Choices for Living: Coping with Fear of Dying [Hardcover]

Although many books are written about bereavement, very few are written about the fear of one's own death and most of these focus chiefly on terminal illness. In contrast, this book looks at the ways in which the fear of death operates on a back burner throughout our lives and how it influences the choices we make and the paths that we follow in life. The author presents a `moral hierarchy' of behavior used in coping with the fear of death and dying.Although many books are written about bereavement, very few are written about the fear of one's own death and most of these focus chiefly on terminal illness. In contrast, this book looks at the ways in which the fear of death operates on a back burner throughout our lives and how it influences the choices we make and the paths that we follow in life. The author presents a `moral hierarchy' of behavior used in coping with the fear of death and dying.1. Attitudes toward Death.2. Probable Causes of the Fear of Dying.3. Creativity.4. Love.5. Humor.6. Intellectualization.7. Procreation.8. Obsessional Behavior.9. Living to the Hilt, Living Longer, Living Better.10. Group Membership.11. Religion.12. Mementos and Monuments.13. Counterphobic Behavior.14. Gambling.15. Dissociation.16. Repression/Denial.17. Suicide.18. Projection, Killing, and the Problem of Evil.19. Summary and Conclusions.References. Index.