climate change and death anxiety
hello!! im a 16 and ever since i became consious (which id say is around 3rd grade) , ive always had a fear of the end of the world, anything that can cause it, and my own death. i used to cry to my parents about my mortality as a kid, and a few years back i was in a dissociative/derealization episode for a few months because of my anxiety. as i grow older, its been becoming a bigger problem in my life and it stops me from living and being productive. its harder to cope especially because i am alone most of the time. recently ive been finding it hard to stay grounded and feel genuinely alive. its been 2 weeks and im scared im gonna have another months long episode. what should i do?
Hello,
im a girl in her 30’s who has death anxiety too and suffered from a child! Like you I am alone a lot, I am also an only child and I work in healthcare (which makes it worse!).
I have major anxiety about loosing my parents and being completely alone. When I don’t hear from my mum my mind automatically goes to something terrible has happened.
All I can say is, I have learnt over the years that the time we do have alive we need to make the most of and cherish. As you get older I don’t think the anxiety will go away but you will learn to live and deal with it better.
I have also recently lost 2 grandparents and it made me realise how quick life goes. You think all these people are going to be there forever and suddenly it all changes. But I learnt from their passing that they did live life to the full, had amazing experiences and was extremely loved. They both died surrounded by their family and we all had nothing but good words to say about them.
So this is what I strive for. I know my day will come one day, but I do hope that when it does I have lived a life that I have enjoyed and loved with no regrets and I am surrounded by people that loved me.
We have to make the most of our life and be the best person we can possibly be. Be kind, open, empathetic and love deeply.
My anxiety about loosing my mum is still strong and I honestly don’t think I would ever be able to live without her (I’m even crying thinking about it now) but I appreciate her and love her whilst she’s with me and I’ll deal with that day when in comes.
As you grow you’ll gain perspective of life and it will get easier. You’ll learn to live, you have so much happiness and excitement ahead of you.
I understand it’s hard but changing your mindset would be really beneficial. Rather than thinking of death as being really scary and sad, think of the life you are to live before that happens. Think of everything good that you are yet to experience like party’s, friendships, relationships, academic achievements, fun times, moving into your own home, driving, pets, families…. Life can be scary sometimes but there is also a lot of good in this world that we much enjoy. I realise that every time I look at my little dogs face.
It’s good that you can talk to your family about your feelings. Talking about it majorly helps, don’t bottle it all up!
take care x
thank you so much,, i am also an only child so this means so much more to me. i also share the fear of losing my parents 😓
No problem at all! Everything you are feeling is completely valid.
As only children we do grow up with all these worries because we know ultimately there will be one day the inevitable will happen.
When the time comes, maybe you will have your own family or even close friends with you. You will find peace that you have achieved, lived and loved.
Everyone, even more so only children have to make the most of what we have and learn to build strong relationships along the way.
Life’s short but we’ve just got to enjoy it whilst we can 🩷
It’s all about perspective. A good positive mindset will help you through your struggles.
You are not alone and I am on this journey with you.