Conquering Death: A Study on Death Anxiety and its Effects

Abstract

Death Anxiety, more commonly known as Thanatophobia, is a growing form of anxiety that is affecting millions of people worldwide. Everyone fears death, but after a certain extent, this fear can play a harmful impact on individuals’ lives as they go to extreme extents to prevent any harm from coming to them. There are many subsets of fears that play a large role in death anxiety, such as the fear of losing loved ones or the fear of the unknown. One particular form of behavioral therapy, known as exposure therapy, has been proven effective in treating individuals with severe forms of death anxiety. This is done through the process of becoming more familiar with death, which may be beneficial in improving one’s mental state and perspective on death. Finding methods to help reduce death anxiety and the fears surrounding it, as well as educating the general public on death anxiety may be beneficial in preventing death anxiety in the long run.