Letters to the Editor
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talk to him
I feel for you LW. Sometimes, when I'm not looking, those thoughts come on me too. My mom is a Type II diabetic... what if she gets really sick tomorrow? I'm only 24, but can allready feel the creeping hand of mortality reaching for those I love. What happens when we die? Isn't that a root of anxiety sometimes.
I'd say the best way to deal with these feelings is two fold:
1. Distract yourself. Don't dwell on it. Try to distance yourself from the feeling, and look at it like you're someone else. A lot of time stuff like this isn't rational but we feel it anyway. Ride it out.
2. Talk to the people you are worried about losing. Have a frank discussion with your dad. Raise some of the issues. Not all at once, cause that'd be overwhelming in the extreme, but maybe 1 or 2 at a time. Ask him if he worries about death. Ask him about how he felt when HIS parents died. Sometimes realising that other people have been through the things you fear, and are fine, can help you stop fearing them.
3. Sounds lame, but keep a journal. Sometimes writing about your fears and anxiety can help you get a handle on what is really important to you, and ways of dealing with it. Writing itself is theraputic. When your thoughts swirl and clash and you begin to panic, writing forces you to order them, and stand back from them, so they can't get out of control.
Best of luck.