Hi Kitty! I understand your fear of death. I've been terrified of it since I was a little kid. I'm actually curious to know how many of us on this forum have this very specific fear? What actually scares me in death is the unknown, because I don't believe in life after death and God and such. I actually wish I did because I think it would make things a whole lot easier because I could pray/ask Someone for help, and the theory behind the faith would explain what I am afraid of (i.e. disappearing entirely into the unknown at death) The way I'm dealing with it is trying to find anwers that ring true for me. Trying to find my own truths. I'm also seeing a therapist to try to work this fear of death out. Caitlin has good advice on preparing things in life so that they are in order the way you want them. That's a nice idea.

Hi Kitty. I know exactly how you feel. I had to do some deep digging about what was really causing all my health fears, and bottom line I am terrified of dying, especially suddenly (you'd think I'd be more affraid of a long painful death). Anyhow, once I came to grips with that, I started asking myself what was really scaring me about death. For each thing that was scaring me about death, I decided on a tangible and immediate course of action I could take to make me feel a bit more at ease with this inevitable fact of life. For example, one big thing was not seeing my kids grow up and having them know and remember me. So I started s c r a p b o o k i n g (have to type it like that or it stars out the curse word in the middle!!) with lots of family photos and journalling and letters to my kids and poems I wanted them to read and things about life I wanted them to know. Basically things I was affraid I might not have the chance to say to them. I also was affraid that some things that are important to me wouldn't be done when I was gone, like my kids education funds being kept up and them continuing to go to our church, and I wanted my best friend to have a close relationship with him, so I made a list of these things as well as some important loving words and put them in a letter for my husband, to be opened if I were to die. I also got more involved in my church, and reconnected with my faith, which gave me a lot of strength. And then I started identifying the things that I wasn't doing because of my fear, like not working in a field that I really wanted to be in, not spending enough time with my kids because I work full time, etc. And so I'm looking for a more fulfilling job with less hours. Anyhow, those are just examples specific to my situation, but I can honestly say that they put my mind at ease a fair bit - they didn't take away all my fear, but they did reduce it a lot. I also joined a local CBT group which is going to help me retrain my brain to think in less catastrophic and fear-oriented patterns. I've also heard that you are supposed to imagine the worst death possible over and over and over and over until you're so sick of it it doesn't scare you anymore. I haven't had the courage for that yet, but if anyone has done it and it worked, I'd

Dear Kitty, I understand totally what you are feeling. That is what is causing my panic I think to be so strong lately, I had a severe Kidney infection in August, a horrible reaction to the antibotic that sent me to the ER and then developed Broncitis, more antibotics, I was sick for over a month! I have recovered from both those things, but the fear remains I getting sick, I did not recieve good medical care and that worried me too. You have been checked out and your heart is good, which is fantastic and you are not dying, the anxiety just makes you "false-think" that, believe me Kitty I have been where you are at many times, as time goes on when you realize you do not die it gets easier. How old are you? Are you on any medication? I will say some prayers for you. Please let me know how you are doing, I hope the panic has passed. God bless, Debbie.

Hello Everyone I wanted to write because just today i have been feeling a little down and i have been panicing a little i try to control them as best i can but as any panic person knows it is not that simple. My main thing what worries me is that i feel a few pains here and there like in my back or down my arms and i have felt really out of it like i am not there or with it. I hate worriering which is what i do i think oh god i feal unwell so something is wrong. And to top it all off i cant get out of the fear that i am going to have a heart attack i have been checked out so many times so i must be ok i think. Deep down i think what is causeing this panic is because i am scared of dying i know this is commom but every beat every pain is causeing me to worrie i would love to hear some adivce if someone can spare it thanks love kitty xxxxxxxxx