Had a small panic attack about death

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Are you afraid of the time before you were born? Because you didn't exist then either. We are just on a brief vacation from non-existence. I feel like I've come to grips with the fact that I'm not that important, that one day I will die, that life will go on. If anything, use the anxiety to help motivate you to use today in a worthwhile way. The world will be made slightly different by your existence - that is your afterlife. What will it be? It's up to you.

Here's what helped me. Start thinking about your future death. It won't be easy, but it will get easier to deal with. I eventually came to understand that it's important to make the most of my life NOW.

JW's and many EXJW's are scared of death because we're taught to NEVER deal with that reality. We we're taught/brainwashed to ignore what we can make out of this life, and focus on "the real life", which is after Armageddon or after resurrection. It's a total denial of reality, that leads us to waste our lives as just a waiting room for something else.

Once I began to understand this, and think about my future death, I stopped being so terrified of death. It may sound cliche, but our lives are more about quality than quantity. The more quality your life has, the more okay you'll be with death. I'm certain of it.

I am 18 and I have been having panic attacks since I was around 7 or 8. I suffer from Depression as well as Anxiety so needless to say death is something that was/is constantly on my mind. Something that has helped me a lot is to think of death as part of the life cycle. The elderly pass away and new children are born. Death is inevitable but we should be living our lives to the fullest and not focusing on what happens after. If there is an afterlife then great, but if there isn't then even more reason to live our lives to the fullest. Don't know if this helps but this mentality is something that helps me.

Live in the now and cherish the time you have with your parents. I too, grew up thinking I would never die. Coming to terms with my and my loved one's mortality is not easy. Add to that, the years I lost to this cult... means I have a fire lit under my ass to get things done.

The thought of slipping into an eternal black nothingness is a scary one.. perhaps you should explore some other concepts/theories on death and the afterlife.

Metaphysically speaking you never die, and time is an illusion.

I feel the same way but I don't get panic attacks. I just have to learn to accept that one day I'll day and that will be the end of me.

I'm in a really similar situation to you in lots of ways (age, grandparents, parents) and I had the same thoughts while watching Altered Carbon. All I can say is that my thoughts on death have become less invasive and less severe as I've been awake longer but I still feel like it's a feeling that may never completely go away. I lost beliefs that were important to me and I think it's somewhat similar to the grieving process--the pain may never disappear, but it'll become more and more manageable.

What I've tried to do is find things that are important to me and do them in place of meetings and other JW activities. And since death is such a concern, I try to do things that improve my chances of a healthy and long life. Personally, outdoor activities seem to help the most. I'll try to do some yard work or go running while my wife is at the meeting. I'm also working to improve and maintain my health overall: losing a little weight and just working hard to be active. When I'm outside exercising or even just living life, it's easiest to put those feelings about death out of my mind.

And as a side note, I think about those sort of comments from JWs all the time, about how 'it's the best way of life whether it's true or not' and similar nonsense. All I can say is that those are the words of people who believe. It's absolutely NOT worth it to me to spend 4 hours a week in meetings, another 2-4 hours studying for, showering, shaving, and getting dressed for meetings, plus another 2-4 hours a week preparing for and participating in service. Sure, you can get by with less, but you'll be judged as "not exemplary" anywhere less than that. So no, it isn't worth it to me to do all of that regardless of whether it's true or not. I'd much rather be enjoying my yard, the great outdoors, or just some relaxation during that time. When I'm 80 I really can't imagine I'll look back and wish I'd spent more time in church.

I became an RN (retired 5 years ago) and cared for hospice patients both inhome and inpatient. I have no fear of death based on my years of observation. Observations of all spectrums of society: Buddhist, atheists, Christians, criminals.

We humans tend to fear that of which we have no experience or knowledge. Death is not to be feared any more than going to sleep at night. It is sad to lose loved ones in death because we miss them, but I have seen many experiences that make me believe there is something beyond, don’t know what. I am not religious but find beauty and joy in each day. Hope you find peace around this subject.

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At the end of the day, literally, we don't know or can prove what happens. Please don't worry too much. Make sure you really live for now.

That lead me to thinking about how death is so permanent we go to sleep its all dark and that's it and boom panic attack the walls are closing in on me I don't want to die and go away forever.

No one does - unless they're in extreme mental, emotional or physical pain.

It's unfortunately a part of life. As you put it, the knowledge that we all eventually end, will help you to " live my life to the fullest".

There's hedonism, then there's living an effective, abundant life that is fulfilling.

Only you can figure out what that will consist of, but you've already got the tools to do so. There's a great deal of wisdom in those people who advise to sit down and make a one-year plan, a three-year plan, and a five-year plan.

First, decide what you'd like to accomplish in your lifetime.

Art? Music? Helping people? Helping animals?

Of course the first thing you need to do is help YOURSELF - heal, thrive, grow. Then you'll be in a position to help others.

As my old swimming instructor used to say, you can't save someone else if you're drowning.

Also, that whole JW fantasy about an everlasting paradise earth isn't supported by the physical laws of the universe, but I think you already knew that...

There could be some life extension technology that could give us more time, who knows.

I can’t believe you post it here. Yesterday i had my first panic attack and i was thinking in share it here.

I was reading the book crisis of conscience and after it I came here to read the posts and so on.

I was very upset with some things I read in the Book, rather the case of the sexual impositions on the org and how it affected so much women and men for the worse.

So i fall asleep around the 3am and suddenly had a panic attack. I thought I was gonna die.

Same!!

I went from being in fear of living a long, boring and unending life ( thinking ok after a billon years, I’ll be around for another billon years, then what do i do then, then what else and then what else... infinity...) that scared the shit out of me and hurt my brain to now being scared of the impending nothingness that’s inevitable.

I understand and realize that I need to enjoy life now and I try my best to navigate life after-JW but still have anxiety attacks from time to time about death.

My apologies if I sound insensitive.

You just have to accept that it will happen some day, and deal with it when it does. Till then, there's no point really thinking about when your family is going to die, and panic about it. And then you start panicking about being panicked, and you end up nowhere.

The only person I love in this world is my dad, many times I've had dreams where he died and I wake up crying and realising it was a dream. Sometimes, it's hard to control those feeling and when I said this to my mom, I'd cry saying it. Not because of talking to her, she's a bitch. I just know I'll really miss him when he's gone.

Be close to your loved ones, as long as it doesn't affect you too much. Tell whoever you want, whenever you want, without delay, that you love them.

There is!!! Something out there, a lot more powerful than you and I! Please feel free to contact me direct. And can I just add, knowing what I know... Do not worry about death!

Been in same boat researched etc, my end game, Jesus died for ALL mankind, not 8 million led by self righteous. Jesus was the one who offered paradise, everlasting life, on the last day, (I believe last day your alive) Christ’s return, so when you see Jesus just accept him. This I believe is the small ray of light in the bible, the Yahweh is the bad guy. Look up YouTube bobby Collier good god

My grandma was a spiritualist, lots of weird things happened. My mother became a JW in 1952 and all of us were indoctrinated. My sister left home at 16 and pioneered in Liverpool, then went to Ireland as a special pioneer. At 74 she woke and stopped going! I digress.

When my Grandmother died my father who never became a JW inherited a ring. He kept it at work, the day he got it he heard a voice behind ask if he was alright. No body else in the room. It scared him... Mum told him to get rid of it! He. Brought it home and his it. That night when we were all in bed the downstairs door slammed shut! My mum must have asked him if he'd brought the ring home. He told her where it was.

That morning she took the ring and threw it in to waste long grass in a park when going shopping.

5 minutes after returning a knock on the door and a Gypsy woman stood there and said " I've brought your ring back Mrs S......n" ?

She threw it away again and it never came back!

Many other weird things have happened. I can categorically say none of this was imagination. When 6 people stay in a log cabin in Scotland and ALL have the same thing happen to them thru the night only convinces me that there is something more intelligent.

I stopped going to meeting 18 months ago at the age of 66. As mentioned on other posts on Reddit many think that the watchtower has lost it's way. I still think that this life is not all there is, And although I'm afraid of dying I still think there is something more.