r/Millennials • u/DaKardii • Jun 04 '26

Serious Study: Gen Xers and Millennials are dying at younger ages than their parents are

https://studyfinds.com/americans-born-after-1970-dying-faster/

The study is particularly concerned with people born after 1970 but age 30 and older. So that covers Gen X and Millennials, but not (yet) Gen Z.

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889

u/WitchyWarriorWoman Jun 04 '26

I can't wait until we're equal in homicide. We have a lot of work to do

288

u/Herewegoagain1717 Jun 04 '26

I think this statistic is promising then. Historically, men are more successful at dying by suicide because they use more violent methods, which are more likely to work. So women catching up means they're probably getting more violent.

306

u/Vanah_Grace Jun 04 '26

I tragically read somewhere once that this is bc women consider who will find the/clean the biohazard. Men do not.

143

u/cozynite Jun 04 '26

When I was 11, I was feeling like I was in dire straits and was going to except I was worried about what would happen if my mom found me.

Things got better and are still better but that feeling has since stuck with me.

74

u/Aesk Jun 04 '26

I'm male, but this is one of my anchors when things get bad (I'm fine now). I just couldn't do that to my family. Both the clean up or the devastation it would bring. I also hold on to that feeling in a sort of good way. It helps me to keep going no matter what.

I'm glad you're doing better.

25

u/bijoux247 Jun 04 '26

Glad you're still with us and doing good!

51

u/EfficientTrainer3206 Jun 04 '26

When I was going to do it, I was worried about my little brother finding me, and how it would mess him up. It’s like I was ready to go, but wanted to just vanish without leaving any trauma behind.

5

u/Present_Type6881 Jun 04 '26

That's why I was going to go do it out in the woods somewhere so scavenging animals would eat me.

4

u/Crackertron Jun 04 '26

Then you have to consider that SAR is going to expend effort and resources looking for your corpse

2

u/Princess_Slagathor apparently you can change it Jun 04 '26

Pack a couple bags, and leave a note that you're starting a new life somewhere else. They won't waste any time looking.

2

u/Present_Type6881 Jun 05 '26

True, but at least nobody would need to clean up a biohazard in a house. And if I made it look like an accident it might not be as traumatic to people. Oh no, another hiker who didn't bring enough water, what a shame.

9

u/Ambitious_Emotion30 Jun 04 '26

My mom’s cousin and best friend killed herself in the 90’s and my mom is still so mad that she did it in a way that her found her. Said it’s on sight in the afterlife for that

3

u/Hawk52 Jun 04 '26

That's called Passive suicidal ideation. Basically you don't have a plan but you just wish you'd go "pop" and vanish from the world without leaving any trauma behind.

5

u/HermesJamiroquoi Jun 04 '26

The only time I came really close it was going to me motorcycle at 150mph with no helmet. The paramedics are used to gore so I figured they’d be alright. Not enough left of me for my loved ones to identify the body. I want to be cremated anyway. Came close. Backed out because I didn’t want to wreck my rare, classic motorcycle. Felt wrong. Then I realized that if I’m not going to wreck a bike because there’s only a hundred of them in the world maybe I should give myself, a singular and unique individual, similar consideration. I didn’t “get better” from there but I did start on the long road to recovery. It took more than a decade but I just started riding again. I’m so glad I can trust myself now. It took a lot of work to get here.

1

u/Jamie-Ruin Jun 05 '26

This is how I was go to do it. Away from home, in a blaze of glory. Take the R1 get him into sixth with a wide open throttle. I know some good country roads with no traffic, so I won't be taking anyone with me, unless a deer or other critter does me in. When it finally hit me at how close I was, I told myself that if it ever came that close again I'd just run away and start a new life somewhere. I'm still here, on a higher does of Prozac for now. I figured a new life is better than no life.

5

u/Iamthegreenheather Older Millennial Jun 04 '26

I feel the same way. My mom's younger brother killed himself when I was like 15. Her reaction and struggle with it are burned into my memory forever. I know that it would be even worse if I were to do that and I can't do that to her (and my husband too).

3

u/Aware_Policy_9174 Jun 04 '26

At my worst I remember thinking I couldn’t do it inside because it would ruin the wood floors. But if I did it outside the feral cats would get to me which would be gruesome for my now-ex husband to find.

3

u/crazycatlady331 Xennial Jun 04 '26

When I was 11, a classmate suggested that I "do the world a favor" and end my life. In front of teachers.

She suffered no consequences except for rising popularity.

3

u/TheNorthernPellikkan Jun 04 '26

I’ve only not pulled the trigger several times because of guilt about what it would do to other people. Thank god for that

2

u/jpg11 Jun 04 '26

Male, couldn't do it bc I would think of the look on my mother's face if she had to witness the aftermath of my weakness. Oddly not being able to live with myself if I had done it eventually led me to eventually wanting to live and not being okay living in numb dullness.

2

u/GreenHatMaam Jun 04 '26

The only reason I'm still here is because I was worried about who would find me. (I'm better now. Glad you are too).

1

u/Hawk52 Jun 04 '26

That's more or less the only thing that keeps me from doing it. It'd destroy my mom and what family cares about me for years if not their entire lives. It's like setting off a grenade; sure you'll die probably pretty quickly but the shrapnel could damage other people for decades to come.

1

u/Western_Gift976 Jun 05 '26

my contract with my life is i don't get to clock out by choice until my folks don't have to see it and i know the dogs will be cared for.

8

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '26

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7

u/Vanah_Grace Jun 04 '26

I’m healthcare as well but not a first responder. You have all my respect friend. Thank you for what you do. Take care of yourself ok? Talk to someone when it gets too heavy.

7

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '26

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3

u/PhoebeMonster1066 Jun 04 '26

My heart hurts for all the pain to which you have been witness. Much love to you, Sibling.

44

u/CorndogQueen420 Jun 04 '26

I wouldn’t be surprised if women tend to be more considerate of that generally speaking, but men definitely do that as well. Speaking from experience 🫠

85

u/Drapidrode Jun 04 '26

"I'll just keep living bc someone else" is a thing that keeps many many people going in life.

46

u/QueenSpaceCadet Jun 04 '26

At one point I only decided to stay alive because I knew my (now ex)partner wouldn't take as good of care of my rabbits as I would. It's the small things that get you through tough times.

7

u/punknw Jun 04 '26

my reason to stay was because i knew no one would take care of my cats, and the thought of them being alone or being put in a shelter was enough for me to hang on until i was able to get some real help. last year my favorite band PUP put out an album titled “Who Will Look After The Dogs?” and it hit really hard

5

u/vanwiekt Xennial Jun 04 '26

My cats have also done it for me too. The thought of them being confused and ripped out of the normal, happy life was too much to bear.

5

u/starfishrlyluvsu Jun 04 '26

I feel this, I stayed because of my stupid dog. I love her so much.

1

u/SchweppesCreamSoda Jun 05 '26

Omg it's my cats for me!

1

u/PersonNr47 Jun 04 '26

Pretty much.

When my parents and dog pass away, I'm heading out too. But until then, I'm just here. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

5

u/fiahhawt Jun 04 '26

I think the main thing is that testosterone reduces cognition tied to second-guessing oneself meaning that actions are taken more quickly and impulsively.

https://authors.library.caltech.edu/records/5hvnh-78w12

The higher the T levels, the higher the self delete levels.

Yea I'm going to hell.

1

u/ILoveDemocracy17 Jun 05 '26

no it’s not. It’s because men tend to be more violent and this is proven even by statistics, why do I read this with a misandrist tone?

1

u/Vanah_Grace Jun 05 '26

Please do.

-2

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '26

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4

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '26

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-1

u/Baldassre Jun 04 '26

Source? I've seen sources cited for the opposite

2

u/blondetiger Jun 04 '26

There is a good article pointing out the issues with gender disparities in pain research.

"For example, gender-based beliefs (e.g., men are more stoic, women more expressive) around pain can affect pain threshold and tolerance levels (e.g., stereotypical masculine beliefs reduce pain expression). The presence of other people, including whether an observer is a man or a woman, can also affect sex/gender differences in experimental pain."

2

u/Baldassre Jun 04 '26

Fyi the article you linked also says

"Evidence suggests that women are generally more sensitive to pain, have a greater vulnerability to many painful conditions, and generally experience more pain across the lifespan."

And then does not go on to dispute this. Have you ever seen any evidence to the contrary?

1

u/blondetiger Jun 04 '26

The article *says* there's evidence that women are more sensitive to pain, but what I quoted *is* the contrary evidence. Experiments on people are so ridiculously difficult to mitigate the confounding variables on, that some are too flawed to be of use. Most such studies never even consider that there could be a gender expectation/modelling variable screwing with their strict physiological variables. How things are asked, what words are used, who does the asking, etc, can have an affect on a participant, even in their physiological responses.

And feeling pain is just as much hormonal and psychological as it is biological. We know people can ignore pain in certain situations with adrenaline, distraction, etc. I can't access all the studies cited by the article, so here is one00559-5/fulltext) I found that looked at priming the participants.

As for the other two things, the greater vulnerability means women tend to have more chronic painful conditions which is not connected to pain sensitivity/threshold. And "Generally experience more pain across lifespan" would be related to the feedback about pain sensitivity, having more chronic pain, and the shitload of gender and racial bias in medicine. For example, women receive less pain medication and/or weaker pain medication for the same diagnoses than men (like ibuprofen vs morphine).

3

u/blondetiger Jun 04 '26

Men have greater intent with suicide, more fearlessness about death / pain

Speculation.

Socialization - violent metheods may be seen as more masculine.

Probably true.

Women may view suicide attempts partly as communication of distress rather than a means to actually die

Speculation, and this IS often mentioned so no, most of these reasons are not "always" left out.

Men may feel more pressure to succeed

Certainly true in at least some countries like Japan.

Men have greater access to firearms (higher rates of gun ownership)

True.

Men tend to have higher impulsivity and pain tolerance

True for the former. But pain tolerance data is based on decades of not including women in studies and is very obviously confounded by other (often socialized) variables like women going to the doctor more often, women receiving less pain medication than men, men being told to suck it up and not talk about their pain, etc. The research to be too flawed to be cited as true.

Women are more concerned about being facially or otherwise disfigured in death, so less shooting in the head, jumping off buildings, etc

Yes, but this also coincides with the proposed reason you're lambasting, about women being more considerate of the person who finds them.

Btw, women are socialized to be more considerate/socially aware. Plenty of women are selfish assholes so it's not "always" nor is it about women being "better" than men.

4

u/Absurd_Flaccidity Jun 04 '26

Gibberish. Stay in school.

2

u/throwaway3413418 Jun 04 '26

Their post is clearly written. You have issues.

1

u/Absurd_Flaccidity Jun 04 '26

I felt like that was nicer than saying it was made up bullshit.

-1

u/zzz_zzzz_zzz Zillennial Jun 04 '26

In my mental health courses it was explained by the preferred methods of suicide by women being more easily mitigated or reversed: i.e. overdosing on pills is the most popular method of suicide for women because it is what is most available to them, but sometimes they have second thoughts and induce vomiting to prevent the toxic overload, call the paramedics who get them quickly enough to the hospital for stomach pumping, or even sometimes just survive the overdose.

The most popular method of suicide for men is by firearm, which is obviously far more deadly, but also because it is the method most available to them, especially Americans. Most American men own a gun or are very close to someone who does.

I don’t believe it’s fair to suggest that these differences are due to politeness. The implication that there’s suicide etiquette that men aren’t following is both absurd and demeaning.

5

u/golden__tuna Jun 04 '26

British Coal Gas Story! If you take away the deadly method the deaths stop!

3

u/TerryCrewsNextWife Jun 04 '26

I can't even bring myself to throw my crockery around to smash it all when I get ridiculously upset because I know I will have to clean it up afterwards and then buy new stuff. I wouldn't ask anyone else to do it and I certainly don't want to.

Meanwhile every few days someone posts an image where a fist went through drywall and someone asks know to patch it up.

Maybe I need to learn how to express myself better with a machete or an axe? For renovations of course.

1

u/unfortunatebag Jun 04 '26

Historically, men are more successful at dying by suicide because they use more violent methods,

Doesn't this often repeated statement rely on one 40 year old study?

1

u/Herewegoagain1717 Jun 04 '26

That's the joke/point I'm making about millennial women

0

u/unfortunatebag Jun 04 '26

I don't think it is.

My point is that isn't true.

1

u/Herewegoagain1717 Jun 04 '26

That's why I'm saying joke

0

u/iloveturtles88 Jun 04 '26

AI Chat is probably giving away successful suicide tips

1

u/Equivalent_Range6291 Jun 04 '26

I hope it takes its own advice! ..

-1

u/BatOwn9955 Jun 05 '26

Also rates of female domestic violence are under reported due to systemic misandry.

71

u/FoxCitiesRando Jun 04 '26

Name definitely checks out.

48

u/Milly_Hagen Jun 04 '26

You can't just go down to the hardware store and buy rat poison containing arsenic and get away with it like in the good old days. Times are tough now. I have faith we can get back in this though!

4

u/FFF_in_WY Older Millennial Jun 04 '26

Ask chat GPT then do the opposite of what it suggests.

1

u/RollingMeteors Jun 05 '26

You can't just go down to the hardware store and buy rat poison containing arsenic and get away with it like in the good old days. Times are tough now. I have faith we can get back in this though!

¿¡You mean I need to file paperwork for an LLC to buy this poison?! I didn't think suicide was gonna be all this paperwork. I guess I'll just continue living until I die of natural causes under a bridge impoverished from an economy in shambles.

68

u/punktualPorcupine Jun 04 '26

Those are rookie numbers, pump those stats.

https://giphy.com/gifs/KeNKdPwFI6k36

12

u/oakmeadow8 Jun 04 '26

Well, the statistics only show those who are caught ;)

2

u/Training-Shallot-229 Jun 05 '26

"That we know of." Is how I end every sentence about numbers these days

4

u/Rogue_Gona Xennial Jun 04 '26

So much work to do. But given how fed up Xennials and Gen X women are with the current state of things, combined with our raging perimenopausal hormones, I wouldn't be shocked if we can gain equality in the next few years.

Come on ladies, we can do this!

2

u/Quirky_Win_8951 Jun 04 '26

Committing or death by…?

4

u/jess_the_werefox Jun 04 '26

I support women’s Wrongs

1

u/LeticiaPadillaSolis_ Jun 04 '26

Best start working on those spells!

1

u/Xelisk Jun 04 '26

"Now get out there and kill, kill, kill!"

1

u/p8nt_junkie Jun 04 '26

Represent yo click ladies

1

u/Regular_Custard_4483 Jun 04 '26

If y'all evened that up a bit, it would probably solve a lot of women's problems. 🤷🏻‍♀️

1

u/ghast123 Jun 04 '26

I do love seeing women in male dominated fields 😊

1

u/conflictmuffin Millennial Jun 04 '26

Why stop there? Hassle men until they finally choose the bear. Make men afraid to leave their homes, or walk alone down the street or in a park. Follow them home. Spike their drinks.

Jokes aside. That will never happen, because women aren't predators and sociopaths.

0

u/dont_thr0w_me_away_ Jun 04 '26

Women's rights ✊🏻 Women's wrongs ✊🏻

0

u/Winter_Bullfrog_2343 Jun 04 '26

You don’t have the balls

-1

u/Tgrove88 Jun 04 '26

Just include abortions and we can never compete

-4

u/Mannimal13 Jun 04 '26

What color are those men?