Written by Luiza Ghazaryan

It’s not a secret that hospital walls usually carry an oppressing feeling, fears, and concerns about one’s health. However, there is a common feeling among patients – the feeling that they are going to die. It is known as impending doom, a feeling that something life-threatening or tragic is about to occur. Some doctors usually don’t pay attention to those sensations because every patient may feel scared or uncertain to some extent during their hospital visit. 

In a New York Times article, an elderly man with a heart disease was receiving treatment and according to the doctors, was doing well and was on track for recovery. Nevertheless, at one point during his hospital stay, he told the physicians,

 “I am going to die here.” 

The medical team tried to reassure him, but physically, he was becoming sicker. Later on, he was placed on hospice care and sadly, had passed away. In the same article, another woman told the medical team that she had the feeling that she was going to die that day. In a matter of only a few hours, her health declined, multiple organs failed even before the healthcare professionals had the chance to get her CT scans. The doctor mentioned that it was “one of the most rapid non cardiac deaths” they have seen.

In a DailyMail article, a new mom had the feeling that she was going to die and was in pain. Nevertheless, her doctors dismissed her by telling that her sensations are only a result of anxiety and migraine; she was given morphine for the pain and was told to listen to meditation music.

“They left me screaming in my room for 11 days.”

She was unable to speak, move, and her leg felt concrete, but she was refused a neurologist consultation. Only 2 weeks after giving birth was she able to get scans and find out that her brain had ‘mini’ strokes caused by a diagnosis of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome. Because the patient didn’t receive immediate attention, she now has developed a paralysis disorder and PTSD.

These stories raise a question: is it possible that an impending doom is more connected to our physical health than we think? The answer is yes, it is. It is usually an early sign of a heart attack, a stroke, seizures, etc. A National Institute of Health study found that 35% of women and 20% of men experience impending doom during the acute infarction phase. The feeling of an impending doom is a warning sign that something is happening to our organisms.

Sally Bee, a food journalist, describes her sensations before her heart attacks,

“I had a feeling of impending doom, as if a big black cloud was looming over me.”

Initially, her heart attack symptoms were dismissed by the doctors due to her healthy lifestyle and young age. But she knew something was “beyond her control” and she wasn’t going to ignore her feelings, “I was filled with an all-consuming need and desire and passion not to let myself die. I can’t put into words how strong the feeling was.” Later on, she was diagnosed with fibromuscular dysplasia, a condition affecting arteries and making the human at risk of heart problems. Sally’s attention to her feelings and the persistent desire to find out what was really happening to her led to receiving treatment that manages her condition and allows her to still have a positive outlook on life.

Impending doom isn’t just hospital anxiety – it is tightly linked to our physical health. Our bodies are fascinating – when they sense threat on a molecular level, they prepare to fight or flight which causes the adrenal glands to release hormones (catecholamines) such as epinephrine or norepinephrine. The production of these hormones may be the cause of fear of death, feelings of dread, and anxiety.  Impending doom can be a very confusing feeling. If a patient is having the symptoms of uncertainty, sense of urgency, dread, hot flashes, tremors, sudden sweating, it is recommended that they seek medical help. Healthcare professionals have learned not to ignore this warning and take their patients seriously, but always trust and validate your feelings, don’t ignore them. If you think something is wrong with your health, seek answers.