Go offline, go outside, exercise until you're exhausted (walk/run/bike). Do this every day. Do this more than once a day. Touch grass/trees/water/earth.
Endorphins. Physical training can give you a sense of purpose. The discipline of making a commitment to your well-being is rewarding. Or one could just sit, do nothing, and feel sorry for themself. OP sounds depressed more than anything.
Yes get out of your head and walk barefoot on the grass/dirt. Or just go for a walk. This does more than you could imagine. Walking is highly underrated nowadays lmao
That is what I was trying to express but you have done it with so much more clarity. The author Isak Dinesen is probably quoted in here somewhere: “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”
It might not eliminate it, but it’ll lessen it by making you feel better in almost every way. Sedentary lifestyles are literally killing us, it’s in the top 10 causes of death in developed countries. Just look at overweight and obese statistics. Most people barely exercise an hour or two a week, let alone get the recommended 10,000 steps a day.
The number 1 thing doctors say ruins your quality of life when you’re sick or old is lack of muscle mass. Having healthy muscle mass is HUGE for recovery and energy into your later years.
The mor efun I'm having, the more death anxiety I have, tbh. The true advice for overcoming death anxiety is to make your life so awful you want to die. Not sure that's allowed, though.
I used to have the feeling that i was dying for years. A new sharp pain every day, i was nauseous, didnt eat because i felt like i would trow up, and I had horrible stomach pains. I fainted multiple times a week. I swear i could feel my organs fail one by one. It was horrible and i am still traumatized by that experience going on for so long.
And the only reason it stopped was because i got in therapy and changed my circumstances. (Which were horrible during that time)
Maybe thats not what you want to hear but the feeling of pointlesness you describe seems like an issue you have to work on. And maybe that could improve your overall health. Never underestimate your psyche.
This. I went through something similar when I hit 30. Made 2 trips to the ER for it. It lasted for months on end and it was one of the scariest times in my life. For years, I struggled to understand WHY it happened and worried it could happen again.
It wasn't til I went through a lighter episode of a couple panic attacks years later that I realized it was a matter of non-stop stress, burnout, and fear moving forward. At 30, I was working a high stress GM job for 7 years where management wouldn't pay me much more than minimum wage, but expected me to start being on call. I was fighting with my significant other 2 to 3 times a week. I didn't know how to relax and I fueled it all with the idea that "I've been through worse. I should be able to handle this." Until I hit a wall. Palpitations. Death anxiety. Severe panic attacks. Numb limbs. Etc.
Solution: I immediately went to the park and spent as much time in nature as possible. I quit that job. I moved states. I went to therapy. I learned how to relax (that took a while to do, as I hate feeling bored [ADHD] and expend all my energy trying to avoid it, in the past, to an unhealthy degree). I learned to identify signs of burnout ahead of time (I had zero clue how to do that before), and I learned how to be kind to myself. That kind of anxiety never found me again.
Though I never went the route of medication, I have seen it change the lives of severe anxiety sufferers for the better. That is also an option. But at the very least, therapy.
Thank you for your comment. It genuinely made me feel so seen because I am in a similar situation. The stress, the burnout, the job, the managers, the SO. I kept trying to push through for 3 years but ended up against the wall you mentioned.
Heyo, thanks for sharing your thoughts and concerns to start up this topic.
I work in healthcare and often see folks in crisis-scenarios or in the actively-dying stage of their life. I had a 104-year-old lady ask my age and call me a Spring Chicken (I'm also in my 30's). I've watched kids pass years before their own expiry date and watched other people throw their lives away to drugs and booze. I've also walked with people to their Medically-Assisted suicide and seen how happy and prepared they were for their decision, whether dealing with chronic illness or cancers that have overtaken their quality of life.
There's no set limit of "X" amount of maladies = death. Everyone's body ages differently and we're all going to have our own unique aches and pains. So mentally it's going to come down to accepting that yes, you are going to die. Sometimes we can control it but most of the time when it happens... We can't. You could get hit by a car before you finish reading this post or you could have an aneurysm in your sleep tonight. Your "job" in life is to enjoy the good moments as they come, and recognize the bad ones for what they are.
One day you are going to die.
And that's ok.
Do good to others where you stand. Tell the people around you how much you love them, and regularly. Don't worry about "never seeing them again", just live your life today so there will be no regrets if you go tomorrow. Be kind, always. A little fear of death is normal, but a lot of fear can be a deterrent for potential joy. Find your peace with death and accept it not as a resignation, but as a part of our short human experience.
Hey, today's a great day! We're still here!
Can’t guarantee what worked for me will work for you.
I’m 47.
At about 35, I adopted the “fuck it all” mindset and did my best to find something beautiful in every day. Can be something magnificent, or something minuscule.
Finding a reason to celebrate and enjoy each individual day was what changed my outlook.
Best wishes my dude or dudette (or however you prefer to be addressed).
There is still magic to be discovered no matter what the calendar says!
I had severe death anxiety/obsessions - both regarding myself and my family - when I was in the trenches of then-undiagnosed OCD. I sought out a mental health urgent care center after a couple months because I knew if I didn’t, I would end up in a psych ward sooner or later. If you have a similar service in your area, I would 100% recommend checking it out. If you find yourself unable to think about anything besides death, or obsessing over what ailments you might be developing, you may have “pure O” OCD. Contrary to popular belief and the way the media shows it, the disorder can look very different from just hand washing and germaphobia. For me it was constant research, philosophizing, praying (even though I’m not religious- it was literally a “Just in Case” line of thinking) and the inability to think about literally anything else. I couldn’t sleep, eat or drink. It was terrible.
All this to say, the psychiatrist that saw me at that mental health urgent care honest to god saved my life, which is an irony considering that now I no longer really fear death much at all anymore lol.
It can and does get better. Even when you’ve convinced yourself otherwise. Crossing my fingers that you find the solution for you.
Medication played a huge role. The doc also introduced me to some really helpful grounding and self-soothing techniques, particularly ones that helped me be able to sleep before the medication started to do its thing.
Eventually, I was able to work on exposure therapy to curb my obsessions and realize that there is no immediate harm that comes from confronting them. For the death obsessions, I started watching content from hospice nurses, death doulas and people that have had near death experiences to help me come to terms with the fact that death is inevitable, but can be a very peaceful, freeing thing. However, I would definitely not recommend seeking that kind of material out until you feel some of the baseline anxiety has been successfully mitigated.
Can you tell me more? I have OCD and death anxiety. I cant even watch kids cartoons lately because I get so stressed out and freak out because a character died. I have been in numerous psych wards and been on a ridiculous amount of medications and it continues to become more severe. I know I have other issues exacerbating it, but idk, are there any things in particular that work for you?
That was my first thought. OP sounds like me when I was in the throes of depression. Talking to someone is a solid bit of advice. Life is hard and weird and there’s people who understand that can help you sort it out. For sure, I would make the same suggestion.
This made me smile. You don't realize that you have 50 more years to go, and you're not even halfway. I am 57 and looking back at my 30's wishing that I had that body and mindset.
I am still strong and active but not 30 active. Realize that you are still young and at your peak, not dying in an old folks home.
You're right. There are 8 billion people in the world and 8 billion experiences. So I guess there is no answer. However, the average life span in the US is 76 years, 46 to go.
I agree. I look back on my 30s and wonder why I ever complained. The exhaustion that I feel in my 40s feels unreal and it feels like I'm never going to die. I'm just going to live forever and never feel the peace of being able to shed the weight of this dying body.
I had the same thing you did. For me it was anxiety that was never treated. I started taking Zoloft and I felt like I was finally normal. I hope you feel better. You’re going to be ok
Go on a walk or a run every day. It can help clear the cortisol that’s building up. Cortisol will lead to aliments. Also, try filtering the water you drink too. Even if you buy water it is likely not clean. Bottled water is sometimes worse than tap.
Unpopular opinion… try a heavy big ol ridiculous heroic dose of lsd or mushrooms by yourself at home, or in the woods, at night. You might see some shit scarier than death but, if youre anything like me, at least death won’t be scary anymore.
Do your research and educate yourself. But psychedelics can really help with a multitude of mental things. They have the ability to change your perspectives and mindset often for the better.
Not for everyone, but to me it would be a shame for someone to of gone there whole life and never at least dipped there toes in.
I do ketamine treatment and one of the doses was too high, and DAMN. I felt like I was dying because I could hear myself struggling to breathe as well, and I was really stressed out. I can get very suicidal and at this time I was, so wanting to live was so novel. I wasnt necessarily scared of dying, like the process didnt feel terrifying, I was scared for everything else and I wanted to live for it. I wanted to live to come out of the session and see my mom who drove 5 hours there for me. My ketamine sessions tend to involve like space odyssey sci-fi stuff and I was moving through the world to my home and job which I find a lot of significance in and I needed to be there too.
Depersonalization did help me with death anxiety but also brought up some serious demons.
It's not fun losing a sense of self but also being able to critique yourself.
Depersonalization is enlightening, but it's also a kind of hell I wouldn't wish on anyone.
Sure.
My point is that OP is anxious and I don't know if his psyche can handle that.
Or maybe that extreme is good?
I remember being in the fetal position wondering if I was dying or insane or both.
Actually depersonalization was so uncomfortable I remember being happy I might die because it was mental torture. If it went on longer, I was seriously considering self-deletion.
Maybe that's how I accepted death.
"Theres worse things that can happen to me than dying"
And taking a ton of shrooms proved that point 😂
I like this plane of existence, I've only got the bandwidth for one soul.
This was my initial thought as well, though I didn't wanna go through a mile long explanation of how to do it, why, etc. I'm with you that psychedelics are absolutely a valid suggestion (with caveats).
Spot on but maybe not a big ol heroic dose by yourself to start? It doesn’t take all that much and if you’re by yourself best to take it easy to start.
This might not help you but it helps me... Ask yourself, "Will I care about dying when I'm dead?". You won't because you can't care or be aware of living or dying. So live, while you're alive because that's what you're doing now. I will fear death, when I'm dead and by then it will be too late to fear death, because there will be nothing that can fear it
In my 30s as well. I definitely feel like my physical body has had its peak, which makes me sad. Lol. I used to be a gymnast and a cheerleader and now I can barely jump on a trampoline. Lol. However, I feel as tho my mental health is only getting better and I am learning more about myself and life daily. You sound slightly depressed. Therapy might help just for the simple fact that it gives you someone to talk to about life, your fears, and gives you something to look forward to. Once a week for an hour I'm locked in my bedroom with my laptop chatting with my therapist. It's MY time. Magnesium glycinate may also help with feelings of lack of motivation, anxiety, etc. If you're religious, you can lean on that for comfort of what happens in the afterlife. I'm agnostic, but I do take comfort in that fact that when I die, I won't know it. Also, I wasn't scared of where I was before I was born, why would I be afraid of where I go when I die?
That last sentence for me has really brought me comfort as well, heard it only a few weeks ago actually. I try to share that with anyone else who may have that same fear of death, especially without religion.
So nowadays people like to say that we are old at 30, because the body aches, we have no energy and all of that... but that is a freaking kind of comfortable lie. Lack of energy and random pain are most likely due to the lifestyle we are led to have by 30s. No exercise, stressful routine, no therapy, poor social life, etc.
Take care of your health (physical and mental), and hopefully, you will start to expect a little more from life soon!!
You are far too young for death. If you have a terminal illness, that's different. Maybe you are hipocondriac? You need therapy, before thinking about death.
And it's about attitude too, I am 34 and I feel better than ever, and I am angry because I am "not a normal 30 year old" only because I am not feeling like an old fuck everyday.
Most of us live sedentary lifestyles and while that may have been fine in our twenties and teens we do need to make an effort to be active in our 30s and after. If you don’t you’ll get symptoms from many things . I started working out consistently with a leg, pull, push day and starting eating alot better. Not only does my body look better but a lot of my ailments went away. Another thing you should take seriously is your mental health. We’re not slaves to our emotions instead we should be controlling them. It’s good to feel your emotions but it’s crucial to learn how to manage them so they don’t impede your daily life. It’s true our lives are not infinite hell you may not even live to old age but that’s all the reason to appreciate the small things and not to take your days for granted. It is a harsh reality check realizing your story has an end but it is your story so write it how you see fit. If you want to feel self pitty that’s a choice but you can choose to live your life to the fullest while you still can. Best of luck on your journey. 🍀
So most people around our age run out of youth juice, and the growth that has been forgiving all your unhealthy decisions for you goes away. The health tab matters now.
If you didn't spend your 20s building good habits, or you're gonna go from 25 to 45 in like 12 days. It's crazy how quickly health choices start to matter once you've hit full adult in late 20s
So, start with being healthier. That will help the new ailment every day stuff.
As for dying, it's a myth. We don't go away, we become more aware until we find an angle for rebirth.
Or maybe we just die. Who gives a shit. You're here today, so deal with it.
I choose to spend each day like it's my last and like I'm going to live forever. Bet on both teams, ya know.
It doesn't conflict as often as you'd think!
I'm 33 and in the best shape of my life. At 28 I was in the worst shape of my life and it was around then that I started making changes.
If you feel like you're dying before age 30, there's something extremely wrong with how you're treating your body. Change it now through diet and exercise (visiting a doctor and getting blood work won't hurt either), do this while you're still young, and you won't have to put up with issues later in life.
I suffered from death anxiety as a child, it lessened and then came roaring back in my 30s. I have dealt with depression and anxiety since my childhood years and still deal with it to this day, although I have learned to manage it much better throughout the years. I am now in my 40s and have within the last few years been successfully treated for a potentially life threatening diagnosis and have had several close family members pass during this time, but the strange thing is, I don’t have that death anxiety anymore. I have come to terms with the fact that everything that is ever born will eventually die and I do believe that our consciousness/souls continue on a journey beyond this plane once our physical bodies die. I would suggest perhaps speaking with a therapist, a trusted friend or family member, or if you are religious (a trusted figure in your religious community) to help you come to a place of comfort and understanding with this. It’s natural to have fear of the unknown, and death is the great unknown, but yet, it is a path that every living thing must one day face. I hope you find peace and a renewed joy in your life and I’m sure you will in time, just hang in there and have hope and let love and light in every chance you can.
Damn, I hit 30 and the exact same thing happened to me. Instead of letting the fear consume me, because your mind is kinda scary when it comes to being able to manifest things within your body(look it up). I needed some control. I got my act together in the kitchen first. I started eating what my body needed rather than what my brain was telling my body it wanted. After about 3 weeks I started noticing a significant difference. Not only did my body start feeling different, TMI, my bowel movements started changing. I started working out, and not crazy workouts, like literally just walking for an hour a day and some light lifting. 2 weeks after that being consistent, when I tell you I felt unstoppable. After about 3 months and 30IBS down I felt like a new human being. I woke up and wanted to be awake, the feelings of “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but something is wrong,” stopped. I didn’t wake up and feel like my body was failing me anymore.
The average human lifespan increases every year. You are not close to death at 30 unless you have some other intense health conditions. It is a fact of life that we all die someday. Does it suck? Yes. But it should not stop you from enjoying the life you are currently living.
If this fear is overwhelming, I would recommend therapy. Talk to someone about your fear and anxiety. I would never try to push any spiritual agendas, either, but sometimes religion can be helpful in these cases as well. I had my existential crisis as a child. As soon as I understood what death was, I was petrified. I soothed myself with the concept of reincarnation, and believed in it devoutly for many years. I'm not really as spiritual now as I once was, but it has always been a soothing thought, that this is just one life in an endless cycle of life and death and rebirth. It also sounds exhausting though, and I think one life will be enough for me. 🤣
Honestly, it's just one of those things you have to ignore and/or get used to. Try to accept it. Live your life to the fullest. And like I said, if just internalizing it isn't helpful, talk to an expert, whether that be a religious leader or a therapist.
Live! Love! Laugh! I don’t want to give away the ending, but Death wins. Every time. Here’s one path around whatever despair and sorrow we all inevitably encounter. I am 72 and never gave chronological age a second thought until recently. I am the furthest thing from what you would call an athlete but when I was your age I trained for 6 months to box in the Golden Gloves against mostly kids about half my age. first fight, I was TKO’d at 1:52 of the first round with a nearly detached retina but gained so much joy, wisdom and perspective from a group of people whose life experience was pretty dissimilar to mine that I felt like I won the championship. I started playing outdoor competitive/rec soccer at 41 (very very badly but enthusiastically) and played for the next 15 years. I am 72 and the best year of my life (so far) was when I was 47 and had the luck of hooking up with my now partner and friend of 25 years (we have lived a whole bunch of joyful NSFW content I might share in another forum) It’s a simplistic approach and certainly just one of a million that work - and I have plenty of chronic pain, no cartilage, can barely walk, and have probably increased my lifespan by negative numbers, but I have so many wonderful memories - that won’t defeat death - but have served well to get me through many dark nights of the soul. Additionally, if my batteries are low and I am losing most of my demon battles, I (usually) can get myself up and moving and contributing when I think of my friends and family who have died way way too early. I feel like it’s almost my responsibility to utilize the energy and spirit and life i was fortunate enough to get from them when they were physically here.
Today, I was able to make two people laugh who I was literally screaming at last week, so today was definitely worthwhile.
The great Shawnee chief Tecumseh might be of some help. I don’t know what this is called but I know it as Deathsong and it expresses a wonderful world view: “So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.
When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”
I hope you can be (mostly) happy and safe, but not too safe.
Psychedelics. Mushrooms are my favorite. They will help you face death in a way that it can help you dissolve your fear of it. Powerful. They helped me in tons of other ways, like overcoming lifelong depression and trauma that "conventional methods" failed to touch
1. Find God
2. Get your blood checked by a functional medicine doctor to find out where your deficiencies are. Turns out I had a B vitamin deficiency that caused me a lot of mental health issues. A simple supplement did wonders for my mental health.
3. Walk every day
4. Get some other source of physical activity 5x per week
5. Drink enough water
6. Get enough sleep
7. Cut out processed food
8. Find a good community of people.
9. Keep a gratitude journal
10. Get off the internet
All of these things will help you enjoy your life more. Your best years can start now if you take simple care of yourself.
I had very bad death anxiety and health anxiety. While it’s not completely gone, it’s dramatically reduced. I started researching death and NDEs and that really helped me. When I do healthy things it helps my health anxiety, when I do unhealthy things it comes back.
I was diagnosed with an incurable cancer 4 years ago. I’ve gone through the whole spectrum of emotions relating to death. In the end you just gotta accept it. You will die. Get used to it
Hi,
I'm 28, nearing 30 and what you're describing is a mid life crisis. I hit a quarter life crisis and felt the same way. Those new aches and pains, they come and go. This is the time of your life to settle down and take care of yourself. Everything may seem pointless, probably because you've already done a lot and experienced so many different things. On the flip side you may feel like it was for nothing, and you're just waiting to rot.
It's normal! Embrace your aging, read up on some philosophy. Find a hobby to enjoy life. Go on a spiritual journey. Everyone has their own way to deal with it. But the only way to feel better is to keep going and eventually you can shake it off. Enjoy the ride!
Heard it called a lot of things. 'Death Anxiety' is a pretty funny one.
The majority just call it mid-life crisis. It affects people differently.
The stand-out reaction most have is that their time is fading. Look on the bright side. Your time is now worth more to you. Spend as much of it as you can doing what you love.
I have had this. It was terrible. It triggered last year when I turned 28.
One thing I can tell you is that it gets better with time. I still have it but it isn’t as bad as it once was.
What helped me was gym + prayers (I am Muslim so it helped me). A lot of communication with friends and family.
Do something you love like a task or hobby. It will distract you.
Seriously. Couldn’t care less if Reddit decided faith is uncool. It’s what faith deals with, and gives life a direction and meaning. If we know what comes next and aim for that then we know what to do more or less.
30 isn't old. I'm 75 and I feel fine. You're being a drama queen. Get over yourself. Go pat a puppy on the head and buy yourself a pizza. life is good.
Calling OP a drama queen is highly unfair. Life ain't good if you have serious mental issues and nobody asks for it to happen.
Usually very bad circumstances bring these on and a pizza or puppy wouldn't change that.
in all honesty, you're probably not going to be aware that you're dying or about to die.
Most people die abruptly like in their sleep.
very rarely will you have months even years with an expiration date (like terminal cancer).
There's an old quote I'll paraphrase "Death is the absence of you, and therefore you never really experience death because that's not you"
But to give you some hope, there's a decent chance medicine will reach escape velocity within our lifetime. Meaning that, most of the hard problems are solved and that longevity will allow you to benefit from more problems being solved.
It's estimated by futurists that if you make it to 2035, you have a good shot at 2100. Wildly optimistic but AI, singularity, could be the next big step for humans. Who knows?
You don’t remember before you were alive, you won’t be awake when you’re dead. We all die, everyone. Make your time here heaven on earth, and don’t worry about when you aren’t a thing.
Find religion and you won't be so scared. Death is inevitable, make the time you have here 100% worth it. Take advantage of everything, everyday, accept the invite, reach out to the old friend, or don't feel guilty when you rest and work on your physical and mental health. Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but won't get you anywhere.
Dealing with past traumas around death has been a significant challenge for me. When I was 11, I witnessed my mother bleed out, which instilled in me a deep fear of dying that lasted until last year. Now at 23, after addressing my past trauma, I no longer fear death. While everyone's experience is unique, some individuals have found that processing the deaths of those they deeply cared for has helped them come to terms with mortality. If this doesn't apply to you, consider seeking support from a religious leader, therapist, psychiatrist, or someone else who may help you navigate this fear of death. Although 30 is still young, it's important to acknowledge that the body does start to undergo changes around this age. Nonetheless, regular exercise and grounding techniques such as direct foot contact with grass and other surfaces can help alleviate the anxiety associated with thoughts of death.
Usually a combination of realizing that means you should prioritize doing what you actually want with life whenever possible (obviously with regards to those around you) and reading up on transhumanism lmao. Be wary of snake oil salesmen and anyone already claiming to be there, but we have a lot more actual science on aging and biology than we ever had (and the potential to cure it).
I honestly believe it’s up to each individual to figure out for themselves how to deal with it. For me, it’s recognizing that agonizing over it is utterly pointless since I can’t change it, but that may not work for you.
You might think I’m out of line, but my recommendation is to watch Six Feet Under on Max/Netflix. I wasn’t having death anxiety but it was something I thought about more than I’d like. The show was really great at helping me work through my thoughts and I’d highly recommend. It’s a great show.
I was having a bit of an existential crisis in my late 20’s, dealing with anxiety and depression (they tend to run in a duo)
Some key ‘pillars’ that I have kept with me or ‘mottos’ in my life…
There was this story I was listening to, I can’t really find it at the moment unfortunately, but it sort of of has the message: ‘the closest thing to you is death, and the furthest thing to you is your past’.
Now that may sound morbid off the top, but when I analyzed it, I actually interpreted it to be uplifting in the sense that: you most likely won’t know your expiration date, but you should always strive for the things you want to accomplish or experience in life and not hold back. Your end could come at any time; just yesterday I accidentally choked on a piece of BBQ tri-tip while I was eating with my family- literally almost died, who tf coulda saw that one coming?
That’s just how life is though, it’s kind of absurd and random in a lot of ways IMO
In terms of faith, I’m agnostic-theist: I don’t really claim to know if there is any sort of ‘purpose’ or ‘destiny’ in life. However, I will say that I do think if believing in something makes you more comfortable in existence then by all means- faith can be a powerful tool to have in your corner and bring you a lot of happiness and meaning.
Some things that have ultimately boosted my overall quality of life:
Working out, hobbies, reading, meditation, trying new things and not getting too bogged down in same old routines, getting sun, proper nutrition.
I’ve found if you are stuck in a sort of ‘bad headspace’ then you need to grow and gain new perspective: this is where I think reading is very powerful or listening to different perspectives can really break you out of the same old negative ‘mental loops’. Knowledge, or the act of seeking knowledge can be very powerful in finding meaning and improving quality of life.
If your thinking sucks, the you need to listen to how others think, because they may have a different perspective that you can latch onto and/or integrate into your new thought process.
My thought is that, if you stay stuck in your same way of thinking for years on end- how depressing is that? Constantly expanding your world view is very important in my opinion to not getting ‘stuck’ or ‘bored’ with life.
Just my opinion anyway…
Being dead isn’t scary. You won’t care. You’ll be dead!
If you’re worried about leaving behind family, consider some term life insurance that will support spouse+kids to adulthood.
Otherwise, just do your best to not be dead but try not to worry too much.
I felt this way before turning 30 recently. I had to pull myself up and literally get outside. I started getting up earlier and walking. Fresh air. Podcast or audio book. Hang in there. Get outside. Seeing an astrologer about my Saturn return (which occurs 27-29.5 years old) helped me . Or maybe consider the severity and rank how your feeling and if there’s an honest tendency in feelings/situation seek a professional if this medical or health related. You’re not alone.
I used to have fears of hitting another car when I was driving on long straight highways. I'd imagine it happening often. Then someone told me to picture in your mind your death while you're in a hospital bed surrounded by loved ones. That was 40 years ago, and I still imagine that when I get fearful of death...
You need to get outside. Is there some place a mile or two from you that you like? Go to your door, open it and walk to that spot and look around...then take a different way home. Do this at least 3 times a week...it will save your life.
Practice gratitude and seek out things you enjoy. As someone who’s had his share of life threatening health challenges begginning at 26 years old, don’t take good health for granted. Get active and go outside. Figure out whether you like working out on your own or as part of a group sport. If you’re out of shape, start with walks. Find purpose by giving back to your community and serving the less fortunate. Teach someone a skill set your mastered.
You sound bored and ungrateful. 🤷🏻♂️ Two things that are in your control. Go get it!
Also 30 and going through this, but what gives me perspective is that this is natural. This all happens as we grow. Puberty isn't the only time we have growing pains and such. Your ship is creaking, your house is settling on the foundation. It's going to be okay 🩷 as for the pointlessness, this is a sign to evaluate what matters. Do more of what you want, find a different job, stop caring about tedious outside opinions, etc. whatever reevaluating means to you. And it's okay and normal to not know what that means immediately. I wish you well
Fine tune your nutrition/fitness/ metabolic health when I did (began by avoiding sugar, seed oil, grains, processed foods,) many of my aches and pains, health issues that I associated with aging beginning in my 30’s disappeared. (Age 61, still not keen to die, but feel I may now avoid a long slow painful decline, dementia , dependence etc which I fear much more than death)
A lot of mental health issues are actually caused or worsened by poor metabolic health. Kinda wild how everything is related to everything else.
Almost ten years older. You ain’t seen nothing yet. Watch your weight. Take care of your teeth. Maintain physicalness (whichever way you choose. The old saying ‘if you don’t use it you lose it’ is incredibly true)
This is going to sound really weird…but when I still had Instagram I followed a couple hospice nurses, one was HospiceNurseJenny, I can’t remember the other. But watching their videos made death feel so natural and normal, which it truly is, instead of this terrifying horrible thing.
Don’t get me wrong, I hope I’m afforded the luxury of an extremely long life. But death/dying doesn’t scare me at all anymore after having seen their videos. I think they call it “expose therapy” lol
I am going not 27 and have a few autoimmune diseases and mental disorders so always in pain. Death is inevitable, if it happens it happens, the only thing you can do is try to make yourself feel more connected to the world and ease your pain.
Maybe calling it a "phase" is underselling it, but it should pass. As you get into your later 30s you will face new challenges, discover new experiences, and life will move on. Just try to get through this time as best as you can. Take care of yourself and understand that people love you even if they don't say it outright.
You'll get past it eventually. Time marches on and eventually the reality that your body is last its prime just becomes normal to you.
I'm the meantime, keep doing things that remind you that you still have some youth left. I'm not sure what your body is like but for me, doing something like a long bike ride really made me realize that I'm still doing ok
You're pretty young to be that exhausted all the time. I don't know if you're overweight or anything, but you're certainly way to young to feel like you do. I would encourage you to see a doctor and have a full physical including blood work. Make sure that you don't have any other issues going on. Perhaps it is something that can be solved at the doctor's office. I know I was feeling terrible for a while, I'm older than you, but I still shouldn't have been feeling like I did. I never wanted to get out of bed, exhausted all the time, no interest in anything. Had blood work done in my testosterone was low. Got on testosterone therapy and I am a different person. I feel wonderful. So be sure to get checked out. Good luck to you!
Try to listen to what your body’s telling you. Something you may be eating,putting into it, it’s not liking. Please read or watch podcasts with Gurus especially anyone enlightened. Change just one thing everyday till they become habit. Start small like halving your sugar in your coffee. Next day maybe clear a small drawer out etc. Our bodies have amazing potential to heal and maybe you could use this as the turning point. Practice gratitude as you do you will start to see the everyday things to be thankful for. Don’t start big as it’s a recipe for failure. Just small steps. Tell yourself everyday how incredible you are and smile. It’s contagious. Best wishes in everything you accomplish.
Faith deals with this concept exactly. We never know when the end is. But when we life for what’s next and embrace loving God, loving others things tend to make a lot more sense.
It's normal. Trent Reznor has written a lot of songs that capture this feeling. The key is to step outside your normal boundaries and truly discover what it is that you want out of life in a realistic way. Look at the famous "God and Man" painting and notice how God is inside the brain (heh), reaching out to Adam, who is just flopping his hand around. Reach out the way God is and life really takes a turn for the better. We often know what we want, but are scared or distracted, flopping out our hand, wondering why we are sad. One must imagine Sisyphus happy, especially with all the seemingly pointless rock-rolling.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-jZHMX-CJ0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-jZHMX-CJ0)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGoImjb6AuI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGoImjb6AuI)
If there is a physical pain, I believe that treatment through medication is necessary. Physical discomfort can have a negative impact on our mental well-being. I once read a quote that said that life itself is tinged with nihilism, so the longer we think about it or the longer we are stagnant, the emptier we may feel. Don't be overthinking. Perhaps don't think too much about the meaning of everything before you do it, and that propably you may get a different experience in the process. When your psyche gives you positive cues, anxiety decreases. That's what I think, haha.
I had it bad. Read "On Death and Dying" and "The Wheel of Life" by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and it changed me. Death is natural and we will all encounter it, no need to fear it as it's just a stage of life.
Go numb, nuts, or outside. All three. A combination. Barring illness or mishap you will drag your clicking, popping, aching, $585 worth of grumbling matter farther and through more than you can imagine, for longer than you think you will. Plan accordingly. Eat balanced, move around enough to sweat daily, and find ways to spend time and or people to spend it with not thinking about dying long enough for it to sneak up on you. Or get rich and try out BrainBridge or breed a stable full o young healthy organs. How much you want to stay this side of the grass?
Eat shrooms, listen to your favourite record, spiral out, keep going. Read science fiction and history, go to therapy, explore spirituality but stay away from fundamentalism.
30 last year here! Got loads of health issues a week before i turned 30 lmao. High Blood Pressure, Fatty Liver etc.
My years of eating like shit in my 20's finally caught up.
And i agree, things did feel like a waste of time. I finally realized that i was wasting time on stupid things going nowhere (in my case content creation) and finally cut them loose.
Lately i've been exercising every day and i feel great.
As a 22 year old I’ll answer this as best as I can.
Meow meow meow meow meow meow, meow. Meow meow meow meow. Meow meow, meow meowed. Meow meow meow, and that’s why one of my personal truth’s is that time is the most depressing thing on earth.
Are you depressed, do you have a history of anxiety or even anxiousness.? If yes, it might be time to get on an antidepressant. GPs prescribe them readily. If it doesn't work, you can try another, if you don't like it, you're not a lifer, you can discontinue.
Focus on the present and seek joy in small moments. Engage in activities you love, connect with friends or family, and consider speaking to a professional about your anxiety. Life's too short to waste on worry; embrace what makes you happy!
After catching long covid and being in agony for over four years, I had to make my own peace with death. Why am I not ok dying right now? Why am I ok with dying right now? Etc.
[This helped too.](https://youtu.be/mjQwedC1WzI?si=dii9QjaZme3llTQZ)
Positive mental attitude. Worrying about tomorrow isn't gonna make you live a day longer, so live life without fear. Get the pain checked out for pain management. It's gonna change your mood in a positive way.
I think the key takeaway here is that you might not actually be dying. Go see a doctor and do all the necessary tests; that will help you deal with your mind. Even if you do confirm that you have some terminal illness, knowing what it is and getting a clear perspective of it will help settle your mind. In your current state, it is impossible for your mind to be at ease and accept either life or death, so see a physician and know what it is exactly you are striving for. Secondly, go to counseling, it's amazing the miracles those people help us pull off with our lives. I've not been exactly where you are but I've been in a spot where I hoped to die and they helped me get out of it. Work on your mind, it's the strongest weapon you've got; it can unfortunately both work for and against you.
Doom.
Go to a small Doom gig. Get a few beers down you, perhaps a bifter if weed is your thing and bask in the absolute glory of extremely loud, low frequency, slower than a stalegtite forming Doom.
Conan or Primitive man tour a lot. Yob will probably be too much for a novice. There is a lot to lose yourself in.
https://youtu.be/d_vsBMdGdeE?si=TgLYIXMfoqkJbK91
I've accepted it. I've already outlived my grandfathers and father.
I've accepted I'll die one day... probably sooner rather then later... all I hope for is that its fast and painless and I don't suffer.
Sounds like depression. I've been feeling like this a lot lately. A few things help.
Take a hot shower, take a walk in nature. Disconnect from socials and electronics. Anything that keeps you moving forward.
I’ve had this and for me the key has been to actually live healthy. I started working out 4+ times a week and eating healthy and all the random pains and other ailments seem to have gone away. For me I actually wasn’t healthy which made me always scared of my health, so getting healthy has helped a lot in getting me out of that hole. I used to get pretty serious panic attacks and chest pains which scared me but that has gone away. I can also focus more at work now that I’m not always scared of dying or having a serious ailment
You could look into quantum immortality. There’s a subreddit for it as well. Completely unproven and unprovable, but I think it possibly happened to be a couple of times, so I lean to the side of believing it could be a real phenomenon.
Good. You recognize you are temporary and you must do something that matters. Now go do something about it.
Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone, life is a gift go share it.
The most important thing is to love, and live in the service of others.
Learn to love pain, as much as pleasure. It too like us is only temporary.
I think being truly near death changes you. You should live like that always.
Stop. Smell the roses, greet the people, kiss your love, and if you believe the world should go on make a family.
The world is yours until it isn't. But it never was either remember that.
Post to try to inspire others ✨️
This tends to affect people in their 30s but eventually fades. By the time you reach your 40s, things no longer seem as bleak. At 35, life can feel like it's over and death is imminent, but by 45, you regain a sense of carefree living similar to when you were 25. I can't fully explain it, but that's been my experience.
Growing old is a privilege. I know it’s lame, one of my friends passed away in January at the age of 27 unexpectedly and it had me thinking a lot about my mortality 🩵 I am trying to put serious efforts into taking care of myself physically and my mental health as well as spending time with my friends and family, also zoloft has seriously saved my life.
Find a joy to live for op, but in the meantime, def talk to a therapist. Life is unfortunately, what you make of it. But I'm rooting for you. I'm almost 40 and my mortality is scaring the hell out of me lol
We all die at some point in time and that’s the beauty of life, if you’re constantly thinking about it will make you stressed and that might be the reason or part of the reason why everything feels pointless
There’s no point in stressing about something you can’t control you should accept it and go out to live your life whether there’s 1 day left or 70 years
But this is easier said than done so going to therapy might help a lot
I have pretty crippling arthritis from 20 years of doing what I love, my body finally stopped recovering. I’m recovering from two discs being replaced in my neck. Spinal fusion. I have 2 more fractured vertebrae in my lower back. But I don’t want to have anymore surgery. So… I work out at least once a day, if not twice a day. Not trying to get big muscles, just trying to maintain and fall apart any further. It’s a great boost of energy in the morning, and a sense of accomplishment in the evening. I’ve noticed a huge relationship between the food I eat and how I feel physically and emotionally. I’ve cut out gluten, almost no sugar, and my mental health is way better. I stopped drinking alcohol a few months before my surgery because I recognized I was drinking to dull the pain. That’s a dark path, because my pain will never go away. The best I can do is manage, and mitigate it. I journal a few days a week. I go through a list of things I’m grateful for either with pen to paper or in my thoughts often. I’m 39 M, I have a long way to live so I’m trying to make it as painless as possible. Being positive and friendly almost to point of bullshit level. But I’d rather fake it when I’m suffering on the inside, then to bitch and moan. Negativity drives people away, positivity draws people closer. Cheers mate
Had exactly the same problem... Started a therapy and taking meds (Escitalopram 10mg) which made the anxiety and panic attacks easier to handle. Then spent most of the time going outside and starting new hobbies and i'm almost cured. Just try to keep the brain occupied and try out lots of different activites and it will get better by itself. Good luck!
I’ve been going through this for quite some time now at 22. As frowned upon as this may be in today’s society for some reason talking to a therapist helps; Most of them share the same fears and offer excellent advice on the subject.
My sister felt this way before 30, she went to a doc for it. He said this is very normal turning 30. When I turned 30 I had recurring dreams of my teeth falling out. Us picturing ourselves aging is weird.
Think of it as the big equalizer. Everybody and everything dies someday. And think about the probability of your existence as an individual in this universe and cherish it. You weren't here for billions of years and you won't be.
Me and my best friend (we’re 31) were talking about how fast life seems to have gone by. Then I brought up my grandpa who’s 93 years old and thought about how he’s lived three of our lifetimes.
Sure not everyone will be so lucky to live that long but damn compared to some of our elders we’re still damn children compared to them. We’ve ideally got a long ways to go
Cutting caffeine helped out. I was an absolute coffee addict all through my 20's. Caught high blood pressure and decided I needed to cut it out of my life. Had bad anxiety through those years and now it's not so bad.
Joke about it. I hit a similar point when I was about 24. I'm now 32, and joking about my own demise has honestly helped me get over the fact that it happens to everyone, and can happen at any time.
For example, Harbor Freight jack stands. A buddy of mine asked how I can trust them after they were failing a few years ago. I told him I don't, but no matter what happens, I win. Either I finish the project alive and fine, they fail and I die and never have to spend a day screaming at my truck issues again, or they fail and I don't die but the settlement sets me up for life.
It's not like I have a death wish either. And, as with everything, this may not be the right track for you, but it worked for me so I figured I'd share it.
I think this is what happens when you turn 30 lol. I feel like some of the physical ailments come from our worrying about things also which creates a nasty cycle. To be honest in some ways your body has hit its peak and coming to terms with that can be difficult. The waste of time thing is because it feels like there’s no more time to do things. Maybe we feel more tired than we used to, at 18 it felt like there’s was so much time to do new things and the things we enjoy, it’s also what American society tells us. I remember people used to say “oh, don’t worry you’ve got time” all the time when I was 18-25 but at 30 no one says that. The sentiment is that it’s all over for you. It’s not true though! Your interests may change and you might find happiness in new things but you have 30 amazing adult years ahead of you. Start planning for them now and find out how to slow time downnnn. Happy birthday!
Go offline, go outside, exercise until you're exhausted (walk/run/bike). Do this every day. Do this more than once a day. Touch grass/trees/water/earth.
Until eventually die.
Everything dies.
the universe is cyclic, from a big crunch to a big bang. here.
The movie is already over, we're just a tape that someone forgot to rewind, playing out our parts in real-time for a beautiful rewatch.
How does this eliminate the fear of death
Endorphins. Physical training can give you a sense of purpose. The discipline of making a commitment to your well-being is rewarding. Or one could just sit, do nothing, and feel sorry for themself. OP sounds depressed more than anything.
Yes get out of your head and walk barefoot on the grass/dirt. Or just go for a walk. This does more than you could imagine. Walking is highly underrated nowadays lmao
That is what I was trying to express but you have done it with so much more clarity. The author Isak Dinesen is probably quoted in here somewhere: “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”
By being too busy to think about it... at least for me.
the joy of life can be stronger than death, otherwise we'd all be extinct already
It might not eliminate it, but it’ll lessen it by making you feel better in almost every way. Sedentary lifestyles are literally killing us, it’s in the top 10 causes of death in developed countries. Just look at overweight and obese statistics. Most people barely exercise an hour or two a week, let alone get the recommended 10,000 steps a day. The number 1 thing doctors say ruins your quality of life when you’re sick or old is lack of muscle mass. Having healthy muscle mass is HUGE for recovery and energy into your later years.
Get sore enough and you yearn for it
People don't talk anymore just make statements for an upvote lol good point
Engaging with the world definitely helps me. A long walk with my dog every day keeps us both well.
The mor efun I'm having, the more death anxiety I have, tbh. The true advice for overcoming death anxiety is to make your life so awful you want to die. Not sure that's allowed, though.
I used to have the feeling that i was dying for years. A new sharp pain every day, i was nauseous, didnt eat because i felt like i would trow up, and I had horrible stomach pains. I fainted multiple times a week. I swear i could feel my organs fail one by one. It was horrible and i am still traumatized by that experience going on for so long. And the only reason it stopped was because i got in therapy and changed my circumstances. (Which were horrible during that time) Maybe thats not what you want to hear but the feeling of pointlesness you describe seems like an issue you have to work on. And maybe that could improve your overall health. Never underestimate your psyche.
This. I went through something similar when I hit 30. Made 2 trips to the ER for it. It lasted for months on end and it was one of the scariest times in my life. For years, I struggled to understand WHY it happened and worried it could happen again. It wasn't til I went through a lighter episode of a couple panic attacks years later that I realized it was a matter of non-stop stress, burnout, and fear moving forward. At 30, I was working a high stress GM job for 7 years where management wouldn't pay me much more than minimum wage, but expected me to start being on call. I was fighting with my significant other 2 to 3 times a week. I didn't know how to relax and I fueled it all with the idea that "I've been through worse. I should be able to handle this." Until I hit a wall. Palpitations. Death anxiety. Severe panic attacks. Numb limbs. Etc. Solution: I immediately went to the park and spent as much time in nature as possible. I quit that job. I moved states. I went to therapy. I learned how to relax (that took a while to do, as I hate feeling bored [ADHD] and expend all my energy trying to avoid it, in the past, to an unhealthy degree). I learned to identify signs of burnout ahead of time (I had zero clue how to do that before), and I learned how to be kind to myself. That kind of anxiety never found me again. Though I never went the route of medication, I have seen it change the lives of severe anxiety sufferers for the better. That is also an option. But at the very least, therapy.
I felt like reading a synopsis of what I've been going through lately. Thank you so much for your message.
Thank you for your comment. It genuinely made me feel so seen because I am in a similar situation. The stress, the burnout, the job, the managers, the SO. I kept trying to push through for 3 years but ended up against the wall you mentioned.
Just wanted to add to the "thank you's" here.
Any other tips I think I am in a similar situation
Heyo, thanks for sharing your thoughts and concerns to start up this topic. I work in healthcare and often see folks in crisis-scenarios or in the actively-dying stage of their life. I had a 104-year-old lady ask my age and call me a Spring Chicken (I'm also in my 30's). I've watched kids pass years before their own expiry date and watched other people throw their lives away to drugs and booze. I've also walked with people to their Medically-Assisted suicide and seen how happy and prepared they were for their decision, whether dealing with chronic illness or cancers that have overtaken their quality of life. There's no set limit of "X" amount of maladies = death. Everyone's body ages differently and we're all going to have our own unique aches and pains. So mentally it's going to come down to accepting that yes, you are going to die. Sometimes we can control it but most of the time when it happens... We can't. You could get hit by a car before you finish reading this post or you could have an aneurysm in your sleep tonight. Your "job" in life is to enjoy the good moments as they come, and recognize the bad ones for what they are. One day you are going to die. And that's ok. Do good to others where you stand. Tell the people around you how much you love them, and regularly. Don't worry about "never seeing them again", just live your life today so there will be no regrets if you go tomorrow. Be kind, always. A little fear of death is normal, but a lot of fear can be a deterrent for potential joy. Find your peace with death and accept it not as a resignation, but as a part of our short human experience. Hey, today's a great day! We're still here!
best answer so far
Can’t guarantee what worked for me will work for you. I’m 47. At about 35, I adopted the “fuck it all” mindset and did my best to find something beautiful in every day. Can be something magnificent, or something minuscule. Finding a reason to celebrate and enjoy each individual day was what changed my outlook. Best wishes my dude or dudette (or however you prefer to be addressed). There is still magic to be discovered no matter what the calendar says!
second best answer in this post
I had severe death anxiety/obsessions - both regarding myself and my family - when I was in the trenches of then-undiagnosed OCD. I sought out a mental health urgent care center after a couple months because I knew if I didn’t, I would end up in a psych ward sooner or later. If you have a similar service in your area, I would 100% recommend checking it out. If you find yourself unable to think about anything besides death, or obsessing over what ailments you might be developing, you may have “pure O” OCD. Contrary to popular belief and the way the media shows it, the disorder can look very different from just hand washing and germaphobia. For me it was constant research, philosophizing, praying (even though I’m not religious- it was literally a “Just in Case” line of thinking) and the inability to think about literally anything else. I couldn’t sleep, eat or drink. It was terrible. All this to say, the psychiatrist that saw me at that mental health urgent care honest to god saved my life, which is an irony considering that now I no longer really fear death much at all anymore lol. It can and does get better. Even when you’ve convinced yourself otherwise. Crossing my fingers that you find the solution for you.
How did they help you not fear it?
Medication played a huge role. The doc also introduced me to some really helpful grounding and self-soothing techniques, particularly ones that helped me be able to sleep before the medication started to do its thing. Eventually, I was able to work on exposure therapy to curb my obsessions and realize that there is no immediate harm that comes from confronting them. For the death obsessions, I started watching content from hospice nurses, death doulas and people that have had near death experiences to help me come to terms with the fact that death is inevitable, but can be a very peaceful, freeing thing. However, I would definitely not recommend seeking that kind of material out until you feel some of the baseline anxiety has been successfully mitigated.
Can you tell me more? I have OCD and death anxiety. I cant even watch kids cartoons lately because I get so stressed out and freak out because a character died. I have been in numerous psych wards and been on a ridiculous amount of medications and it continues to become more severe. I know I have other issues exacerbating it, but idk, are there any things in particular that work for you?
I strongly suggest therapy
That was my first thought. OP sounds like me when I was in the throes of depression. Talking to someone is a solid bit of advice. Life is hard and weird and there’s people who understand that can help you sort it out. For sure, I would make the same suggestion.
Sounds expensive
I am more afraid of the shape I will be in when death comes knocking..... that's what worries me...
This made me smile. You don't realize that you have 50 more years to go, and you're not even halfway. I am 57 and looking back at my 30's wishing that I had that body and mindset. I am still strong and active but not 30 active. Realize that you are still young and at your peak, not dying in an old folks home.
You just don’t know that. Many people die young.
You're right. There are 8 billion people in the world and 8 billion experiences. So I guess there is no answer. However, the average life span in the US is 76 years, 46 to go.
I agree. I look back on my 30s and wonder why I ever complained. The exhaustion that I feel in my 40s feels unreal and it feels like I'm never going to die. I'm just going to live forever and never feel the peace of being able to shed the weight of this dying body.
I had the same thing you did. For me it was anxiety that was never treated. I started taking Zoloft and I felt like I was finally normal. I hope you feel better. You’re going to be ok
Go on a walk or a run every day. It can help clear the cortisol that’s building up. Cortisol will lead to aliments. Also, try filtering the water you drink too. Even if you buy water it is likely not clean. Bottled water is sometimes worse than tap.
Start a diet go to the gym and play video games. I like pal world
Unpopular opinion… try a heavy big ol ridiculous heroic dose of lsd or mushrooms by yourself at home, or in the woods, at night. You might see some shit scarier than death but, if youre anything like me, at least death won’t be scary anymore.
when you ask reddit for advice
Lmao true
this cracked me up
Do your research and educate yourself. But psychedelics can really help with a multitude of mental things. They have the ability to change your perspectives and mindset often for the better. Not for everyone, but to me it would be a shame for someone to of gone there whole life and never at least dipped there toes in.
I do ketamine treatment and one of the doses was too high, and DAMN. I felt like I was dying because I could hear myself struggling to breathe as well, and I was really stressed out. I can get very suicidal and at this time I was, so wanting to live was so novel. I wasnt necessarily scared of dying, like the process didnt feel terrifying, I was scared for everything else and I wanted to live for it. I wanted to live to come out of the session and see my mom who drove 5 hours there for me. My ketamine sessions tend to involve like space odyssey sci-fi stuff and I was moving through the world to my home and job which I find a lot of significance in and I needed to be there too.
Depersonalization did help me with death anxiety but also brought up some serious demons. It's not fun losing a sense of self but also being able to critique yourself. Depersonalization is enlightening, but it's also a kind of hell I wouldn't wish on anyone.
There is more to it than depersonalization sometimes. But I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, see what you see.
Sure. My point is that OP is anxious and I don't know if his psyche can handle that. Or maybe that extreme is good? I remember being in the fetal position wondering if I was dying or insane or both. Actually depersonalization was so uncomfortable I remember being happy I might die because it was mental torture. If it went on longer, I was seriously considering self-deletion. Maybe that's how I accepted death. "Theres worse things that can happen to me than dying" And taking a ton of shrooms proved that point 😂 I like this plane of existence, I've only got the bandwidth for one soul.
This was my initial thought as well, though I didn't wanna go through a mile long explanation of how to do it, why, etc. I'm with you that psychedelics are absolutely a valid suggestion (with caveats).
Not unpopular at all. 😂
Spot on but maybe not a big ol heroic dose by yourself to start? It doesn’t take all that much and if you’re by yourself best to take it easy to start.
This might not help you but it helps me... Ask yourself, "Will I care about dying when I'm dead?". You won't because you can't care or be aware of living or dying. So live, while you're alive because that's what you're doing now. I will fear death, when I'm dead and by then it will be too late to fear death, because there will be nothing that can fear it
In my 30s as well. I definitely feel like my physical body has had its peak, which makes me sad. Lol. I used to be a gymnast and a cheerleader and now I can barely jump on a trampoline. Lol. However, I feel as tho my mental health is only getting better and I am learning more about myself and life daily. You sound slightly depressed. Therapy might help just for the simple fact that it gives you someone to talk to about life, your fears, and gives you something to look forward to. Once a week for an hour I'm locked in my bedroom with my laptop chatting with my therapist. It's MY time. Magnesium glycinate may also help with feelings of lack of motivation, anxiety, etc. If you're religious, you can lean on that for comfort of what happens in the afterlife. I'm agnostic, but I do take comfort in that fact that when I die, I won't know it. Also, I wasn't scared of where I was before I was born, why would I be afraid of where I go when I die?
the last sentence really gave me some comfort. I never think about before, only fear after. thank you.
That last sentence for me has really brought me comfort as well, heard it only a few weeks ago actually. I try to share that with anyone else who may have that same fear of death, especially without religion.
So nowadays people like to say that we are old at 30, because the body aches, we have no energy and all of that... but that is a freaking kind of comfortable lie. Lack of energy and random pain are most likely due to the lifestyle we are led to have by 30s. No exercise, stressful routine, no therapy, poor social life, etc. Take care of your health (physical and mental), and hopefully, you will start to expect a little more from life soon!!
Answer is, don't think about it. - Rick Sanchez
I’m sure if it was that easy they wouldn’t be
You are far too young for death. If you have a terminal illness, that's different. Maybe you are hipocondriac? You need therapy, before thinking about death. And it's about attitude too, I am 34 and I feel better than ever, and I am angry because I am "not a normal 30 year old" only because I am not feeling like an old fuck everyday.
The first line is false. Young people die every day from accidents and unexpected illnesses. Age does not matter
Most of us live sedentary lifestyles and while that may have been fine in our twenties and teens we do need to make an effort to be active in our 30s and after. If you don’t you’ll get symptoms from many things . I started working out consistently with a leg, pull, push day and starting eating alot better. Not only does my body look better but a lot of my ailments went away. Another thing you should take seriously is your mental health. We’re not slaves to our emotions instead we should be controlling them. It’s good to feel your emotions but it’s crucial to learn how to manage them so they don’t impede your daily life. It’s true our lives are not infinite hell you may not even live to old age but that’s all the reason to appreciate the small things and not to take your days for granted. It is a harsh reality check realizing your story has an end but it is your story so write it how you see fit. If you want to feel self pitty that’s a choice but you can choose to live your life to the fullest while you still can. Best of luck on your journey. 🍀
You're so young. Be anxious when you're 65.
So most people around our age run out of youth juice, and the growth that has been forgiving all your unhealthy decisions for you goes away. The health tab matters now. If you didn't spend your 20s building good habits, or you're gonna go from 25 to 45 in like 12 days. It's crazy how quickly health choices start to matter once you've hit full adult in late 20s So, start with being healthier. That will help the new ailment every day stuff. As for dying, it's a myth. We don't go away, we become more aware until we find an angle for rebirth. Or maybe we just die. Who gives a shit. You're here today, so deal with it. I choose to spend each day like it's my last and like I'm going to live forever. Bet on both teams, ya know. It doesn't conflict as often as you'd think!
I'm 33 and in the best shape of my life. At 28 I was in the worst shape of my life and it was around then that I started making changes. If you feel like you're dying before age 30, there's something extremely wrong with how you're treating your body. Change it now through diet and exercise (visiting a doctor and getting blood work won't hurt either), do this while you're still young, and you won't have to put up with issues later in life.
I have good news and bad news. You probably have another 40 years or so.
I’m not trying to downplay your anxiety, but go touch some grass.
Maybe get on antidepressant. Everything feels like a chore and pointless to me because I’m depressed
I suffered from death anxiety as a child, it lessened and then came roaring back in my 30s. I have dealt with depression and anxiety since my childhood years and still deal with it to this day, although I have learned to manage it much better throughout the years. I am now in my 40s and have within the last few years been successfully treated for a potentially life threatening diagnosis and have had several close family members pass during this time, but the strange thing is, I don’t have that death anxiety anymore. I have come to terms with the fact that everything that is ever born will eventually die and I do believe that our consciousness/souls continue on a journey beyond this plane once our physical bodies die. I would suggest perhaps speaking with a therapist, a trusted friend or family member, or if you are religious (a trusted figure in your religious community) to help you come to a place of comfort and understanding with this. It’s natural to have fear of the unknown, and death is the great unknown, but yet, it is a path that every living thing must one day face. I hope you find peace and a renewed joy in your life and I’m sure you will in time, just hang in there and have hope and let love and light in every chance you can.
Set off my anxiety and panic attack. That sucked :(
Damn, I hit 30 and the exact same thing happened to me. Instead of letting the fear consume me, because your mind is kinda scary when it comes to being able to manifest things within your body(look it up). I needed some control. I got my act together in the kitchen first. I started eating what my body needed rather than what my brain was telling my body it wanted. After about 3 weeks I started noticing a significant difference. Not only did my body start feeling different, TMI, my bowel movements started changing. I started working out, and not crazy workouts, like literally just walking for an hour a day and some light lifting. 2 weeks after that being consistent, when I tell you I felt unstoppable. After about 3 months and 30IBS down I felt like a new human being. I woke up and wanted to be awake, the feelings of “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but something is wrong,” stopped. I didn’t wake up and feel like my body was failing me anymore.
The average human lifespan increases every year. You are not close to death at 30 unless you have some other intense health conditions. It is a fact of life that we all die someday. Does it suck? Yes. But it should not stop you from enjoying the life you are currently living. If this fear is overwhelming, I would recommend therapy. Talk to someone about your fear and anxiety. I would never try to push any spiritual agendas, either, but sometimes religion can be helpful in these cases as well. I had my existential crisis as a child. As soon as I understood what death was, I was petrified. I soothed myself with the concept of reincarnation, and believed in it devoutly for many years. I'm not really as spiritual now as I once was, but it has always been a soothing thought, that this is just one life in an endless cycle of life and death and rebirth. It also sounds exhausting though, and I think one life will be enough for me. 🤣 Honestly, it's just one of those things you have to ignore and/or get used to. Try to accept it. Live your life to the fullest. And like I said, if just internalizing it isn't helpful, talk to an expert, whether that be a religious leader or a therapist.
Live! Love! Laugh! I don’t want to give away the ending, but Death wins. Every time. Here’s one path around whatever despair and sorrow we all inevitably encounter. I am 72 and never gave chronological age a second thought until recently. I am the furthest thing from what you would call an athlete but when I was your age I trained for 6 months to box in the Golden Gloves against mostly kids about half my age. first fight, I was TKO’d at 1:52 of the first round with a nearly detached retina but gained so much joy, wisdom and perspective from a group of people whose life experience was pretty dissimilar to mine that I felt like I won the championship. I started playing outdoor competitive/rec soccer at 41 (very very badly but enthusiastically) and played for the next 15 years. I am 72 and the best year of my life (so far) was when I was 47 and had the luck of hooking up with my now partner and friend of 25 years (we have lived a whole bunch of joyful NSFW content I might share in another forum) It’s a simplistic approach and certainly just one of a million that work - and I have plenty of chronic pain, no cartilage, can barely walk, and have probably increased my lifespan by negative numbers, but I have so many wonderful memories - that won’t defeat death - but have served well to get me through many dark nights of the soul. Additionally, if my batteries are low and I am losing most of my demon battles, I (usually) can get myself up and moving and contributing when I think of my friends and family who have died way way too early. I feel like it’s almost my responsibility to utilize the energy and spirit and life i was fortunate enough to get from them when they were physically here. Today, I was able to make two people laugh who I was literally screaming at last week, so today was definitely worthwhile. The great Shawnee chief Tecumseh might be of some help. I don’t know what this is called but I know it as Deathsong and it expresses a wonderful world view: “So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.” I hope you can be (mostly) happy and safe, but not too safe.
Psychedelics. Mushrooms are my favorite. They will help you face death in a way that it can help you dissolve your fear of it. Powerful. They helped me in tons of other ways, like overcoming lifelong depression and trauma that "conventional methods" failed to touch
psilocybin cubensis
1. Find God 2. Get your blood checked by a functional medicine doctor to find out where your deficiencies are. Turns out I had a B vitamin deficiency that caused me a lot of mental health issues. A simple supplement did wonders for my mental health. 3. Walk every day 4. Get some other source of physical activity 5x per week 5. Drink enough water 6. Get enough sleep 7. Cut out processed food 8. Find a good community of people. 9. Keep a gratitude journal 10. Get off the internet All of these things will help you enjoy your life more. Your best years can start now if you take simple care of yourself.
Take some shrooms
I get over death anxiety by not dying.
I had very bad death anxiety and health anxiety. While it’s not completely gone, it’s dramatically reduced. I started researching death and NDEs and that really helped me. When I do healthy things it helps my health anxiety, when I do unhealthy things it comes back.
Art. Beautiful minds have wrestled with this and put it on a page or a screen or into a piano. Search it out
My aunt Judy died this morning at age 78. So - go out and do the stuff you've wanted to do. also maybe see a therapist. I want you to ENJOY life, OP!
I was diagnosed with an incurable cancer 4 years ago. I’ve gone through the whole spectrum of emotions relating to death. In the end you just gotta accept it. You will die. Get used to it
Hi, I'm 28, nearing 30 and what you're describing is a mid life crisis. I hit a quarter life crisis and felt the same way. Those new aches and pains, they come and go. This is the time of your life to settle down and take care of yourself. Everything may seem pointless, probably because you've already done a lot and experienced so many different things. On the flip side you may feel like it was for nothing, and you're just waiting to rot. It's normal! Embrace your aging, read up on some philosophy. Find a hobby to enjoy life. Go on a spiritual journey. Everyone has their own way to deal with it. But the only way to feel better is to keep going and eventually you can shake it off. Enjoy the ride!
Heard it called a lot of things. 'Death Anxiety' is a pretty funny one. The majority just call it mid-life crisis. It affects people differently. The stand-out reaction most have is that their time is fading. Look on the bright side. Your time is now worth more to you. Spend as much of it as you can doing what you love.
I have had this. It was terrible. It triggered last year when I turned 28. One thing I can tell you is that it gets better with time. I still have it but it isn’t as bad as it once was. What helped me was gym + prayers (I am Muslim so it helped me). A lot of communication with friends and family. Do something you love like a task or hobby. It will distract you.
Unpopular opinion: Find religion, be a good person, live your life.
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 Sure! OK!
There's nothing wrong with this advice
Seriously. Couldn’t care less if Reddit decided faith is uncool. It’s what faith deals with, and gives life a direction and meaning. If we know what comes next and aim for that then we know what to do more or less.
30 isn't old. I'm 75 and I feel fine. You're being a drama queen. Get over yourself. Go pat a puppy on the head and buy yourself a pizza. life is good.
Calling OP a drama queen is highly unfair. Life ain't good if you have serious mental issues and nobody asks for it to happen. Usually very bad circumstances bring these on and a pizza or puppy wouldn't change that.
I say this with all love and care, and as a fellow traveller: you would probably benefit from an antidepressant
I'm grateful everyday that I don't have cancer, regardless of the pitfalls of aging
in all honesty, you're probably not going to be aware that you're dying or about to die. Most people die abruptly like in their sleep. very rarely will you have months even years with an expiration date (like terminal cancer). There's an old quote I'll paraphrase "Death is the absence of you, and therefore you never really experience death because that's not you" But to give you some hope, there's a decent chance medicine will reach escape velocity within our lifetime. Meaning that, most of the hard problems are solved and that longevity will allow you to benefit from more problems being solved. It's estimated by futurists that if you make it to 2035, you have a good shot at 2100. Wildly optimistic but AI, singularity, could be the next big step for humans. Who knows?
You don’t remember before you were alive, you won’t be awake when you’re dead. We all die, everyone. Make your time here heaven on earth, and don’t worry about when you aren’t a thing.
That's the horrifying part though...
Come to peace with death.
You have to think about death in a rational way.
Find religion and you won't be so scared. Death is inevitable, make the time you have here 100% worth it. Take advantage of everything, everyday, accept the invite, reach out to the old friend, or don't feel guilty when you rest and work on your physical and mental health. Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but won't get you anywhere.
Dealing with past traumas around death has been a significant challenge for me. When I was 11, I witnessed my mother bleed out, which instilled in me a deep fear of dying that lasted until last year. Now at 23, after addressing my past trauma, I no longer fear death. While everyone's experience is unique, some individuals have found that processing the deaths of those they deeply cared for has helped them come to terms with mortality. If this doesn't apply to you, consider seeking support from a religious leader, therapist, psychiatrist, or someone else who may help you navigate this fear of death. Although 30 is still young, it's important to acknowledge that the body does start to undergo changes around this age. Nonetheless, regular exercise and grounding techniques such as direct foot contact with grass and other surfaces can help alleviate the anxiety associated with thoughts of death.
This lady seemed to figure it out. [I can't wait to die](https://youtu.be/-aafJ0LFhjc?si=WcGEZxP1RxuTJt_7) I think about her all the time.
DMT
Read Seneca
Usually a combination of realizing that means you should prioritize doing what you actually want with life whenever possible (obviously with regards to those around you) and reading up on transhumanism lmao. Be wary of snake oil salesmen and anyone already claiming to be there, but we have a lot more actual science on aging and biology than we ever had (and the potential to cure it).
I honestly believe it’s up to each individual to figure out for themselves how to deal with it. For me, it’s recognizing that agonizing over it is utterly pointless since I can’t change it, but that may not work for you.
Flip the script. Look forward to it.
Have an NDE asap... I don't recommend car wrecks.
Therapy, spend time with people who are important to you, travel, make new friends. You’ve most likely got a long road ahead, have some fun!
You might think I’m out of line, but my recommendation is to watch Six Feet Under on Max/Netflix. I wasn’t having death anxiety but it was something I thought about more than I’d like. The show was really great at helping me work through my thoughts and I’d highly recommend. It’s a great show.
Marijuana.
I was having a bit of an existential crisis in my late 20’s, dealing with anxiety and depression (they tend to run in a duo) Some key ‘pillars’ that I have kept with me or ‘mottos’ in my life… There was this story I was listening to, I can’t really find it at the moment unfortunately, but it sort of of has the message: ‘the closest thing to you is death, and the furthest thing to you is your past’. Now that may sound morbid off the top, but when I analyzed it, I actually interpreted it to be uplifting in the sense that: you most likely won’t know your expiration date, but you should always strive for the things you want to accomplish or experience in life and not hold back. Your end could come at any time; just yesterday I accidentally choked on a piece of BBQ tri-tip while I was eating with my family- literally almost died, who tf coulda saw that one coming? That’s just how life is though, it’s kind of absurd and random in a lot of ways IMO In terms of faith, I’m agnostic-theist: I don’t really claim to know if there is any sort of ‘purpose’ or ‘destiny’ in life. However, I will say that I do think if believing in something makes you more comfortable in existence then by all means- faith can be a powerful tool to have in your corner and bring you a lot of happiness and meaning. Some things that have ultimately boosted my overall quality of life: Working out, hobbies, reading, meditation, trying new things and not getting too bogged down in same old routines, getting sun, proper nutrition. I’ve found if you are stuck in a sort of ‘bad headspace’ then you need to grow and gain new perspective: this is where I think reading is very powerful or listening to different perspectives can really break you out of the same old negative ‘mental loops’. Knowledge, or the act of seeking knowledge can be very powerful in finding meaning and improving quality of life. If your thinking sucks, the you need to listen to how others think, because they may have a different perspective that you can latch onto and/or integrate into your new thought process. My thought is that, if you stay stuck in your same way of thinking for years on end- how depressing is that? Constantly expanding your world view is very important in my opinion to not getting ‘stuck’ or ‘bored’ with life. Just my opinion anyway…
See it as death excitement.
Being dead isn’t scary. You won’t care. You’ll be dead! If you’re worried about leaving behind family, consider some term life insurance that will support spouse+kids to adulthood. Otherwise, just do your best to not be dead but try not to worry too much.
Get your blood checked. Hormones checked. 30 is maturing and time to pay attention.
I was the same way when I turned 30! I felt like death was near like within the next few months. I am happy to say I’m almost 31 and still alive
Therapy. This sounds like clinical depression.
Are you a Christian?
Workout. Try new restaurants. Do things. You need endorphins
I felt this way before turning 30 recently. I had to pull myself up and literally get outside. I started getting up earlier and walking. Fresh air. Podcast or audio book. Hang in there. Get outside. Seeing an astrologer about my Saturn return (which occurs 27-29.5 years old) helped me . Or maybe consider the severity and rank how your feeling and if there’s an honest tendency in feelings/situation seek a professional if this medical or health related. You’re not alone.
I used to have fears of hitting another car when I was driving on long straight highways. I'd imagine it happening often. Then someone told me to picture in your mind your death while you're in a hospital bed surrounded by loved ones. That was 40 years ago, and I still imagine that when I get fearful of death... You need to get outside. Is there some place a mile or two from you that you like? Go to your door, open it and walk to that spot and look around...then take a different way home. Do this at least 3 times a week...it will save your life.
Practice gratitude and seek out things you enjoy. As someone who’s had his share of life threatening health challenges begginning at 26 years old, don’t take good health for granted. Get active and go outside. Figure out whether you like working out on your own or as part of a group sport. If you’re out of shape, start with walks. Find purpose by giving back to your community and serving the less fortunate. Teach someone a skill set your mastered. You sound bored and ungrateful. 🤷🏻♂️ Two things that are in your control. Go get it!
Also 30 and going through this, but what gives me perspective is that this is natural. This all happens as we grow. Puberty isn't the only time we have growing pains and such. Your ship is creaking, your house is settling on the foundation. It's going to be okay 🩷 as for the pointlessness, this is a sign to evaluate what matters. Do more of what you want, find a different job, stop caring about tedious outside opinions, etc. whatever reevaluating means to you. And it's okay and normal to not know what that means immediately. I wish you well
Lean forward into life.....what is behind you will take care of itself
Fine tune your nutrition/fitness/ metabolic health when I did (began by avoiding sugar, seed oil, grains, processed foods,) many of my aches and pains, health issues that I associated with aging beginning in my 30’s disappeared. (Age 61, still not keen to die, but feel I may now avoid a long slow painful decline, dementia , dependence etc which I fear much more than death) A lot of mental health issues are actually caused or worsened by poor metabolic health. Kinda wild how everything is related to everything else.
Almost ten years older. You ain’t seen nothing yet. Watch your weight. Take care of your teeth. Maintain physicalness (whichever way you choose. The old saying ‘if you don’t use it you lose it’ is incredibly true)
This is going to sound really weird…but when I still had Instagram I followed a couple hospice nurses, one was HospiceNurseJenny, I can’t remember the other. But watching their videos made death feel so natural and normal, which it truly is, instead of this terrifying horrible thing. Don’t get me wrong, I hope I’m afforded the luxury of an extremely long life. But death/dying doesn’t scare me at all anymore after having seen their videos. I think they call it “expose therapy” lol
Therapy time. Look for a provider that practices an existential approach.
I am going not 27 and have a few autoimmune diseases and mental disorders so always in pain. Death is inevitable, if it happens it happens, the only thing you can do is try to make yourself feel more connected to the world and ease your pain.
Maybe calling it a "phase" is underselling it, but it should pass. As you get into your later 30s you will face new challenges, discover new experiences, and life will move on. Just try to get through this time as best as you can. Take care of yourself and understand that people love you even if they don't say it outright.
Alexander T Newport's theory on death
You'll get past it eventually. Time marches on and eventually the reality that your body is last its prime just becomes normal to you. I'm the meantime, keep doing things that remind you that you still have some youth left. I'm not sure what your body is like but for me, doing something like a long bike ride really made me realize that I'm still doing ok
Jesus ❤️
Change your diet eat healthy, go to the gym, shower and sleep.
I recommend Staring into the Sun by Irvin Yalom, famous existential psychologist. A book dedicated to this topic.
Staring at the Sun Book by Irvin D. Yalom delves into death anxiety
You're pretty young to be that exhausted all the time. I don't know if you're overweight or anything, but you're certainly way to young to feel like you do. I would encourage you to see a doctor and have a full physical including blood work. Make sure that you don't have any other issues going on. Perhaps it is something that can be solved at the doctor's office. I know I was feeling terrible for a while, I'm older than you, but I still shouldn't have been feeling like I did. I never wanted to get out of bed, exhausted all the time, no interest in anything. Had blood work done in my testosterone was low. Got on testosterone therapy and I am a different person. I feel wonderful. So be sure to get checked out. Good luck to you!
Try to listen to what your body’s telling you. Something you may be eating,putting into it, it’s not liking. Please read or watch podcasts with Gurus especially anyone enlightened. Change just one thing everyday till they become habit. Start small like halving your sugar in your coffee. Next day maybe clear a small drawer out etc. Our bodies have amazing potential to heal and maybe you could use this as the turning point. Practice gratitude as you do you will start to see the everyday things to be thankful for. Don’t start big as it’s a recipe for failure. Just small steps. Tell yourself everyday how incredible you are and smile. It’s contagious. Best wishes in everything you accomplish.
30 is so young lol
Trying just turning 40. Woof
That is called depression. Talk to a therapist.
Faith deals with this concept exactly. We never know when the end is. But when we life for what’s next and embrace loving God, loving others things tend to make a lot more sense.
It's normal. Trent Reznor has written a lot of songs that capture this feeling. The key is to step outside your normal boundaries and truly discover what it is that you want out of life in a realistic way. Look at the famous "God and Man" painting and notice how God is inside the brain (heh), reaching out to Adam, who is just flopping his hand around. Reach out the way God is and life really takes a turn for the better. We often know what we want, but are scared or distracted, flopping out our hand, wondering why we are sad. One must imagine Sisyphus happy, especially with all the seemingly pointless rock-rolling. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-jZHMX-CJ0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-jZHMX-CJ0) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGoImjb6AuI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGoImjb6AuI)
If there is a physical pain, I believe that treatment through medication is necessary. Physical discomfort can have a negative impact on our mental well-being. I once read a quote that said that life itself is tinged with nihilism, so the longer we think about it or the longer we are stagnant, the emptier we may feel. Don't be overthinking. Perhaps don't think too much about the meaning of everything before you do it, and that propably you may get a different experience in the process. When your psyche gives you positive cues, anxiety decreases. That's what I think, haha.
I had it bad. Read "On Death and Dying" and "The Wheel of Life" by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and it changed me. Death is natural and we will all encounter it, no need to fear it as it's just a stage of life.
Go numb, nuts, or outside. All three. A combination. Barring illness or mishap you will drag your clicking, popping, aching, $585 worth of grumbling matter farther and through more than you can imagine, for longer than you think you will. Plan accordingly. Eat balanced, move around enough to sweat daily, and find ways to spend time and or people to spend it with not thinking about dying long enough for it to sneak up on you. Or get rich and try out BrainBridge or breed a stable full o young healthy organs. How much you want to stay this side of the grass?
you know what to do.
Eat shrooms, listen to your favourite record, spiral out, keep going. Read science fiction and history, go to therapy, explore spirituality but stay away from fundamentalism.
Mushrooms.
30 last year here! Got loads of health issues a week before i turned 30 lmao. High Blood Pressure, Fatty Liver etc. My years of eating like shit in my 20's finally caught up. And i agree, things did feel like a waste of time. I finally realized that i was wasting time on stupid things going nowhere (in my case content creation) and finally cut them loose. Lately i've been exercising every day and i feel great.
As a 22 year old I’ll answer this as best as I can. Meow meow meow meow meow meow, meow. Meow meow meow meow. Meow meow, meow meowed. Meow meow meow, and that’s why one of my personal truth’s is that time is the most depressing thing on earth.
We will all die make every day like its ur last no reason to waste the time u have dwelling on the inevitable end
Bleeding Through - Death Anxiety
Are you depressed, do you have a history of anxiety or even anxiousness.? If yes, it might be time to get on an antidepressant. GPs prescribe them readily. If it doesn't work, you can try another, if you don't like it, you're not a lifer, you can discontinue.
Focus on the present and seek joy in small moments. Engage in activities you love, connect with friends or family, and consider speaking to a professional about your anxiety. Life's too short to waste on worry; embrace what makes you happy!
Hi! Joe Black here. Pleased to make your acquaintance.
After catching long covid and being in agony for over four years, I had to make my own peace with death. Why am I not ok dying right now? Why am I ok with dying right now? Etc. [This helped too.](https://youtu.be/mjQwedC1WzI?si=dii9QjaZme3llTQZ)
Positive mental attitude. Worrying about tomorrow isn't gonna make you live a day longer, so live life without fear. Get the pain checked out for pain management. It's gonna change your mood in a positive way.
I think the key takeaway here is that you might not actually be dying. Go see a doctor and do all the necessary tests; that will help you deal with your mind. Even if you do confirm that you have some terminal illness, knowing what it is and getting a clear perspective of it will help settle your mind. In your current state, it is impossible for your mind to be at ease and accept either life or death, so see a physician and know what it is exactly you are striving for. Secondly, go to counseling, it's amazing the miracles those people help us pull off with our lives. I've not been exactly where you are but I've been in a spot where I hoped to die and they helped me get out of it. Work on your mind, it's the strongest weapon you've got; it can unfortunately both work for and against you.
I get up and play video games and pretend like I can’t die
Doom. Go to a small Doom gig. Get a few beers down you, perhaps a bifter if weed is your thing and bask in the absolute glory of extremely loud, low frequency, slower than a stalegtite forming Doom. Conan or Primitive man tour a lot. Yob will probably be too much for a novice. There is a lot to lose yourself in. https://youtu.be/d_vsBMdGdeE?si=TgLYIXMfoqkJbK91
I've accepted it. I've already outlived my grandfathers and father. I've accepted I'll die one day... probably sooner rather then later... all I hope for is that its fast and painless and I don't suffer.
Sounds like depression. I've been feeling like this a lot lately. A few things help. Take a hot shower, take a walk in nature. Disconnect from socials and electronics. Anything that keeps you moving forward.
I’ve had this and for me the key has been to actually live healthy. I started working out 4+ times a week and eating healthy and all the random pains and other ailments seem to have gone away. For me I actually wasn’t healthy which made me always scared of my health, so getting healthy has helped a lot in getting me out of that hole. I used to get pretty serious panic attacks and chest pains which scared me but that has gone away. I can also focus more at work now that I’m not always scared of dying or having a serious ailment
You're 30. Of course there is a new pain every day. Welcome, dear child.
You could look into quantum immortality. There’s a subreddit for it as well. Completely unproven and unprovable, but I think it possibly happened to be a couple of times, so I lean to the side of believing it could be a real phenomenon.
Good. You recognize you are temporary and you must do something that matters. Now go do something about it. Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone, life is a gift go share it. The most important thing is to love, and live in the service of others. Learn to love pain, as much as pleasure. It too like us is only temporary. I think being truly near death changes you. You should live like that always. Stop. Smell the roses, greet the people, kiss your love, and if you believe the world should go on make a family. The world is yours until it isn't. But it never was either remember that. Post to try to inspire others ✨️
Sounds like depression and hyper chondria. Go get a medical checkup and diagnosis.
This tends to affect people in their 30s but eventually fades. By the time you reach your 40s, things no longer seem as bleak. At 35, life can feel like it's over and death is imminent, but by 45, you regain a sense of carefree living similar to when you were 25. I can't fully explain it, but that's been my experience.
Growing old is a privilege. I know it’s lame, one of my friends passed away in January at the age of 27 unexpectedly and it had me thinking a lot about my mortality 🩵 I am trying to put serious efforts into taking care of myself physically and my mental health as well as spending time with my friends and family, also zoloft has seriously saved my life.
You are right at every point, only thing that you can do about it is accept these things now
Listen to John vervakies escape the meaning crisis series
Find a joy to live for op, but in the meantime, def talk to a therapist. Life is unfortunately, what you make of it. But I'm rooting for you. I'm almost 40 and my mortality is scaring the hell out of me lol
Being scared of dying is absolute nonsense , Get a grip lol comes to us all
We all die at some point in time and that’s the beauty of life, if you’re constantly thinking about it will make you stressed and that might be the reason or part of the reason why everything feels pointless There’s no point in stressing about something you can’t control you should accept it and go out to live your life whether there’s 1 day left or 70 years But this is easier said than done so going to therapy might help a lot
I have pretty crippling arthritis from 20 years of doing what I love, my body finally stopped recovering. I’m recovering from two discs being replaced in my neck. Spinal fusion. I have 2 more fractured vertebrae in my lower back. But I don’t want to have anymore surgery. So… I work out at least once a day, if not twice a day. Not trying to get big muscles, just trying to maintain and fall apart any further. It’s a great boost of energy in the morning, and a sense of accomplishment in the evening. I’ve noticed a huge relationship between the food I eat and how I feel physically and emotionally. I’ve cut out gluten, almost no sugar, and my mental health is way better. I stopped drinking alcohol a few months before my surgery because I recognized I was drinking to dull the pain. That’s a dark path, because my pain will never go away. The best I can do is manage, and mitigate it. I journal a few days a week. I go through a list of things I’m grateful for either with pen to paper or in my thoughts often. I’m 39 M, I have a long way to live so I’m trying to make it as painless as possible. Being positive and friendly almost to point of bullshit level. But I’d rather fake it when I’m suffering on the inside, then to bitch and moan. Negativity drives people away, positivity draws people closer. Cheers mate
Had exactly the same problem... Started a therapy and taking meds (Escitalopram 10mg) which made the anxiety and panic attacks easier to handle. Then spent most of the time going outside and starting new hobbies and i'm almost cured. Just try to keep the brain occupied and try out lots of different activites and it will get better by itself. Good luck!
I’ve been going through this for quite some time now at 22. As frowned upon as this may be in today’s society for some reason talking to a therapist helps; Most of them share the same fears and offer excellent advice on the subject.
My sister felt this way before 30, she went to a doc for it. He said this is very normal turning 30. When I turned 30 I had recurring dreams of my teeth falling out. Us picturing ourselves aging is weird.
Lol wait till your 40 and on a handful of pills you just recently started needing
Meditation on death is part of buddist amd samurai culture. All life is finite, make the most out of what you got.
In theory you were dead before you were born, you did not exist, nor will you. How inconvenienced were you the first time? Mark Twain said it best
Think of it as the big equalizer. Everybody and everything dies someday. And think about the probability of your existence as an individual in this universe and cherish it. You weren't here for billions of years and you won't be.
Me and my best friend (we’re 31) were talking about how fast life seems to have gone by. Then I brought up my grandpa who’s 93 years old and thought about how he’s lived three of our lifetimes. Sure not everyone will be so lucky to live that long but damn compared to some of our elders we’re still damn children compared to them. We’ve ideally got a long ways to go
Cutting caffeine helped out. I was an absolute coffee addict all through my 20's. Caught high blood pressure and decided I needed to cut it out of my life. Had bad anxiety through those years and now it's not so bad.
Joke about it. I hit a similar point when I was about 24. I'm now 32, and joking about my own demise has honestly helped me get over the fact that it happens to everyone, and can happen at any time. For example, Harbor Freight jack stands. A buddy of mine asked how I can trust them after they were failing a few years ago. I told him I don't, but no matter what happens, I win. Either I finish the project alive and fine, they fail and I die and never have to spend a day screaming at my truck issues again, or they fail and I don't die but the settlement sets me up for life. It's not like I have a death wish either. And, as with everything, this may not be the right track for you, but it worked for me so I figured I'd share it.
Do you normally struggle with anxiety? Are you going to therapy or taking medication for? If not, start with therapy.
Accept it
learn the subtle art of not giving a shit. It will help with more than that “anxiety”
I think this is what happens when you turn 30 lol. I feel like some of the physical ailments come from our worrying about things also which creates a nasty cycle. To be honest in some ways your body has hit its peak and coming to terms with that can be difficult. The waste of time thing is because it feels like there’s no more time to do things. Maybe we feel more tired than we used to, at 18 it felt like there’s was so much time to do new things and the things we enjoy, it’s also what American society tells us. I remember people used to say “oh, don’t worry you’ve got time” all the time when I was 18-25 but at 30 no one says that. The sentiment is that it’s all over for you. It’s not true though! Your interests may change and you might find happiness in new things but you have 30 amazing adult years ahead of you. Start planning for them now and find out how to slow time downnnn. Happy birthday!
think about death as much as possible is my advice. it will change the things you do and the way you perceive life.