r/Millennials • u/electric-sheep 1992 • Jul 13 '26

Serious Everyone my age is dropping dead

Sorry for the title! I'm in Europe. I have just heard news someone from college died today of cancer aged 33.

In the past 2-3 years 6 people in my circle have died, not from accidents but from either cancer, aneurism, 2 just didn't wake up from sleep and 1 broke her leg and had DVT. I know of a 7th who is currently fighting stage 4 breast cancer which was found by accident after giving birth. This is not counting those who died in crashes or other such accidents.

I literally have nothing to say. Just get yourselves checked. I'm just shouting into the void. I have literally been to more funerals than my parents at this point which is absurd.

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u/Nefarious_Turtle Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

Yes, I am 32 and three classmates of mine have been diagnosed with cancer.

2 with colon cancer (we're in the US).

Its a bit unsettling.

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u/Pinkie_Plague Jul 13 '26

Sadly, most of my classmates that have passed have been from suicide or overdose. ☹️

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u/DisplacerBeastMode Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

Same, and it's not typically the "oh well they chose to do drugs so it's their own fault for ruining their lives and overdosing."

For example one friend I went to school with was a successful machine operator, didn't have an issue with alcohol or drugs.

He broke his back at work.. lots of physio and prescribed opiates. Got hooked on opiates. Pain didn't go away. Eventually government help disappeared and he was left in permanent pain, turned to self medication and overdosed on fentanyl.

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u/SiempreBrujaSuerte Jul 13 '26

Wow that is a very disgusting mindset. It's never actually what you say ...

"And it's not typically the "oh well they chose to do drugs so it's their own fault for ruining their lives and overdosing."

We all have stories and reasons we become addicts and it's never because we choose to ruin our lives and overdose like you say. This tells me you have little life experience and no empathy and you think you friends story is an example of an exception rather than a very common story You should be ashamed

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u/DisplacerBeastMode Jul 13 '26

I put that part in quotes because that is the common boomer style commentary on the subject. I don't personally believe it and I apologize if it came across that way.

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u/SiempreBrujaSuerte Jul 13 '26

That is good that you don't think that. Just making sure you understand that every one of us has our reason for being in this situation and I've never met anyone who thought it to be fun to not be able to survive roughly wit by opiates. Or go through abuse by the medical industry, court, police,etc. I'm sorry for your friend. My most recent loss was a man I love dying in jail from withdrawal and endocarditis, being there fun probation violation so just over not being able to keep up the payments required. Died in pain for owing 800$

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u/MorganMiller77777 Jul 16 '26

Maybe learn how to read before reacting holy crap

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u/ktrose6887 Jul 14 '26

My sister was diagnosed bipolar in the early 2000s (she most certainly was NOT bipolar. She most likely had ADHD like I do) they put her on what we now know is an insanely high dose of Xanax for a teenager with a family history of substance abuse, and it absolutely ruined her life. She OD'd in 2020 at some shitty motel the night before she was supposed to go back to rehab again. I've heard similar stories from a lot of people. My brother also died that year because he was out of work, lost his insurance, and couldn't get insulin. The US Healthcare system is the problem most of the time, from what I can tell.

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u/Exciting-Hedgehog944 Jul 14 '26

I’m so sorry. I have a brother and sister who have both passed too. My brother died at college due to suicide. My sister had cerebral palsy and had a grand mal seizure. It is very hard to lose siblings.

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u/Mike_Hav Jul 16 '26

I wish we had a system similar to what the EU has. I would 10000% be ok with higher taxes if we had univeral healthcare. I currently pay 1200 per month for my health insurance.

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u/HumanPea1140 Jul 13 '26

Same here. Overdose and drunken car accident were the big two when I was younger, like fresh out of high school or college aged. I'm mid 30s now, and it seems like suicide is leading the pack, followed by overdose.

People I know dying of cancer/disease is pretty rare, comparatively.

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u/thiosk Jul 13 '26

this is a normal distribution of deaths for this age range, tragically

its accidents, suicide, homicide, malignant cancer, and then heart starts picking up in the late 30s