Is a Fear of Dying Common?

Most people have a fear of dying at some point during their lives. As a human being, this is common, natural, and quite likely. Some people have a greater fear of dying, a fear that could be paralyzing on a day to day basis. Such a fear is called thanatophobia, or an irrational or extreme fear of death. This condition can affect a person's mental well-being and may cause anxiety, stress, depression, and other negative feelings. Such a phobia is not as common as simply being afraid of death.

One reason why people develop a fear of dying is the idea of not knowing what comes after life. Subscribers to many religions believe an afterlife exists, and this afterlife can either be a place of happiness — more so than the current world in which we live — or a place of punishment and anguish. This idea can be comforting to many people with a fear of dying because it gives them an idea or image of what comes next, alleviating some of the anxiety of the fear of dying.

Others believe that no afterlife exists. Again, this can be both comforting and disturbing to many people, either alleviating the fear of dying or exacerbating it. Much of the trouble with the afterlife, or lack thereof, is the idea of losing control of one's life. Death happens to every human being, and no human can control when or how it happens, so the idea of a loss of control can cause anxiety, leading to fear of death. Others are simply afraid of the process of dying, either naturally or unnaturally. The sufferer may fear a loss of dignity, a prolonged and painful illness, or dying before accomplishing important goals.

It can be extremely difficult to rid oneself of the fear of death. One small step toward doing so might be to begin accepting death as a natural part of life, something that comes to every human being. Such acceptance often comes as humans age and become more aware that death will come sooner rather than than later. While not always the case, people who have lived a long life accept death and even begin to prepare for it. For example, some people who develop a fear of dying worry that they may leave their family members in a bad situation. One way to alleviate such fears would be to create a will, or make other preparations that would ensure the safety and comfort of family members should one die unexpectedly.