cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Main content skiplink
Join an event. Happening today.

thinking about the future

im not sure what’s happening, but all the sudden all im thinking about is that im going to die some day and it kills me and gives me so much anxiety, me thinking about all my love ones and me are not going to exist one day and im scared of where im gonna go after death, im scared that im gonna see nothing and that i will just no longer exist. im just so scared my life is gonna creep up on me and it will be over before you know it, it really ruins my day thinking about it. i try and talk to my mum about it and she says it will get better soon but i dont know if it will for me

Scarlet_Pony
Scarlet_PonyPosted 25-10-2023 09:46 PM

Comments

 
Lapis_Anteater
Lapis_AnteaterPosted 30-10-2023 02:36 PM

Hi @Scarlet_Pony

 

Death anxiety is really scary. It was something that I really struggled with. The thing I found helpful was thinking of death as me joining my loved ones that have passed away. Regardless of if there is anything after this or not, I will be with them again. A lot of the time death is the end of suffering so it’s the best option. Death is a big frightening unknown necessary part of life. Life wouldn’t be as valuable if you lived forever.

 

Something that stuck with me when it comes to death anxiety was from The Good Place:

“Picture a wave. In the ocean. You can see it, measure it, its height, the way the sunlight refracts when it passes through. And it's there. And you can see it, you know what it is. It's a wave.

And then it crashes in the shore, and it's gone. But the water is still there. The wave was just a different way for the water to be, for a little while. You know it's one conception of death for Buddhists: the wave returns to the ocean, where it came from and where it's supposed to be.”

 

I really hope you find something that helps your anxiety!

 
Green_Forest
Green_ForestPosted 25-10-2023 10:11 PM

HI @Scarlet_Pony, 

 

well done in sharing how you feel it’s very brave.  I feel like your feelings right now are very very common in young people in maturing and thinking more about the world. Your Mum is right in that it will pass but I get that right now you’re felling really horrible. I’m sorry. Do you have a religion? In my religion we believe when we die we go to heaven to be happy forever with heaven  your friends and family. This helped me when I had thoughts similar to yours.  Does this help? I’m really sorry if it doesn’t!

 

We love you and I hope you can feel better soon❤️

 
Chloe-RO
Chloe-ROPosted 25-10-2023 10:09 PM

Hey there @Scarlet_Pony ,

 

Good on you for reaching out. It sounds like you are sitting with some pretty big feelings and thoughts there. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be to sit with these thoughts alone and on a daily basis. I'm glad you hear you spoken to your mum about it. Do you have any professional supports in place who may be able to help you work through some of these anxiety-provoking thoughts? Sometimes, sharing these thoughts and hearing some else's perspective and insight might be helpful.

 

Another thing to point out is that it is not uncommon for people to have these thoughts at one time or another in their life. For example, when we hear of events in the world, death can become more real to people. Talking about and working through these thoughts can take some of the angst away. 

 

Although working through these thoughts may be something you can look into in the days and weeks to come, can you think of something you can do now to help? For example, do you have any strategies to help you cope with these thoughts? This article may give you some ideas.

 

I'll also be sending you a check-in email.

Related spaces

Welcome back!

Join the Community

ReachOut is confidential & anonymous.

8+ characters, 1 capital letter, 1 lower case letter and 1 number

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.