 Hospice
Resources
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Fears, Anxieties and
Unfinished Business of the Dying
| Anxiety and fear are two of the most common emotions experienced
during the dying process. Anxiety is described as apprehension
in the absence of a specific danger; we are anxious but we don't know
why. Fear is more specific; we can identify what we are afraid
of. Most people experience a lot of fear and anxiety about their
own death, but specific fears differ among individuals. What may
produce great fear and anxiety in one person may be of no concern to
another.
We can help reduce levels of anxiety by
encouraging them to identify what their specific fears are and then
addressing those fears individually. Listening,
helping them verbalize their concerns more clearly, acknowledging each
fear and addressing it separately, and providing reassurance or
education about misconceptions are important parts of caring for the
dying. The therapeutic goal is to help identify
which fears most concern them so they can begin to confront and resolve
those fears. Therese Rando identified the following fears, anxieties,
and other concerns of the dying.
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