Suffering From Thanatophobia

Gifts From Above

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I suffer from Thanatophobia which is a constant and extreme fear of death. I am always anxious and fearful of dying. This started about six years ago when I had a heart attack. Please pray for me. Thanks and God bless.
 

Of the Kingdom

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Gifts, I pray that God will reassure you that you are safe in His hands, regardless of which side of the veil you are on.

I can relate to your fears a bit. I was expecting to die a few years ago, but was fortunate to be given a few additional years. Once you've stared death in the face, it's never quite the same again.
 
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brinny

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I suffer from Thanatophobia which is a constant and extreme fear of death. I am always anxious and fearful of dying. This started about six years ago when I had a heart attack. Please pray for me. Thanks and God bless.
:heart: Praying for you, Gifts. Welcome to CF (((hug)))
 
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brinny

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Gifts, I pray that God will reassure you that you are safe in His hands, regardless of which side of the veil you are on.

I can relate to your fears a bit. I was expecting to die a few years ago, but was fortunate to be given a few additional years. Once you've stared death in the face, it's never quite the same again.
:heart: Praying for you too, Of the Kingdom (((hug)))
 
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Gifts From Above

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Gifts, I pray that God will reassure you that you are safe in His hands, regardless of which side of the veil you are on.

I can relate to your fears a bit. I was expecting to die a few years ago, but was fortunate to be given a few additional years. Once you've stared death in the face, it's never quite the same again.

Thank you for your response. It can be very hard to live with this. It can be quite debilitating and impair my functioning. I do believe in Christ which does give me hope but my fear can be crippling.
 
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plain jayne

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I suffer from Thanatophobia which is a constant and extreme fear of death. I am always anxious and fearful of dying. This started about six years ago when I had a heart attack. Please pray for me. Thanks and God bless.
You are in my prayers.

Have you talked to your therapist or doctor? Are you getting any treatment at all? I know this must be terrible for you.
 
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I suffer from Thanatophobia which is a constant and extreme fear of death. I am always anxious and fearful of dying. This started about six years ago when I had a heart attack. Please pray for me. Thanks and God bless.

I've had similar struggles and fears all my life. If you aren't already in counseling to help with these thoughts, I would highly recommend it. God bless.
 
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Gifts From Above

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You are in my prayers.

Have you talked to your therapist or doctor? Are you getting any treatment at all? I know this must be terrible for you.

Yes, I have spoken to some doctors and counselors about it but unfortunately they have offered very little relief.
 
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Gifts From Above

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I've had similar struggles and fears all my life. If you aren't already in counseling to help with these thoughts, I would highly recommend it. God bless.

I have tried to find a counselor but it hasn’t worked out.
 
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Jeshu

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I do believe in Christ which does give me hope but my fear can be crippling.

Have you tried going to God in your fear? (While you are overcome by it,) i struggled with fear of death, after i almost got murdered as a child, but when i analysed the fear i saw it was keeping me away from Jesus instead of bringing me to Him.

So i learned to accept Jesus as my Messiah also when i was running scared, this grew me away from my fear of death. The love and support from Jesus grew in my heart the fearful one and in the end His love threw out my fear of death.

Hard battles to win that is for sure.

:hug:
 
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Gifts From Above

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Have you tried going to God in your fear? (While you are overcome by it,) i struggled with fear of death, after i almost got murdered as a child, but when i analysed the fear i saw it was keeping me away from Jesus instead of bringing me to Him.

So i learned to accept Jesus as my Messiah also when i was running scared, this grew me away from my fear of death. The love and support from Jesus grew in my heart the fearful one and in the end His love threw out my fear of death.

Hard battles to win that is for sure.

:hug:

I do try to focus on my relationship with Christ. I go to Church every Sunday and I listen to sermons every morning. But my fear remains.
 
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Jeshu

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I do try to focus on my relationship with Christ. I go to Church every Sunday and I listen to sermons every morning. But my fear remains.

Yes i understand that. Going to Church and outwardly living Christian life is important but not the way to be freed from sin. It is developing a personal relationship with God which is based on love and trust.

Fear does not trust God, but heeds the accuser, that is the battle. To get past the accuser while you are in a panic attack is essential to overcoming our fear.

Jesus comes alive in our hearts when we love God and neighbour. Heed love for God and get to know Him, that is much more beneficial fighting fear than living outwardly good Christian lives.

When the love of God transcends in our hearts then we loose the fear of death because we have an assurance that goes beyond death.

Get to know Jesus while you are scared, that is what you are missing the Holy Spirit in charge of your spirit when you run scared. So the job is giving control to the Holy Spirit and letting His love cast out the fear.

See Psalm 86:11-13
Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.


This is a very intensive process where we really need to learn to trust Jesus at His word.

Do learn to go to Jesus in your fear it is amazing what happens when you do. It may take awhile before you have learned to trust Him enough to deal with your fear but it is absolutely great to have Him in control over our fearful self.

Peace.
 
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royal priest

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I suffer from Thanatophobia which is a constant and extreme fear of death. I am always anxious and fearful of dying. This started about six years ago when I had a heart attack. Please pray for me. Thanks and God bless.
This reminds me of an excerpt from John Bunyan's classic, Pilgrim's Progress. Christian and Hopeful have arrived in their journey to the Celestial City. But they must pass through the River of Death to reach it al last. This is a bit long, but I share it because Pastor Bunyan is instructive to us in Christian's and Hopeful's experiences:

Now I further saw that between them and the gate was a River, but there was no bridge so that pilgrims might cross over; moreover, the River was very deep. So Christian and Hopeful were shocked at such a sight; but the men escorting them declared, “You must pass through this River or else you cannot arrive at the gate of the City. Then the pilgrims asked if there was any other way to the gate. The Shining Ones answered, “Yes, but no one else has been permitted to travel that way since the foundation of the world except Enoch and Elijah; and no others will be allowed until the sounding of the last trumpet.”
Then the pilgrims began to despair in their minds, and especially Christian; they looked this way and that way, but no alternative route could be found by which they could avoid the River. Then they asked the men if the water was all of the same depth. They replied “No,” but could offer no further help other than the comment, “You shall find it deeper or shallower according to your trust in the King of the place [this region].”
At this, the pilgrims resigned themselves to face the water. Upon entering, Christian began to sink so that he cried out to his good friend Hopeful, “I sink in deep water; the billows go over my head, all his waves go over me!.” Then Hopeful replied, “Be of good cheer [be courageous], my brother, for I feel the bottom and it is firm.” Then said Christian, “Ah my friend, the sorrows of death have totally compassed [surrounded] me, so that I shall not see the land that flows with milk and honey.” And with that a great darkness and sense of horror fell upon Christian so that he could not see ahead of him. Here, to a large degree, he also lost his senses so that he was unable to remember or talk intelligently about any of those sweet refreshments that he had experienced while traveling on pilgrimage. Rather all of his present talk tended to reveal the present terror of his mind and the fear that he would perish in that River and never gain entrance into the Celestial City. Here also, those who were able to stand by observed that he was greatly troubled with thoughts about the sins that he had committed, both before and after he became a pilgrim. It was also noticed that he was disturbed with visions of evil spirits; his words would reflect this over and over again. Therefore Hopeful struggled here in his attempts to keep his brother’s head above water; yes sometimes Christian would seem to have sunk down for good, and then after a short while he would rise again seeming half dead. Hopeful would also attempt to comfort him, saying, “Brother, I see the gate, and men standing nearby to welcome us.” But Christian would answer, “It is you, it is you they are waiting for; you have been hopeful ever since I first knew you.” “And so have you,” said Hopeful to Christian. “Ah brother,” replied Christian, “surely if I was right [with the King] he would come to my rescue; but on account of my sins, he has brought me to this snare to abandon me.” Then said Hopeful, “My brother, you have quite forgotten the text where it speaks of the wicked, ‘There is no pain in their death, but their strength is firm; they are not troubled as other men, neither are they plagued like other men.’ These troubles and distresses that you are experiencing in these waters are no indication that God has abandoned you; rather they are sent to test you as to whether you will recall to mind evidences of his past goodness, and now rely upon him in the midst of your present trials.” Then I saw in my dream that Christian was in deep thought for a while, so that Hopeful spoke to him further, “Be of good cheer [courageous], Jesus Christ makes you whole.” And with that, Christian exclaimed with a loud voice, “Oh I see him again! And he tells me, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.’” Then they both took courage, with the result that the enemy then became as still as a stone, until they had fully crossed over. Therefore Christian now discovered solid ground to stand upon; and so it followed that the rest of the River was found to be shallow. And thus they both crossed over.
 
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Gifts From Above

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This reminds me of an excerpt from John Bunyan's classic, Pilgrim's Progress. Christian and Hopeful have arrived in their journey to the Celestial City. But they must pass through the River of Death to reach it al last. This is a bit long, but I share it because Pastor Bunyan is instructive to us in Christian's and Hopeful's experiences:

Now I further saw that between them and the gate was a River, but there was no bridge so that pilgrims might cross over; moreover, the River was very deep. So Christian and Hopeful were shocked at such a sight; but the men escorting them declared, “You must pass through this River or else you cannot arrive at the gate of the City. Then the pilgrims asked if there was any other way to the gate. The Shining Ones answered, “Yes, but no one else has been permitted to travel that way since the foundation of the world except Enoch and Elijah; and no others will be allowed until the sounding of the last trumpet.”
Then the pilgrims began to despair in their minds, and especially Christian; they looked this way and that way, but no alternative route could be found by which they could avoid the River. Then they asked the men if the water was all of the same depth. They replied “No,” but could offer no further help other than the comment, “You shall find it deeper or shallower according to your trust in the King of the place [this region].”
At this, the pilgrims resigned themselves to face the water. Upon entering, Christian began to sink so that he cried out to his good friend Hopeful, “I sink in deep water; the billows go over my head, all his waves go over me!.” Then Hopeful replied, “Be of good cheer [be courageous], my brother, for I feel the bottom and it is firm.” Then said Christian, “Ah my friend, the sorrows of death have totally compassed [surrounded] me, so that I shall not see the land that flows with milk and honey.” And with that a great darkness and sense of horror fell upon Christian so that he could not see ahead of him. Here, to a large degree, he also lost his senses so that he was unable to remember or talk intelligently about any of those sweet refreshments that he had experienced while traveling on pilgrimage. Rather all of his present talk tended to reveal the present terror of his mind and the fear that he would perish in that River and never gain entrance into the Celestial City. Here also, those who were able to stand by observed that he was greatly troubled with thoughts about the sins that he had committed, both before and after he became a pilgrim. It was also noticed that he was disturbed with visions of evil spirits; his words would reflect this over and over again. Therefore Hopeful struggled here in his attempts to keep his brother’s head above water; yes sometimes Christian would seem to have sunk down for good, and then after a short while he would rise again seeming half dead. Hopeful would also attempt to comfort him, saying, “Brother, I see the gate, and men standing nearby to welcome us.” But Christian would answer, “It is you, it is you they are waiting for; you have been hopeful ever since I first knew you.” “And so have you,” said Hopeful to Christian. “Ah brother,” replied Christian, “surely if I was right [with the King] he would come to my rescue; but on account of my sins, he has brought me to this snare to abandon me.” Then said Hopeful, “My brother, you have quite forgotten the text where it speaks of the wicked, ‘There is no pain in their death, but their strength is firm; they are not troubled as other men, neither are they plagued like other men.’ These troubles and distresses that you are experiencing in these waters are no indication that God has abandoned you; rather they are sent to test you as to whether you will recall to mind evidences of his past goodness, and now rely upon him in the midst of your present trials.” Then I saw in my dream that Christian was in deep thought for a while, so that Hopeful spoke to him further, “Be of good cheer [courageous], Jesus Christ makes you whole.” And with that, Christian exclaimed with a loud voice, “Oh I see him again! And he tells me, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.’” Then they both took courage, with the result that the enemy then became as still as a stone, until they had fully crossed over. Therefore Christian now discovered solid ground to stand upon; and so it followed that the rest of the River was found to be shallow. And thus they both crossed over.

Thank you so much for this. My mother read this book to me when I was a kid but I didn’t remember this.

Truly, I must cross the river of death to reach the celestial city. Christ have mercy.
 
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DiscipleHeLovesToo

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Father God, You said in Your Word that You will deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage; i join my faith with Gifts From Above's faith that she will receive deliverance from the fear of death through Your Word, and live free on the earth until she's satisfied with this life and ready to go be with You. Amen.

please consider asking for advice in the 'Requests for Christian Advice' forum as well as the 'Prayer Wall' forum; no doubt there are others who have faced this who want to help :)
 
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I suffer from Thanatophobia which is a constant and extreme fear of death. I am always anxious and fearful of dying. This started about six years ago when I had a heart attack. Please pray for me. Thanks and God bless.
You need to do a study on death. The Bible is clear that death is no longer our enemy. Death for the Christian is like going to sleep and waking up in paradise. Think of death as sleep, not something to worry about. All your problems will be resolved instantly. You get a new body that never ages and cannot get sick or weak. I'm looking forward to my new body. This old one is suffering some wear and tear.
 
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Gifts From Above

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Father God, You said in Your Word that you will deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage; i join my faith with Gifts From Above's faith that she will receive deliverance from the fear of death through Your Word, and live free on the earth until she's satisfied with this life and ready to go be with You. Amen.

please consider asking for advice in the 'Requests for Christian Advice' forum as well as the 'Prayer Wall' forum; no doubt there are others who have faced this who want to help :)

Thank you for this but there is just one thing I wanna point out and that is that I am a male.
 
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Gifts From Above

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You need to do a study on death. The Bible is clear that death is no longer our enemy. Death for the Christian is like going to sleep and waking up in paradise. Think of death as sleep, not something to worry about. All your problems will be resolved instantly. You get a new body that never ages and cannot get sick or weak. I'm looking forward to my new body. This old one is suffering some wear and tear.

I have studied death extensively but my fears have not subsided.
 
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Gifts From Above

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Yes i understand that. Going to Church and outwardly living Christian life is important but not the way to be freed from sin. It is developing a personal relationship with God which is based on love and trust.

Fear does not trust God, but heeds the accuser, that is the battle. To get past the accuser while you are in a panic attack is essential to overcoming our fear.

Jesus comes alive in our hearts when we love God and neighbour. Heed love for God and get to know Him, that is much more beneficial fighting fear than living outwardly good Christian lives.

When the love of God transcends in our hearts then we loose the fear of death because we have an assurance that goes beyond death.

Get to know Jesus while you are scared, that is what you are missing the Holy Spirit in charge of your spirit when you run scared. So the job is giving control to the Holy Spirit and letting His love cast out the fear.

See Psalm 86:11-13
Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.


This is a very intensive process where we really need to learn to trust Jesus at His word.

Do learn to go to Jesus in your fear it is amazing what happens when you do. It may take awhile before you have learned to trust Him enough to deal with your fear but it is absolutely great to have Him in control over our fearful self.

Peace.

I don’t think you are really understanding. I am a strong Christian but as I have aged this has become a real struggle for me.
 
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