Yes, although I'm an atheist
- I am 76 years old and I am now contemplating ending my life. I am very anxious about death. As an atheist, why should I be anxious about death? It will be a peaceful sleep from which I won’t awaken. Since I will likely end my own life, at a time of my choosing, it won’t be painful, it will just be the end of suffering. But I fear that perhaps I’m giving up on life too soon. I’ll miss the many interesting scientific, medical, and political developments of the coming decades. And perhaps I can still learn to enjoy myself and enjoy life. Perhaps I can still learn to be a compassionate, truly loving, selfless individual. Perhaps I wouldn’t die a painful death and I could be a loving companion to my wife for many more years. Death will put a stamp of “Completed” on my life, ending any chance of its becoming more fulfilling. Although it’s irrational, I also have some of society’s uncertainty about what really lies after. My experience of life is painful, but the alternative is nothingn
- —JohnSatterfield
eternity
- I've been preoccupied with dying ever since my two children were in a head on collision where one person was killed. I turned to the bible and figured I would get answers and comfort, I didn't. I walked away with more questions that I was criticized for even asking so I basically took a vacation from Christianity and its not looking like ill be returning. I have not given up on a form of existence after death though. Ive formed my own theory that is probably ridiculous but hey here goes. Laws of thermodynamics state that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only change form. Ok assuming that is true look at a live person and then a dead one and tell me what the live person has that the dead one does not? Obviously there is a source of ENERGY that makes a body capable of movement and consciousness. And since energy can't be created or destroyed but only change form, we have souls. When our eternal soul separates from the body it leaves all memories in the folds of that brain.
- —Guest dan2245
fear of death
- I have always been afraid of death in general. I can remember watchin inspector frost with my mum at a young age and being scared just due to the dying. I have very vivid dreams sue to the fact that I am so scard of death. I also have very bad insomnia and will not sleep at night in fear that my partner will die beside me and I will not be able to say goodbye.
- —Guest Laura
Anxiety/Fear/Death
- I am 44 and I am very afraid of dying. I believe in an after-life (Heaven) and not so much worried about not going to Heaven. My fear is a heart attack, pain and what will happen to my 13 year old son. This fear consumes me so much that I can't enjoy life at all. Constant panic attacks. Everytime my chest hurts I automatically think its a heart attack. I wake up thinking about death and go to sleep thinking about it. I don't want to die. I know I will but I don't want to. I want to grow old, have grandchildren. I try everyday to keep thinking positive but its hard. This fear of death makes me freak out all the time. I think I need to see a Doc and get some medicine maybe. Something for anxiety.
- —Guest ReeBlanc
Life Long Fear
- I have been obsessed with the fear of dying from a very young age and remember when it started. I was very upset about a pet dying and my dad, well intentioned stated: "son, there is no point worrying. You die if you worry you die if you don't so why worry". It was then I realized I would die and the dread and the feeling that my life is ticking away and is pointless began in earnest. It happens 24 - 7 and it's happening now. I have to try to instantly block the thought but sometimes it is overwelming and I shout out in despair. In fact, sometimes the fear is so strong I think my head will explode as I can't excape the thought. I often think why wait for death and whether or not there is an afterlife. Let's get it over with and get to the answer. Having these thoughts all day is too painful to bear. I desperately want to believe in an afterlife but scientifically and logically my mind won't accept it. I'm grateful I am not alone and found this page though it means others suffer too :(
- —Guest Ian
Anxiety and I...
- Perhaps looking back I was always a little pre-occupied with my health as a child. Was that headache caused by a tumour? Was that lump cancerous? However, my anxieties around death and dying only really became a problem after watching my Aunt die. I quickly became fixated with my own demise and day by day, the intensity of both the thoughts and physical sensations worsened. I convinced myself over the proceeding months that I could not breathe. That my lungs were not getting enough air and that death was not only imminent but unavoidable. I started suffering many panic attacks a day, more often than not instigated by images of my demise. I quickly began frequenting walk in centres, hospitals and my GP’s. Despite having test after test (after test) which all came back normal; I am still on a daily basis utterly convinced that I am dying. Not only is this frightening but I battle constantly with the physical effects of my anxiety. The breathlessness, the chest pain, the aches, the pains,
- —Guest Ste1984
More disbelief than fear
- I fear death-immensly and cant find anything to condone the fact that i will die. I recently heard a very true statement "from the moment we are born we are dying." It really hits home that the very essence of life is that it ends. Avery close relative died when i was about 7.Before that point i believed that there was life after death. But i find it hard to believe. My family,while christian are not really that religious and i now find it hard to believe that there is eternal life.I believe that dying is kind of like going to sleep without dreaming.You close you eyes but never wake. I get nervous thinking about death to the point of loss of breath and i also feel extremely anxious. It may take only one thought to provoke this and it lasts for about a week. I recently finished yr 8 at high school. I can still remember kindergarten and how quickly 9 yrs has gone and fear that i will soon be looking back on my whole life like this. The moral is "the meaning of life is that it ends."
- —Guest 1997
Overcome Fear
- Whenever I become afraid of death, I remember- "We are not made for this world". It is this simple phrase that lifts me and helps me see clearly. I think of all those who has passed- children, infants, mothers, daughters, sons and fathers... we will all die. Look into the trees as the sunlight breaks through- you will see a glimpse of what our true home holds.
- —Guest M. Ford
Storms
- I used to have the same fear about storms. Luckily now I have just realized that my chances of dying from a storm are not too great. I just look at it like if I'm supposed to go that way then so be it, but I can't go through life worrying about it.
- —f14atomcats
Fear of Dying
- I have always had a slight fear of death. It wasn't until last year when my grandfather died that this fear intensified. I am scared of ever aspect of death: the unknown, being forgotten, leaving everything that makes me happy and so on. It is a very emotional thing for me. I find myself break into tears for no real reason sometimes because of it. I even would be in public sometimes and some negative thought would pop into my head about death that I would jump up and down and scream for my mom (weird just calms me down). I just want to stop this fixation. I have tried rationalizing it but it seems to keep comming back.
- —Guest Alyssa
nothing
- im not scared of any type of death. it dont scare me
- —Guest dj
Yes, I am afraid.
- I am afraid of non-existence. I will not "go gentle into that good night!"
- —Guest Shanna
fear of being replaced
- I was treated for breast cancer - stage 2 - in 2006. I am 53 years old and not afraid of dying as far as my experience will be but the thought of someone in my place after I am gone sends me into a despair I can't quite describe. I don't want someone sitting in my place at Thanksgiving Dinner or sleeping in my bed with my husband of 26 years. I feel guilty about these feelings because it sounds so selfish. I don't want them to be miserable and sad, I just don't want to be replaced.
- —bcsurvivor2006
Great fear
- I have been frightened since I was 13, now im 41, I get panic attacks If I dwell for more than a few seconds on the certainty I will die one day. I just try to blank it out - but absolutly everything seems pointless
- —Guest kate
Death
- I may have responded to this before, but death is something natural in life. It happens every minute of every day. My time will come just like yours soon enough, so why worry and think about something that you can't prevent. The good thing about it is that you don't ever really know how you are going to die until it's too late. Therefore you don't think about it usually until the time comes. I'm thankful not to know how I will die so I will not worry about it. The only thing that I'm worried about is how my family will be when I leave. The career that I have chosen does not ensure that they will pass before me. My chances of passing first are higher than there's, but that's the risk that I'm willing to take.
- —f14atomcats
