Death Anxiety in Psychotherapy
Humanity evolved through time beyond the metabolic organisms that self-replicate. Perhaps beyond any other animal on earth, humans have a sense of self which then carries with it, a sense of mortality. We needed to adapt to threats of annihilation if we were to succeed therefore sensing and responding to danger is part of our condition. We develop protective defences in our minds, behaviours and language in attempt to take control of our mortality.
Death Anxiety: A Universal Struggle
99% of all species that existed on this earth are now extinct, and while we wage against death for some, it appears we are marching ever closer to eternal doom. The development of language in our species has allowed us to anticipate the future and, with that, realise the inevitability of our individual demise. Predation is almost as old as life itself, and while sometimes we see ourselves as top of the food chain, the reality is that we have built an instinct of caution dating back as far as we can imagine. We seek to avoid our inevitable fate not only from animals and creatures but also from food such as plants and almost anything else in our environment that could lead us to death. Fear of heights, for example, is one of the most deeply embedded physiological stressors humankind experiences.
Psychological realization of our inevitable demise can be troubling for some; perhaps they might come to see life as meaningless or deploy psychological defences to discard the truth of death altogether. Depression, and self-harm, along with self-destructive behaviour, are human responses highlighting the internal conflict of death-related threat, self-predation, perhaps a reaction to the psychological distress of death anxiety. Read our blog on counselling for depression to understand how we can help you become a happier you.
We are faced with some fundamental truths about death, according to Robert Langs, who writes with authority on the topic:
Death is a universal danger for all living things.
Death is programmed into the genome of all multicellular organisms.
Potentially, we are all in danger of death from predation or environmental hazards.
Death is a driving force that develops behavioural, communicative and psychological defences.
Following life-threatening events, adaptive responses may be deployed as though we are able to master the existential danger of death.
As organisms with mind and body, danger of death may arise from intrinsic means including the minds of self and others.
Everyday human experiences such as Interpersonal conflict, grief, and the loss of a loved one, a job, or home can cause emotional, imagined, and real danger triggers. These triggers may then consciously or unconsciously evoke death anxiety.
Different psychotherapy approaches can be utilised by your therapist to work with Death anxiety.
Finding Peace: Psychotherapy Approaches to Death Anxiety
Existential approaches
This includes engaging in conversations about morality, taking a compassionate stance and fostering a therapeutic alliance to tackle existential concerns. The aim is to help the client find meaning and purpose, affirming the value of life while acknowledging the reality of death.
CBT approaches
This can include monitoring, understanding and challenging thoughts about death and mortality, which cause anxiousness. Understanding and adapting our behaviours to strengthen in the face of anxiety. Developing healthier coping mechanisms that accept mortality without causing distress.
Mindfulness-based approaches
Learning to calm the mind towards peace and acceptance, becoming more present within our daily lives, and increasing awareness of ourselves in the face of death anxiety-related thoughts.
Psychodynamic principles
Your therapist will also work with you to unpack, where appropriate, unconscious death-related defence mechanisms. This can offer us insight into death anxiety in such ways as understanding the denial of death that can exist in the unconscious mind. Unconscious denial of our mortality may lead to unhealthy and undesired attitudes and behaviours in our lives.
Death Awareness: A Path to Meaning and Purpose
Healthy integration of death awareness is the overall aim of psychotherapy when working with death anxiety. When integration is achieved, the individual might expect to feel more meaning in their life and more purpose in what they do and how they live. After integration, a person may start to live in ways that enhance their sense of belonging in the world, and they may seek to leave their mark on the earth. This existential approach to psychotherapy can be useful for many individuals who are experiencing a variety of issues. Talk to one of our local therapists at CMH Counselling for free to discuss possible existential psychotherapy and integrative psychotherapy.
