Alex's Answer

Hi there and welcome to Ask Alex.  

Thank you for contacting us. We appreciate you writing to us. You have asked, ‘I’m afraid of dying, is this normal?’. 

Thanatophobia is an intense fear of death or dying. It can also be known as ‘death anxiety’. It’s natural to feel some sense of worry about death or dying. After all, it’s normal to fear the unknown. You might think dying will be scary, painful, or lonely. But if you have thanatophobia, your fear of death affects your daily life. 

It is important and can be so helpful to talk with a trusted adult about the things that are worrying you. If you could speak to a parent, grandparent, teacher, neighbour – whoever you have a good relationship with – you may find that they went through similar difficulties when they were younger. This person could be a good source of support; you could turn to them when in need. 

Remember, you can always phone Childline on 1800 66 66 66 to talk about what is going on for you if you don’t feel ready to talk to someone in your life quite yet. We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our web chat service through www.childline.ie, is also available daily. While we will not tell you what to do, we are here to listen to and support you, and to help you to explore the options that are available to you in your life. We are here to help you in a way that suits you.   

Take care,  

Alex