Five symptoms of imminent death that doctors are silent about

European medicine, as a science, has existed for many centuries. The arsenal of knowledge of modern doctors contains many signs characteristic of all kinds of diseases and specific conditions of the human body. Among these signs there are certain symptoms of imminent death, which doctors prefer not to advertise.

What is psychological death: forms of the disease, types of behavior of patients

In psychology, psychological death is understood as a state in which a person ceases to control his own life, letting it take its course. This is a disease, one of the common forms of which is depression. According to the type of manifestation, this state can be social and personal. Social (social death) - self-isolation of a person from society. He stops interacting with other people, losing not only his job, but also any contacts. In severe cases of mental depression, the individual stays at home for weeks, not even going to the store. Reacts negatively to external influences and the desire to help.

Personal apathy is complete indifference to oneself. A person may continue to participate in social life, but his sense of self changes completely. Although physically active, he remains indifferent. Without receiving pleasure from activities that were previously loved, the individual loses the meaning of life.

Afterword

So is there life after death from the point of view of a psychologist? In my opinion, there is, provided that you have left a mark on yourself, a memory, a socially significant contribution. Children, music, books, paintings, charities, social movements - there are a lot of options.

Remember how many historical figures or musicians are still alive in people’s memory: their work continues, their names and works are heard, their lives are discussed. But in every action, step, product they put a piece of their soul, their peculiarity. Isn't this life after death? But note that these people were actively living before her.

How to identify symptoms of psychopathology in yourself and loved ones

The gradual decline of personality is a multifaceted phenomenon. It is dangerous because it manifests itself in a complex of symptoms that are initially invisible to both the sick person and those around him. Typical symptoms of an incipient disease include:

• causeless apathy, indifference;
• increased fatigue, constant feeling of tiredness;
• sleep disturbances;
• refusal of food, disappearance of the feeling of hunger;
• chills, decreased body temperature;
• dulling of the feeling of pain;
• hypochondria, increased interest in the diseases of other people;
• addiction to alcohol;
• aggression turning into self-flagellation.

As a rule, the disease manifests itself with several symptoms at once, successively following each other. Unpleasant physical signs are accompanied by mood swings: outbursts of aggression appear without objective reasons, alternating with long stages of complete indifference. The short-term manifestation of symptoms is not a reason to panic: at the initial stage, a person can help himself on his own. But if they persist for several weeks, you should seek psychological help.

Religion in conversations about death

Religion is an important source of strength and support for many people, including when facing death. Religious explanations really help children if they are given adjusted to their children's perceptions and with an understanding of why this is being done.

A common route that many non-religious parents take when trying to explain death to a child is to add words and concepts from the religious paradigm into the story, such as heaven, angels, etc.

On the one hand, it’s easier, and parents can understand. On the other hand, if the child was not raised in this paradigm initially, he may become anxious and afraid.

Therefore, if you decide to use some of these ideas, but they are relatively new to the child, be especially careful with this.

1. If you use expressions like “God took away”, “he is now with God in heaven” - remember that children tend to interpret everything literally, so they may decide that God suddenly takes away whoever he wants, which means he will take them too.
2. Introduce the concept of “death is God's will” carefully: the child may think that God is evil and wants people to die, that God may want someone else in the child's family to die, or even himself.
3. You shouldn’t get carried away with depictions of paradise as a wonderful place where everyone feels good and where everyone dreams of going. Children, with their literal understanding, may themselves want to go there, especially if, according to this theory, someone very dear to them is already there. There are cases where children tried to harm themselves in order to die and finally go to heaven.
4. If you talk about how the dead “look at us from the sky”, “are invisibly present everywhere”, “remain in our hearts”, clarify that this does not mean the physical presence of the dead in the child’s room and that the corpse will not follow him .
5. If you are promoting the idea that the deceased is better off there (in heaven, in paradise), that he is happy there, make sure that this does not sound like “all is for the best.” This can happen because of your experiences, because you yourself do not really believe in heaven and eternal life, and because of the child’s own difficult emotions. Regardless of how reassuring the religious explanation is, death is in any case the loss of someone who lived and was dear, it is a time of grief and sadness. It is important not to prevent the child from understanding this and not to confuse him, also so that he can share his feelings and receive support.

All these recommendations are not for deeply religious people (it would never have occurred to me that I could teach them anything), but for those parents who turned to religious images precisely in the context of a conversation about death, out of confusion and anxiety.

Causes of psychological death: main risk factors

An apathetic state can develop in any person, even a positive and cheerful one. Its causes are varied and very individual, but risk factors can be identified:

1. Personal failures. Professional unfulfillment, loss of loved ones, family quarrels, especially those occurring in a short period of time, can seriously undermine mental health.
2. Social rejection. Rejection by the collective deprives the individual of one of the main needs - communication. Rejection, open negativity and hostility lead to symptoms of psychological dying.
3. Biological reasons. Decreased physical activity, disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system, and hormonal imbalances can affect the state of the psyche.

A single factor does not necessarily lead to the development of psychopathology.

But people with a weak type of nervous system are more susceptible to the influence of negative environmental factors

Therefore, they need to pay additional attention to their health status and use preventive measures every day.

There were no signs of trouble

As Bulgakov’s Woland said, “Yes, man is mortal, but that would not be so bad. The bad thing is that sometimes he is suddenly mortal.” Scientists also have a lot of research in this case. One of the most famous is the work of the Norwegian psychologist Randi Noyes, who identified stages for sudden death. Resistance stage. A person realizes the danger, experiences fear and tries to fight. As soon as he realizes the futility of such resistance, fear disappears and the person begins to feel serenity and calm.

Life review. It takes place in the form of a panorama of memories, replacing each other in quick succession and covering the entire past of a person. Most often this is accompanied by positive emotions, less often by negative ones.

Stage of transcendence. The logical conclusion of a life review. People begin to perceive their past with increasing distance. Eventually, they are able to reach a state in which all life is seen as one. At the same time, they distinguish every detail in an amazing way. After which even this level is overcome, and the dying person, as it were, goes beyond himself. It is then that he experiences a transcendental state, which is sometimes also called “cosmic consciousness.”

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The dangers of unwillingness to live: the impact of pathology on life and health

The rapid development of psychological death brings a person a lot of problems related not only to health, but also to other areas of life:

1. Health problems. Psychological diseases affect the physical condition, causing the development of chronic pathologies: diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system and musculoskeletal system.
2. Social maladjustment. The loss of social contacts often leads to complete self-isolation, depriving the individual of the opportunity for self-realization.
3. Suicidal tendencies. Prolonged apathy and lack of positive impressions are a common cause of suicide. Adolescents and older people are especially susceptible to the negative influence of pathology.

Since the insidiousness of psychopathology lies in the patient’s denial of symptoms, it is important to monitor the psychological state and pay attention to the state of loved ones

Timely assistance at an early stage saves from the development of symptoms and reduces the risk of relapse.

How to avoid the negative impact of psychopathology and get out of depression

To study the psychology of death, psychologists conduct group studies to compare how specific treatments help people cope with symptoms.

Methods approved by psychologists for overcoming depression without medication include:

1. New experience. Brain function is closely related to mental experience. The older an individual gets, the less new experience he receives. This leads to a slower reaction and the development of apathy. To avoid degradation of brain function, you should organize daily opportunities for yourself to gain new experiences: learn a foreign language, try new dishes, plan unusual routes.
2. Support social connections. Despite the reluctance to communicate, it is necessary to maintain social connections at least on a formal level: communicate with colleagues, family, and not withdraw into yourself.
3. Restoring the daily routine. Proper alternation of sleep and wakefulness is an indicative factor of good health. It is important to sleep at least 7 hours every day so that the psyche does not become exhausted.
4. Increased serotonin levels. If the natural level of the joy hormone is reduced, you need to increase it artificially by adding foods containing it to your diet: chocolate, bananas, green peas.
5. Support groups. It is difficult for a person with psychological problems to open up to loved ones. But communicating with people suffering from similar diseases can be an outlet. You can find such support groups on the Internet or contact your local mental health center.

Non-drug methods help only in the first stages and with mild forms of the disease, as well as for the prevention of pathology in conditions of increased stress. If the use of these methods does not help, you need to contact a psychotherapist to select individual treatment.

Dying is not scary

One of the largest and most widely recognized studies of post-mortem experiences was also conducted back in the 1960s of the last century. It was led by American psychologist Karlis Osis. The study was based on observations of attending physicians and nurses caring for dying people. His conclusions are based on the experience of 35,540 observations of the dying process.

The authors of the study stated that the majority of dying people did not experience fear. Feelings of discomfort, pain, or indifference were more common. About one in 20 people showed signs of elation.

Some studies show that older people experience less anxiety when thinking about death than relatively younger people. A survey of a large group of elderly people showed that the question “Are you afraid to die?” only 10% of them answered yes. It is noted that old people think about death often, but with amazing calm.