I am only 23, and I have had bad thoughts about death in the past. However, I've realized that I'm not going to find the answer to death. It isn't worth my time to worry about it, because I simply will not find a satisfying answer, so I accept the unknown and put effort into things I can control. Death will eventually reach everyone and everything, so we shouldn't worry about it. What is our worry going to do for us except waste our time we do have? Enjoy it!

Hello, I left the description of this very vague because it involves a subject that scares the heck out of me. I am so afraid of dying sometimes that it causes me some panic. I sometimes feel so afraid because we are, infact, mortal and whatever belief you have of their being an afterlife or not, death is a reality. I love to laugh, be happy, spend endless hours with my wife or working out, or other things. But with OCD, certain thoughts enter my head sometimes and lately it's been about dying and how afraid of it I am. Does anyone else here have this phobia. I've been told that I should not waste my time worrying about this by many a relative. I remember when I was 15, I obsessed over it for nearly an entire winter. N one knew I had OCD or what it even was back then. I am 40 now and I have been obsessing about it on and off for about 5 years now. Lately it's been very tough as my anxiety cycles have been very strong. I can go a few weeks without having a panic attack over something, thinking I finally beat it, and them blam, I start to think and the bad thoughts come back. Just recently, I was so into the New York Mets and their playoff run, but when they were eliminated from the playoffs, I felt like something was missing, and the bad thoughts crept back in. I know I am basically generalizing here, but these are real fears. The fear of dying may sound irrational to some, but to me it's a very real fear. Religion can play a big part in what peple percieve life as. I was raised Jewish, so you could imagine my confusion about God and religion compared to a Catholic or Christian or another religion. There is a post on this board in the agoraphobia thread that discusses unreality. I sometimes have moments of this and I feel, and have been told that it's the mind's way of protecting the body or something like that, from a fear. Anyway, I wanted to post here about this as I thought I could gain some wisdom on this from others who may experience. I must add that I do believe in God, but this topic really does not pertain to religion. I feel you can believe in God and not be religious. Thanks for anyone who reads, and/or responds. David