The fear of cemeteries is known as Coimetrophobia. People with this phobia will avoid these places, usually because they are a potent reminder of the finite nature of human existence.
Reasons For This Phobia
Fear of cemeteries is quite common. In the course of our lives, most of us encounter death, and it can be difficult to accept. This phobia is tied into the fear of mortality, perhaps the greatest phobia of all. When people with the fear of cemeteries see gravestones that mark the resting places of the dead, they may feel pangs of loss. They may remember loved ones who have passed, or simply be reminded that they too must die.
Religion May Soothe Fears
Dealing with this phobia can be easier when a person has some religious beliefs. Faith in God, in reincarnation, or any sort of afterlife, may be one way to ease fears of death and cemeteries. However, even people who have faith may ultimately fear the idea of physical death.
Horror movies and other macabre books and programs may feed into Coimetrophobia. Novels like Stephen King’s Pet Sematary present frightening scenarios that inspire anxiety and terror. For some, Halloween, with its spooky images of tombstones and skeletons, may be a trigger for the fear of cemeteries. There are many triggers for this fear: people with this phobia will do their best to avoid all of them.
Going to funerals may feel impossible, when Coimetrophobia is present. People may avoid paying tribute to loved ones at cemeteries, and laying flowers on the graves. This desire to avoid cemeteries can cause some tension in family relationships. It may seem as though the person with this phobia does not care about a loved ones passing, but this is not necessarily the case. In fact, the grief the person feels may be yet another trigger for this affliction.
Cremation Vs. Being Buried
People with Coimetrophobia may prefer to set up their wills and instructions to specify cremation upon the even of their death. They will shrink from the idea of being buried beneath the earth. Fears about decomposition, decay, and even being buried alive may become obsessions. Sometimes, these fears can get out of control. Panic attacks and other physical symptoms may surface as the person who fears cemeteries gives in to dark thoughts and difficult emotions. Psychotherapy and panic treatment may be the best starting points for dealing with this phobia and its side effects.
How To Cope
If you suffer from panic attacks related to Coimetrophobia, you may get headaches, suffer from dizziness and vertigo, and feel a sense of doom around graveyards and tombstones. You will find yourself dealing with memories of death or loss that are unpleasant and painful. If your phobia stems from the fear of mortality, you may become obsessed with extending your own life, through traditional exercise and nutrition regiments, or alternative therapies, such as holistic supplements and treatments.
Getting control of Coimetrophobia can be done. It may require education and a more philosophical attitude towards death. Panic treatment, and other soothing therapies, such as hypnotism or yoga and meditation, may provide enhanced well being and serenity.
The fear of cemeteries is also referred to as:
- cemetery fear
- cemetery phobia
- afraid of cemeteries
