It can be common to reflect on questions about mortality and identity, but if existential thoughts become persistent and intrusive, you may be dealing with an underlying mental health condition—such as anxiety, depression, or existential OCD. Treatments like exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy can help you face life’s uncertainty with more ease.
Have you ever found yourself ruminating over life’s purpose, or what happens when we die? These thoughts, often tied to feelings of existential dread, can become overwhelming, and may feel hard to shake. You may even have experienced a sinking feeling that life’s biggest questions are impossible to answer.
Existential dread is a deeply human experience. Big life transitions or loss often cause us to feel momentarily lost, or to ponder our larger purpose. While it’s common to wonder about these issues from time to time, it’s important to note if you’re feeling continually stuck, anxious, or adrift in a sea of “what-ifs.” In some cases, these feelings can be tied to a mental health condition, such as depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Understanding what might be driving these thoughts is an important first step toward finding relief, and getting the help you need. With the right tools, you can regain a sense of clarity and calm. Read on to learn more about existential dread, and when it might be time to reach out for extra support.
What causes existential dread?
Existential dread often stems from a deep need for certainty. It typically comes and goes throughout life, showing up more as a result of certain triggers, including:
- Major life changes: Events like graduating, starting a career, or aging can stir up questions about identity and purpose.
- Trauma or grief: A significant loss or crisis can prompt reflection on life’s meaning.
- Philosophical exploration: Studying concepts like infinity or existence can spark unease for some.
- Doubt about values or choices: Mary Beth Overstreet, MA LPC, notes that decision-making can amplify feelings of uncertainty for some people.
In some cases, these triggers can end up leading to intrusive thoughts—unwanted thoughts that feel distressing and hard to control. For some, these thoughts might center around fears of not being a good person, or uncertainty about identity or purpose. “Individuals who struggle with existential dread struggle with wanting to be certain about what type of person they are, or how to make choices that seem impossible,” says Overstreet.
Individuals who struggle with existential dread struggle with wanting to be certain about what type of person they are, or how to make choices that seem impossible
Mary Beth Overstreet
It’s important to note that while everyone experiences intrusive thoughts occasionally, if they start to feel constant or make it difficult to focus on daily tasks, you may be dealing with a larger mental health condition.
Existential dread and mental health
Sometimes, struggling with regular intrusive thoughts about life’s purpose or your mortality can be a sign of a mental health condition, like depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Let’s explore some of these conditions, so you can get a better understanding of whether your own experience with existential dread is connected to a deeper cause.
Depression
If your experience with existential dread starts to feel like a constant weight that is dragging you down and creating feelings of hopelessness and apathy, it might be tied to depression. Depression can create feelings of emptiness, sometimes triggering thoughts like, What’s the point of all this?
Unlike occasional moments of existential reflection, depression-fueled existential dread often accompanies other symptoms, like low energy, emotional numbness, changes in sleep or appetite, and difficulty focusing or finding joy. These feelings are tough, but they don’t have to be permanent. Reaching out to a mental health professional can be a powerful first step.
Anxiety
For many people, existential dread and anxiety are closely linked. Anxiety often feeds on uncertainty, and existential thoughts can amplify those feelings, creating a loop of worry and overthinking that feels hard to escape. If your existential dread is connected to anxiety, you may experience physical symptoms like restlessness, a racing heart, or trouble sleeping. This combination can leave you feeling stuck, exhausted, and disconnected—but it is treatable.
OCD and existential OCD
OCD is a mental health condition characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts, sensations, images, feelings, or urges (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to alleviate the distress caused by these intrusions. For some with OCD, existential dread transforms into an obsession, with fears about life’s unanswered questions consuming mental energy, and dominating daily life.
Many individuals that struggle with OCD fear that they aren’t a good person, because of their intrusive thoughts. his can then lead the person to start doubting who they are and what their purpose is.
Mary Beth Overstreet
“Many individuals that struggle with OCD fear that they aren’t a good person, because of their intrusive thoughts,” Overstreet says. “This can then lead the person to start doubting who they are and what their purpose is.”
Existential OCD is a subtype of OCD where obsessions revolve around profound, unresolved questions about existence, spirituality and morals—leaving a person questioning every aspect of their identity. Unlike more fleeting existential dread, existential OCD traps individuals in a relentless pattern of obsessions and compulsions. Overstreet explains: “Individuals with existential OCD are going to seek reassurance and ruminate on the fear that they don’t know what they believe about life’s meaning, or their existence.”
Community discussions
Someone with existential OCD might:
- Repeatedly analyze philosophical or spiritual concepts in search of certainty.
- Seek reassurance from loved ones about their purpose or morality.
- Avoid situations, people, or conversations that trigger these existential fears.
Performing these compulsions may provide brief relief, but will ultimately keep you stuck in a cycle of doubt and distress.
If existential thoughts feel all-consuming, seeking professional help is key.
Coping with existential dread
Behavioral activation therapy
If your existential dread seems connected to depression, it’s worth exploring behavioral activation therapy. This approach helps you reconnect with the activities that bring purpose and joy to your life, by gradually reintroducing the things that matter most to you. In doing so, you can feel more connected to the here and now, and less lost in questions about your true purpose. Behavioral activation therapy can improve your mood and help you break out of patterns of avoidance or withdrawal.
ERP therapy
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a highly effective, evidence-based treatment for both OCD and anxiety. This treatment helps individuals confront their fears in a controlled, supportive environment with the guidance of a trusted therapist. Instead of relying on compulsions to manage anxiety, ERP teaches you to sit with discomfort and accept uncertainty. Over time, you’ll build resilience, and be better able to deal with your intrusive thoughts without immediately reacting.
Overstreet says ERP can help people manage fear around life’s meaning, by allowing you to identify root causes, harmful coping mechanisms, and new ways to respond. For example, someone who fears making the “wrong” life choice might work on ERP exercises like imagining a scenario where they made a “bad” decision and resisting the urge to ruminate or seek reassurance. The goal here isn’t to find answers, but to learn how to live with the discomfort these thoughts trigger, eventually developing the skills necessary to withstand that uncertainty.
Though it may feel challenging at first, ERP is an empowering process that can help individuals with OCD or anxiety reclaim their time and focus on what truly matters.
Find the right OCD therapist for you
All our therapists are licensed and trained in exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), the gold standard treatment for OCD.
Other ways to cope with existential dread
While seeking out support from a mental health professional is important for managing a mental health condition, there are other practical strategies you can use to ease the grip of existential dread:
1. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness can help ground you when existential dread feels overwhelming. When you start feeling anxious about existence, try meditating or focusing on your breath to stay in the present moment.
2. Focus on your values
Take time to reflect on what truly matters to you. Try writing a list of the values you want to embody and the goals you hope to achieve, to help ground yourself in what’s possible.
3. Engage in meaningful activities
Participate in activities that bring purpose to your day-to-day life. Volunteering, learning a new skill, or taking a class that interests you can help redirect your energy toward something positive and rewarding.
4. Connect with others
Existential dread can feel isolating, but connecting with others can provide new perspectives and much-needed support. Share your feelings with trusted friends, or join a community group. Sometimes, simply knowing you’re not alone can make a big difference.
Moving forward
At some point, almost everyone struggles with deep, unsettling questions about existence and purpose. If you’re finding these thoughts difficult to manage, acknowledging your distress is the first step. From there, it’s important to identify what may be causing these feelings—so you can figure out what type of support you need. Uncertainty can be scary, but remember that you don’t need to have all the answers to find peace.
Key takeaways
- Existential dread is a natural part of life, but if it becomes persistent and overwhelming, it’s important to explore what might be driving these feelings.
- Existential OCD is a subtype of OCD where unanswerable questions about identity, purpose, or existence become obsessions—creating a cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsions.
- Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is the most effective treatment for existential OCD, helping individuals learn to sit with discomfort and break free from the obsessive-compulsive cycle.
- Lifestyle strategies like engaging in mindfulness, identifying core values, participating in meaningful activities, and connecting with others can provide additional support for managing existential dread.
