Fear Of Death In Children
Between the ages of 10 and 12, children generally understand the concept of death and what it entails. At this age, they begin to be aware that all people, at some point, stop living, including themselves and their loved ones. This is when the fear of death usually appears.
In addition, in the case of families that treat this topic as something taboo, this can cause fear to increase and even become a childhood pathology.
Do you want to know more about the fear of death in children? Along the following lines we explain everything you need to know!
The fear of death in children
In a way, the fear of death is normal and natural. Nobody likes the idea of disappearing from this world forever and having to face that situation that is so unknown, uncertain and overwhelming for human beings.
When children begin to express this fear, the family should be there to talk about it and try to solve all doubts frankly and clearly, avoid lies and try not to suppress any type of feeling or emotion that arises during the conversation . In addition, you have to know how to select the right words depending on the age and level of emotional maturity of the children.
This is intended for minors to understand that death is part of the life cycle and that, despite the fact that everyone has their time at some point, this cannot be a reason not to enjoy everyday life and be fully happy.
When to seek psychological help to overcome this type of fear?
When the fear of death in children appears in an extreme, uncontrolled and obsessive way, we would no longer be talking about a fear typical of childhood, but a psychological pathology called thanatophobia.
Thanatophobia is a specific type of phobia characterized by experiencing constant worry regarding one’s own death or the death of a close relative. This irrational fear, which persists over time, produces anguish, anxiety, discomfort and a lot of suffering in situations that are believed to end the life of one or others.
This limits and incapacitates people who suffer from this disorder, since everyday situations such as going out to the street or getting into a car can be a source of real stress and panic.
To prevent this problem from increasing, it is important that, as soon as there is the slightest suspicion that a child may have thanatophobia, they go to a specialized professional with the intention of seeking psychological help that allows them to overcome the irrational fear of death.
Why does the fear of death appear in childhood?
The normal thing is that the fear of death acts as a self-defense mechanism in situations that pose a danger or a real threat. This type of fear usually appears in children when they realize that no one is eternal, since it is an evolutionary fear that ceases over time.
But, when the little ones realize this because they have lost a loved one or because they have in the immediate environment a person suffering from a serious and possibly fatal illness, this can become a childhood trauma that significantly affects the development of mental health.
In these cases, it is necessary to adequately treat these situations at the time they occur and try to help children heal their injuries related to the issue.
Another reason that can cause this fear in children is constant exposure to movies or video games in which violence and death are present at all times. Which can affect them on a psychological level, so it is convenient to control the display of this type of audiovisual material.
Whatever the cause that makes a child fear death, the important thing is to treat this issue as something natural and not as something “for adults” that minors cannot understand.
