Necrophobia
Encyclopedia
Necrophobia is the abnormal fear of dead things (e.g., corpses) as well as things associated with death (e.g., coffins, tombstones). Necrophobia is derived from Greek nekros (νεκρός) for "corpse" and -phob-
from the Greek phobos (φόβος) for "fear
".With all types of emotions, obsession with death becomes evident in both fascination and objectification.
Symptoms include: shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, dry mouth and shaking, feeling sick and uneasy, psychological instability, and an altogether feeling of dread and trepidation. The sufferer may feel this phobia all the time, or only when something triggers the fear, like a close encounter with a dead animal or the funeral of a loved one or friend. The fear may have developed when a person witnessed a death, or was forced to attend a funeral as a child. Some people experience this after viewing frightening media.
The fear is an important illness and should be taken seriously. Treatment for this should be some type of medication or therapy can be used also.
itself, of being dead or dying. Thanatophobia is not the psychological phenomenon of death anxiety
, nor the related but more philosophically-motivated 'existential angst'; death anxiety and existential angst are not phobias. People suffering from thanatophobia are so preoccupied with death or dying that it begins to affect their daily lives. They may even develop other disorders as they try to cope with their phobia, such as obsessive–compulsive disorder or hypochondriasis. Thanatophobia is derived from Thanatos
(θάνατος: "death"), the Greek personification of death
.
-phob-
The English suffixes -phobia, -phobic, -phobe occur in technical usage in psychiatry to construct words that describe irrational, disabling fear as a mental disorder , in chemistry to describe chemical aversions , in biology to describe organisms that dislike certain conditions ,...
from the Greek phobos (φόβος) for "fear
Fear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
".With all types of emotions, obsession with death becomes evident in both fascination and objectification.
Symptoms include: shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, dry mouth and shaking, feeling sick and uneasy, psychological instability, and an altogether feeling of dread and trepidation. The sufferer may feel this phobia all the time, or only when something triggers the fear, like a close encounter with a dead animal or the funeral of a loved one or friend. The fear may have developed when a person witnessed a death, or was forced to attend a funeral as a child. Some people experience this after viewing frightening media.
The fear is an important illness and should be taken seriously. Treatment for this should be some type of medication or therapy can be used also.
Thanatophobia
Similar to necrophobia, thanatophobia is the more specific fear of deathDeath
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
itself, of being dead or dying. Thanatophobia is not the psychological phenomenon of death anxiety
Terror management theory
Terror Management Theory , in social psychology, states that all human behavior is motivated by the fear of mortality. The theory purports to help explain human activity both at the individual and societal level...
, nor the related but more philosophically-motivated 'existential angst'; death anxiety and existential angst are not phobias. People suffering from thanatophobia are so preoccupied with death or dying that it begins to affect their daily lives. They may even develop other disorders as they try to cope with their phobia, such as obsessive–compulsive disorder or hypochondriasis. Thanatophobia is derived from Thanatos
Thanatos
In Greek mythology, Thanatos was the daemon personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person...
(θάνατος: "death"), the Greek personification of death
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
.