and learn some basic coping tricks (look up CBT), so that your brain doesn’t go into “fight or flight” mode whenever a thought about death pops up. As for the meaninglessness of your life, whenever I think about my own life in that light, I remind myself that there are many people who love me and care about me, and just by making their lives a little better I add meaning to my own existence. Love and peace, stay strong, friend!
I know your feelings. And my secret is ignoring :/
It's understandable how the thought of mortality can cause lingering dread and panic attacks. I imagine that others around you who seem to be handling the existential questions just fine may have either made their own peace with them, or found a way to block them out. But for many of us this is not something that can simply be ignored or forgotten.
There are many ways to cope with the fear of death. To find what could work for you, it's important to reflect on what exactly is causing the fear - is it uncertainty, fear of pain, losing loved ones, not leaving a legacy, etc. Consider also what factors may be contributing to the fear - for example, some people seem to have greater anxiety about death when feeling unfulfilled or lonely. I suggest reflecting on this when you are in a comfortable environment, feel calm, perhaps with someone trusted. Identifying the root causes can help you better understand how to approach the issue.
For example, if it's a fear of not leaving something behind, consider the 'rippling effect' - the idea that we each create, often unknowingly, circles of influence that affect others for years and even generations. For example, you might tell a story to your friend that inspires them, they pass it on to someone they know, and so on. You can read more about this concept in the book called "Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death" by existential psychotherapist Irvin Yalom. I also recommend this book if you want to learn more about coping with fear of death and related ideas. If the rippling effect is something that resonates with you, think about something that you could do or create that might have even a slightest influence on the world around you - like sharing important ideas, helping others or expressing yourself through art.
For a lot of people having something to believe in is another factor that can ease death anxiety - whether it's an afterlife concept or a belief that by doing something you contribute to something larger than yourself. It's important to recognise ideas that resonate with you. It can also help to reflect more on your values, meanigful goals and purpose as it shifts your focus to the present.
Additionally, you can try focusing on the little things throughout your day that make life meaningful. Taking the time to appreciate small beauty and pleasure in life can help you remember why life is worth living. One way of learning to do it is writing down 3 good things that happened to you during a day each evening - no matter how big or small (perhaps, you had a delicious meal, had a nice chat with a friend, witnessed a really beautiful sunset, etc).
Remember that you don't have to deal with these scary thoughts and feelings on your own - one of the main factors when it comes to coping with fear of death is through connections as it helps us realize that we're not alone in this. See if you can discuss the subject with people you trust or join a local support group. If you keep having panic attacks or just find it difficult to cope on your own, consider seeing a therapist that works with death anxiety; a specialist can help uncover underlying factors, process these feelings and find best strategies to cope.
We are designed by evolution to be afraid of death to some extent and it's built into our nature. There is nothing abnormal or unhealthy about being afraid of death to some degree. Fear of death is primal human fear and all perceive it differently.
But when the fear increases to an extent that it leads to panic attacks then its time that you address it.
As you said philosophy class was the time you experienced panic attack. It was the initial reason that got you worrying about death and scared of it. But as time passed by you have gotten in the habit of either avoiding things associated with death like not watching movies in which death will occur, Conversation about topic of death where people talk casually about it etc or you always think about topic of death. this way you are training your brain to be more afraid of death. so each time topic of death pops up you brain would make you even more anxious. So now it is become a habit. so to break this habit you need to understand these thoughts. ask yourself what worries you about death? is it that you are leaving something behind? or dying process. you need to think about what is that reason that scares you of death. But analysing and questioning yourself makes you feel uncomfortable. kindly take a help of a therapist. Only if you address the root cause you will know what experience and beliefs might be responsible for this fear. only when you recognise these thought patterns consciously and question these thought patterns then you can reorient it. You just have question it to accept the reality of it. when you start accepting it then your anxiousness will reduce.
when you such thought start saying a mantra" i may not like it but i accept death will happen". with repetition and practice your mind will eventually start to internalising this statement.
you should question yourself what do want to be known as after you die by your near and dear ones. so are you right there in that achievement.