What to Do If You Keep Thinking About Death

Most of us think about death from time to time. After all, death is inevitable, and it’s also unknown — two factors that are bound to cause some curiosity and even anxiety on occasion. But if you find yourself thinking about death a lot, it could be a sign of a more serious medical problem, like depression or anxiety.

At Revival Infusion Madison in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, Sarah Wilczewski, CRNA, APNP helps patients take control of obsessive thoughts associated with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues through state-of-the-art ketamine infusion therapy. Here, learn what you can do if you’re worried about recurring thoughts of death.

Why “death thoughts” happen

First, if you’re at risk of harming yourself or others or you’re thinking about harming yourself or others, it’s vitally important to call 911 right away. It might be stressful to think about, but immediate intervention can help you manage these thoughts and avoid more serious — even lethal — consequences.

Persistent or recurrent thoughts about death and dying can be triggered by the death of a loved one or a person you admire. In those instances, being confronted with another person’s death on a more personal level can bring your own mortality or the mortality of loved ones into sharper focus.

But recurrent thoughts of death and dying can also occur independently of another person’s death. People who suffer from depression or anxiety frequently have “intrusive thoughts” that seem to come out of nowhere. The more you worry about those thoughts or try to stop them, the more insistent and intrusive they can become.

Unfortunately, those intrusive thoughts are almost invariably negative. Obsessing about death or frequently thinking about it is one way anxiety, depression, and some other emotional issues manifest.

How ketamine can help

While antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and psychotherapy can be very effective in helping many people manage negative thought patterns and intrusive thoughts, these methods don’t work for everyone. In recent years, ketamine therapy has emerged as an alternative for people with treatment-resistant emotional health issues, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Used for years as an anesthetic, ketamine binds with specific nerve receptors responsible for mood. When these receptors are blocked, your brain releases more of a chemical called glutamate, a substance that enhances communication among brain cells.

Optimizing cell-to-cell communication plays a big role in modulating mood and reducing mood disorders, like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. In addition, ketamine appears to “calm down” networks that tend to become over-excited in people with mood disorders.

Ketamine also works faster than medications used to treat mood disorders, and treatments can be repeated as needed. At Revival Infusion Madison, every ketamine infusion treatment plan is customized on an individual basis to ensure each patient enjoys optimal benefits.

Help for intrusive thoughts

If you’re having intrusive thoughts about death or dying or if you’re continually plagued by other types of negative thinking, ketamine infusions might be the solution you’re looking for. To find out more about ketamine therapy and whether you’re a good candidate, call 608-405-6824 or book an appointment online with the team at Revival Infusion Madison today.