Is the fear of death unhealthy?

Rajashree Das

(She can be reached at ruchadas98@gmail.com)

The dread of dying and death is fairly widespread, and most people have varied levels of the fear of dying. Each person experiences fear differently, both in terms to what extent that fear occurs and what it pertains to. Some people may have an unhealthy dread of death, but some amount of fear helps us be more cautious.

Who Fears Death?

The fear of death is so common that it has spurred multiple research projects and intrigued everyone from scholars to religious leaders. There's indeed a field of study called thanatology which examines the human response to death and dying. Some intriguing findings have surfaced from studying the fear of death.

According to the 2017 'Survey of American Fears' conducted by Chapman University, Americans are "afraid" or "very afraid" of dying. It's worth noting that this report includes other responses that involve death which is more specific. For illustration, murder by a stranger (18.3%) and murder by someone known (11.6%) are also included.

Interestingly, many Americans (20%) fear public speaking. This thought has prompted comedian Jerry Seinfeld to quip, "This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy".

Women have generally shown a greater tendency to fear death compared to men. This is conceivably due to the fact that women are more likely to admit to and discuss such similar fears. The fact that historically, men are more likely to believe in dying for a cause or purpose, may also contribute to this.

Some researchers will argue that young people fear death more than the elders. However, one study conducted among dying people in Taiwan revealed that the fear of death didn't actually drop with increased age.

Also, the same study showed that a person's fear of death decreased after they were admitted to hospice care. It's possible that this was a result of the education, holistic emotional and spiritual support received by the people from the hospice team members.

Types of fear of death

It's impossible to break down our general fear of death into several specific types of fears.

• Fear of pain and suffering: Numerous people are scared that when they meet death, they will witness excruciating pain and suffering. This fear is common to numerous healthy people, as well as in patients dying of cancer or other terminal ailments. Unfortunately, numerous people don't realize that palliative care can help palliate pain and other distressing symptoms.

• Fear of the unknown: Death remains the ultimate unknown because no one in mortal history has survived it to tell us what really happens after we take our last breath. It's a mortal nature to want to understand and make sense of the world around us. The reality is that death can never be completely understood by anyone who's living.

• Fear of non-existence: Many people fear the idea that they will fully cease to live after death occurs. We might generally associate this fear with atheists or others without particular spiritual or religious beliefs. The variety is that numerous people of faith also worry that their belief in an afterlife is not real later, or that they didn't earn eternal life while alive.

• Fear of eternal punishment: Analogous to the fear of existence, this belief doesn't apply only to devout religionists of religious or spiritual faith. Numerous people somehow of their religious persuasion or lack of spiritual beliefs fear that they will be penalized for what they did or didn't do, while then on earth.

• Fear of loss of control: Human nature generally seeks to control the situations we encounter, but death remains a phenomenon over which we have absolutely no control. This frightens numerous people. Some may essay to ply some form of control over death by carrying in an extremely careful manner to avoid pitfalls or go through rigorous, frequent health checks.

• Fear of what will become of our loved ones: Another veritable and common fear focus on the solicitude of what happen to those entrusted to our care if we die. Parents, for instance, might worry about a newborn or a child. Family members providing home care to a loved one might fear that no other person can handle that person's numerous requirements and demands. Someone in the prime of their lives might feel hysterical at the study of leaving a partner or mate alone due to death.

Normal vs Unhealthy Fear of Death

In general, the fear of death can actually prove healthy for human beings. When we have a fear of dying, we frequently act more precisely and take applicable preventives to minimize accidents, similar to wearing seat belts or bike helmets. A healthy fear of death can also remind us to make the utmost of our time on Earth and not to take our connections for granted. Stewing the reality of death might also push us to work harder in order to leave a lasting heritage. George Bernard Shaw maybe added it up best by saying, "I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live".

On the other hand, a fear of death can occasionally prove so severe that it interferes with someone's diurnal life. Known as thanatophobia, this violent, frequently illogical fear of death can consume someone's daily life. It may even affect the most basic decisions they make, such as refusing to leave the house just to bring in the mail.

Being hysterical of death is natural and most people partake in this fear to some extent. However, it's good to seek advice from a trained mental health professional, if you suspect your fear has risen to the position of thanatophobia.