The man of mystery, or so he was called. Laying on his ICU bed with his eyes closed but full of tears as the doctors’ struggle to wake him up for the past week. External fixations on his left upper limb and lower limb, vac dressings, drips, drains and ICP monitors attached. I could not help but to wonder if he was fearful of death or was I fearful that at the age of 23 he still had meaning to add to his life?

Comprehension, purpose and mattering are three aspects used to assess the multidimensional construct of meaning in life. A meaningful life was lived if one’s life made sense, was directed and motivated by goals and if one’s existence felt significant (George and Park, 2016). Interchangeably purpose is used with meaning in literature (George and Park, 2013). Purpose refers to the engagement of a person in life goals and valued activities (McKnight and Kashdan, 2009).

With the patient being in a coma and the medical staff not having any connections with his family or loved ones made it difficult to assess this multidimensional construct of meaning in life. Not knowing any of his life goals or valued activities complicated my treatment session. In the back of my mind I was constantly wondering what he was feeling and thinking.

I still often wonder if the man of mystery reached his purpose in life. He was only a year older than what I am now. I know I still want to add purpose to my life. I tend to accept death of elderly easier than death of young. This is due to the stereotype where elderly have reached their life goals and engaged in valued activities, and where the young have the “rest” of their lives still ahead. Not adding purpose to your live can lead to the fear of death.

Thanatophobia or in simple words, the anxiety caused due to the fear of death or the process of dying. It is entirely normal to have anxiety about dying. People tend to fear death due to the fear of separation, fear of dealing with a loss and worrying about leaving loved ones behind (Timothy J. Legg, 2019). I often wonder if the man of mystery experienced thanatophobia. Individual factors including age and gender affects a person’s experience of death anxiety. Elders often fear the dying process, where younger people fear death itself (Sinoff, 2017). With the man of mystery only being 23 years of age he could have been fearing death itself.  However, woman more often fear the death of loved ones and the consequences of their death (Iverach, Menzies and Menzies, 2014). Therefore, he could have been at peace with the fact that he was dying and there was nothing he or anybody could do to prevent it.

I struggle to come to terms that elderly and young could have add comprehension, purpose and mattering to their life and therefore live a meaningful life irrespective of their age. If one lacks in one of these three aspects in life it is inevitable the fear of death will follow. When in a coma it is difficult to determine if the three aspects were met or if the patient’s fear of death is sinking in. The man of mystery will remain a mystery.

Reference list:

George, L. S., & Park, C. L. (2013). Are meaning and purpose distinct? An examination of correlates and predictors. Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(5), 365–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.805801

George, L. S., & Park, C. L. (2016). Meaning in life as comprehension, purpose, and mattering: Toward integration and new research questions. Review of General Psychology, 20(3), 205–220. https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000077

Iverach, L., Menzies, R. and Menzies, R. (2014). Death anxiety and its role in psychopathology: Reviewing the status of a transdiagnostic construct. Clinical Psychology Review, 34(7), pp.580-593.

McKnight, P. and Kashdan, T. (2009). Purpose in Life as a System that Creates and Sustains Health and Well-Being: An Integrative, Testable Theory. Review of General Psychology, 13(3), pp.242-251.

Sinoff, G. (2017). Thanatophobia (Death Anxiety) in the Elderly: The Problem of the Child’s Inability to Assess Their Own Parent’s Death Anxiety State. Frontiers in Medicine, 4.

Timothy J. Legg, C. (2019). Thanatophobia: What to know about death anxiety. [online] Medical News Today. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321939.php [Accessed 4 Sep. 2019].