CDC: US life expectancy increased by "more than a year" in 2022, but suicides hit another record high

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

U.S. life expectancy rose in 2022, but not enough to erase the pandemic's toll

WWW.NBCNEWS.COM

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The increase was largely driven by a drop in Covid deaths. Still, life expectancy in the U.S. lags behind other wealthy nations.

 

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Life expectancy in the U.S. ticked upward in 2022, following two years of significant declines driven primarily by the Covid pandemic, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report published Wednesday. 

 

The CDC data showed that life expectancy at birth — how long a baby born in a particular year is expected to live — was 77.5 years in 2022, a 1.1-year increase from 2021. 

 

The number, however, still lags behind what U.S. life expectancy was in 2019: 78.8 years. 

 

“We had this dip during the Covid-19 pandemic and we’re clawing our way back to the numbers we saw in 2019,” said Steven Woolf, director emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University. 

 

 

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“To see an increase now in 2022 is great — we finally stopped the horrific worsening of mortality conditions in the United States,” said Ryan Masters, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. “But it’s coming a year later than what other comparable countries experienced and it’s only marginally scratching the surface of improving mortality conditions for Americans.”

 

Prior to the pandemic, life expectancy in the U.S. had largely plateaued, while in other countries it continued to climb.

 

“The U.S. had already been doing quite poorly compared to other countries,” Woolf said. “The gap between the U.S. and other countries is now enormous.”

 

 

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Fewer Covid deaths driving life expectancy bump

 

The increase in life expectancy in 2022 was mainly driven by the sharp drop in Covid deaths that year, according to the CDC report. Smaller decreases in deaths from other causes, including cancer, heart disease, homicide and unintentional injuries, also contributed to the rise.

 

The CDC researchers said the increase in life expectancy would have been greater had there not been a rise in deaths from pneumonia and the flu, malnutrition, kidney disease, birth defects and perinatal deaths.

 

Woolf said the slight increase in flu and pneumonia deaths seen in 2022 — which had the biggest impact on blunting life expectancy — isn’t something to be worried about. Rather, the numbers illustrate a rebound effect: Deaths from non-Covid viruses fell drastically due to masking and physical distancing during the first phase of the pandemic. “Now it’s really returning to normal levels,” he said.

 

 

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Malnutrition rising across the country

 

The CDC report also highlighted what experts say is an alarming increase in deaths from malnutrition in 2022. The researchers estimated these deaths are behind 13% of the downward pull on overall life expectancy. 

 

A study published earlier this month in the journal BMJ Medicine found deaths from malnutrition in the U.S. increased nearly 2.5-fold between 1999 and 2020. 

 

Dementia and poverty have both been on the rise, particularly among older adults in the U.S., said Dr. Deborah Kado, a professor of geriatric medicine in the Stanford University department of medicine’s division of primary care and population health.

 

“Both the loss of cognition as well as loss of income can lead to worse malnutrition,” she said. 

 

 

 

Number of suicides in the US in 2022 reaches record level: CDC - ABC News

ABCNEWS.GO.COM

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A new CDC report published Wednesday found the number of people in the U.S. who died by suicide in 2022 was 49,449, which is higher than 2021 and a record high.

 

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The number of suicides in the United States has hit a record high, new provisional federal data shows.

 

In 2022, an estimated 49,449 people died by suicide, which is 3% higher than the 48,183 people who died in 2021, according to a report published early Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

 

The suicide rate increased by 1% in 2022 to 14.3 deaths per 100,000 from 14.1 per 100,000 in 2021, marking this as the highest rate seen since 1941, according to the report.

 

The authors said when the final data for 2022 is collected, they expect the number of suicides to likely be higher as additional death certificates with pending causes of death are ruled as deaths by suicide.

 

 

[thewhyteboar]

If you want to reduce suicides it's pretty easy; reduce the number of guns.

[TUFKAK]

19 minutes ago, thewhyteboar said:

If you want to reduce suicides it's pretty easy; reduce the number of guns.

I mean, yes and no. 
 

Reduce suicides by creating a robust healthcare system with access to primary care including mental health services. The fact we view mental health care as a privilege in this nation is horrifying.

[Xbob42]

I mean we could solve this by ALL dying one year, which would really fuck up that year's state, but every year after that would be PRISTINE

[best3444]

2 hours ago, TUFKAK said:

I mean, yes and no. 
 

Reduce suicides by creating a robust healthcare system with access to primary care including mental health services. The fact we view mental health care as a privilege in this nation is horrifying.

 

Couldn't agree with you more. As an individual with serious depression and sadness with daily thoughts of suicide there isn't any real good help out there. I tried for years and I'm worse than I ever was now.

[SaysWho?]

1 hour ago, best3444 said:

 

Couldn't agree with you more. As an individual with serious depression and sadness with daily thoughts of suicide there isn't any real good help out there. I tried for years and I'm worse than I ever was now.

We need to play Returnal together sometime.

[TUFKAK]

1 hour ago, best3444 said:

 

Couldn't agree with you more. As an individual with serious depression and sadness with daily thoughts of suicide there isn't any real good help out there. I tried for years and I'm worse than I ever was now.

What I can say worked for me was my “eureka” moment when I discovered one of root causes of my, using clinical terminology here, fuckedupness. Then it became a puzzle for me to figure out, I’m nowhere near done but I felt vastly different when I made that discovery and still am doing weekly therapy. So far staying off pharmaceutical treatment but that is an option.

 

In particular reading the book “The Body Keeps the Score” helped a lot too.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Just now, TUFKAK said:

In particular reading the book “The Body Keeps the Score” helped a lot too.

 

I also highly recommend this book as well!

 

I've given it to several people whom I thought would benefit from its insights into the nature of trauma and its effect on the mind and body.

[TUFKAK]

6 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

I also highly recommend this book as well!

 

I've given it to several people whom I thought would benefit from its insights into the nature of trauma and its effect on the mind and body.

I honestly think it’s one of the most important books I’ve ever read and I got both my best friend and gf to read it as well. 

[Nokra]

5 hours ago, TUFKAK said:

What I can say worked for me was my “eureka” moment when I discovered one of root causes of my, using clinical terminology here, fuckedupness. Then it became a puzzle for me to figure out, I’m nowhere near done but I felt vastly different when I made that discovery and still am doing weekly therapy. So far staying off pharmaceutical treatment but that is an option.

 

In particular reading the book “The Body Keeps the Score” helped a lot too.

 

5 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

I also highly recommend this book as well!

 

I've given it to several people whom I thought would benefit from its insights into the nature of trauma and its effect on the mind and body.

I've never read the book myself but saw this article about it a few months ago and read it because of all I'd heard about the book. I'd be curious to hear both of your opinions on the article, if you have the inclination to read it and share. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/08/02/body-keeps-score-grieving-brain-bessel-van-der-kolk-neuroscience-self-help

/

 

[TUFKAK]

4 hours ago, Nokra said:

 

I've never read the book myself but saw this article about it a few months ago and read it because of all I'd heard about the book. I'd be curious to hear both of your opinions on the article, if you have the inclination to read it and share. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/08/02/body-keeps-score-grieving-brain-bessel-van-der-kolk-neuroscience-self-help

/

 

Paywall but based on title, the field itself is uncertain so of course the science will be. Since I can’t read the article I’ll offer a bit of my own perspective. I’ve referenced before but I’m dx complex ptsd, to this day there are certain visceral responses I’ll get to somatic experiences, a smell, a taste, touch in certain places etc, that can trigger a cascade of memories/anxieties. Early on in a previous relationship for example, I got woken from a dead sleep and I immediately felt like I was in Iraq and my first thought was, I’m on my back and I don’t have my weapon, immediate fight or flight.
 

And in my unique case, the feelings of self loathing are likely the reason I got into bodybuilding as a way to control my environment and punish myself for the shame that I feel and felt, I can know it’s not my fault but my emotions don’t know that. Plus the obvious of look hypermasculine to control your area but since you’re never big enough it compounds the feelings of disgust and lack of control.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

7 hours ago, Nokra said:

I've never read the book myself but saw this article about it a few months ago and read it because of all I'd heard about the book. I'd be curious to hear both of your opinions on the article, if you have the inclination to read it and share. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/08/02/body-keeps-score-grieving-brain-bessel-van-der-kolk-neuroscience-self-help

 

I can't read the article either due to the paywall, but I'll echo the sentiments of @TUFKAK in that this is very much an area of scientific research that's in its nascent stages and it could very well be that the book's thesis and conclusions eventually turn out to be premature and therefore it's absolutely correct for it to be accompanied by caution and caveats.

 

However, the book at the very least provides a pathway for those needing help to develop some understanding of what they're experiencing and why and guide them towards treatment, whether psychological, pharmacological, or both.

[Remarkableriots]

https://www.healthcentral.com/pain-management/chronic-pain-suicide

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Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. It’s meant to be a helpful alert system when you’re sick or injured, but it’s designed as a short-term warning system. When you live with physical pain day after day, it can take a toll on your mental health. Unrelenting pain makes some people so despondent that they no longer want to live.

I've been going through this with constant everyday pain, and I don't see it stopping. I'm afraid of it getting worse, and I don't know what to do. Physical therapy momentarily helps, but it doesn't last long. I haven't worked in 17 months, and people keep asking when I'm going back to work. I have a hard enough time doing simple stuff around the house and have no idea what I could do. Even shopping was too much, so now I get the pickup order. I don't drive, and my mom is 73, so she shouldn't be driving much longer.

[5timechamp]

23 minutes ago, Remarkableriots said:

https://www.healthcentral.com/pain-management/chronic-pain-suicide

I've been going through this with constant everyday pain, and I don't see it stopping. I'm afraid of it getting worse, and I don't know what to do. Physical therapy momentarily helps, but it doesn't last long. I haven't worked in 17 months, and people keep asking when I'm going back to work. I have a hard enough time doing simple stuff around the house and have no idea what I could do. Even shopping was too much, so now I get the pickup order. I don't drive, and my mom is 73, so she shouldn't be driving much longer.

 

sounds pretty much like me lol..

17 months without working cause I keep waiting for my body to ease up on the back pain… it doesnt and now seems to be spreading to lower extremities… some days even standing for more than 20 mins is a struggle.. it does mess with the mind…

your body telling you that its deteriorated to that of a 65 yr old and my unwillingness to give in as a losing fight lol..

  Gotta accept some middle ground and take some basic office job at some point

[Remarkableriots]

11 minutes ago, 5timechamp said:

 

sounds pretty much like me lol..

17 months without working cause I keep waiting for my body to ease up on the back pain… it doesnt and now seems to be spreading to lower extremities… some days even standing for more than 20 mins is a struggle.. it does mess with the mind…

your body telling you that its deteriorated to that of a 65 yr old and my unwillingness to give in as a losing fight lol..

  Gotta accept some middle ground and take some basic office job at some point

I've only done cashier work at two convenience stores and at a parking garage. My back is too messed up to sit on a stool anymore.

[finaljedi]

https://wapo.st/46BYNV2
 

gift article link

[GoldenTongue]

On 11/30/2023 at 2:42 AM, Nokra said:

 

I've never read the book myself but saw this article about it a few months ago and read it because of all I'd heard about the book. I'd be curious to hear both of your opinions on the article, if you have the inclination to read it and share. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/08/02/body-keeps-score-grieving-brain-bessel-van-der-kolk-neuroscience-self-help

/

 

THankfully, I'm not paywall-blocked, and will comment as someone else who's read the book, although I'll also note that it's been about three years since I last read it.

 

IMO, the article draws some rather uncharitable and unfair conclusions, and I believe that some of the observations are more than a bit misrepresentative (particularly with regard to characterizations and references to the Triune Brain Model).  

 

As well, I believe that the book, in many instances, identifies the myriad ways in which our understanding of neuroscience and neurochemistry are very much in their infancy, citing as an example how long it had taken for the DSM to legitimize PTSD.

 

I also think the article is doing the book and its author a disservice in comparing it to self-help books published by Oprah and others like her.  Personally, I rate it extremely highly in terms of practical value in understanding more of how we react and respond to certain conditions.  THINKING, FAST AND SLOW is still my go to in that regard (I try to read through it once per year), and WHY ZEBRAS DON'T GET ULCERS is also an eminently practical reference regarding stress and its effects, but THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE is something that I think many would benefit from reading, and couldn't disagree more that it should be labeled as "self help".

 

Honestly, I think that the article's author may be allowing some personal biases to influence their critique - in their own words, "I wanted the objectivity and rationality of science to impose order on my grief," and THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE is not a book which conclusively answer that...nor does it try to.  Rather, it explores a host of factors and conditions, describing (based upon the best information available at the time) our current understanding, all the while qualifying any number of points where further research is needed and/or ongoing.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

21 hours ago, GoldenTongue said:

THankfully, I'm not paywall-blocked, and will comment as someone else who's read the book, although I'll also note that it's been about three years since I last read it.

 

IMO, the article draws some rather uncharitable and unfair conclusions, and I believe that some of the observations are more than a bit misrepresentative (particularly with regard to characterizations and references to the Triune Brain Model).  

 

As well, I believe that the book, in many instances, identifies the myriad ways in which our understanding of neuroscience and neurochemistry are very much in their infancy, citing as an example how long it had taken for the DSM to legitimize PTSD.

 

I also think the article is doing the book and its author a disservice in comparing it to self-help books published by Oprah and others like her.  Personally, I rate it extremely highly in terms of practical value in understanding more of how we react and respond to certain conditions.  THINKING, FAST AND SLOW is still my go to in that regard (I try to read through it once per year), and WHY ZEBRAS DON'T GET ULCERS is also an eminently practical reference regarding stress and its effects, but THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE is something that I think many would benefit from reading, and couldn't disagree more that it should be labeled as "self help".

 

Honestly, I think that the article's author may be allowing some personal biases to influence their critique - in their own words, "I wanted the objectivity and rationality of science to impose order on my grief," and THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE is not a book which conclusively answer that...nor does it try to.  Rather, it explores a host of factors and conditions, describing (based upon the best information available at the time) our current understanding, all the while qualifying any number of points where further research is needed and/or ongoing.

 

Thank you so very much for this fantastic post! 

 

While the CDC data indicates that the suicide rate decreased for young people declined in 2022, it absolutely skyrocketed from 2007 to 2021.

 

Youth suicide rates rose 62% from 2007 to 2021: ‘People feel hopeless,' one recent grad says

WWW.NBCWASHINGTON.COM

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Even for young adults who seemingly have every financial or educational advantage, the current economic and political climate can fuel distress.

 

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During the last two decades, youth suicide has increased significantly. From 2007 through 2021, suicide rates for Americans ages 10 to 24 rose 62%, according to the CDC.

 

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Members of Gen Z, now ages 11 to 26, crossed into adulthood at a precarious time: A global pandemic that was both isolating and deadly interrupted their formative high school and college years. Multiple wars erupted overseas, and the U.S. economy further bifurcated into the haves and have-nots.

 

With tuition rates and cost of living skyrocketing, kids across the social and economic spectrum feel more pressure to be financially or professionally successful and less optimistic they'll be able to exceed their parents.

 

"Affluent kids have a certain set of stressors and kids from less affluence have certain stressors and it's when those factors interact with a certain set of vulnerabilities in a kid, that's when suicidal ideation will start to emerge," says Michele Berk, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. Berk focuses on treating suicidal behavior in adolescents. 

 

Even for young adults who seemingly have every financial or educational advantage, the current economic and political climate can fuel a kind of distress that previous generations did not face.

 

 

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Young people don't think they can make 'a significant difference'

 

Financial instability has proven to be a large contributing factor in youth suicide. In a study of 21,000 people between ages 5 and 19, those living in the poorest areas were 37% more likely to die by suicide. 

 

However, the trend includes young people who seem to have it all. Teens or young adults who grow up in high-income enclaves or are pursuing higher education, in theory, should have more resources and less stress than their lower-income peers. 

 

"I can imagine people would think about kids who are affluent and think they have every advantage in life," Berk says. "Unfortunately, depression or feelings of hopelessness and suicide are something that can start internally and is not dependent on what is going on in one's life." 

 

In Palo Alto, California, where the average household income is $200,000, the youth suicide rate was four times higher than it was nationally, according to a 2016 report from the CDC. Since then, the school district has prioritized expanding its mental health resources and trained teachers to spot signs of depression.

 

 

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Additionally, almost 45% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the pandemic and 20% seriously considered suicide, the CDC reported in 2022. 

 

Some of this might have to do with the sociopolitical climate, says Bessel van der Kolk, a psychiatrist and author of the bestselling book "The Body Keeps the Score."

 

Van der Kolk, 80, says the Silent Generation had a distinct sense that they could have an impact. That's an impression Gen Z seems to have lost. 

 

"We were extremely hopeful and thought we could change the world and so my generation actually thinks we changed the world," he says. "Kids today have much less of a vision of being able to make a significant difference. Climate change is a gigantic issue and kids know it. We are blowing up the world and very little is being done." 

 

Affluence itself can also undermine ambition.

 

"Deprivation is a real motivator," he says.

 

 

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There are a few key contributing factors.

 

Social media, for example, breeds comparison on a heightened level, Fleischer says. Apps like Instagram and Facebook, which have proven to be detrimental to teen mental health, are unchartered territory for most parents. They also facilitate cyberbullying, which is much easier to hide from parents and teachers than in-person bullying. Last year, a 15-year-old in

Chicago named Nate Bronstein ended his own life. It was only after his death that his parents discovered he was being harassed online.

 

"Social media is a very big challenge that people who were born in the '80s or '90s didn't face," Fleischer says. "By itself, it's not a cause [of depression]. It's more that kids need to learn how to navigate that place and parents have a hard time teaching them because they didn't navigate it."

 

Easier access to guns is linked to increased suicide rates, as well, as gun suicides reached an all-time high in 2022, according to CDC data.

 

Achievement culture can also turn toxic. Kids raised in affluent areas have endless opportunities, but pressure from schools and parents can communicate to them that there is only one way to succeed, Fleischer says.

 

"There is the all-or-nothing perfectionist thinking," he says. "It's not good enough to be second best. It's not good enough to be a good person. What matters is that you achieve certain things. But only one kid can be valedictorian, only one kid can be the best at any sport, only one kid can get that accolade." 

 

 

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This mentality starts well before high school, says Jennifer Breheny Wallace, author of "Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic — and What We Can Do About It."

 

Today, kids ages 5 to 11 are asked to think about college and career choices, something that isn't "developmentally appropriate," Wallace says. 

 

"Parents think getting their kid into a good college can act as a life vest in a sea of economic uncertainty," she says. "But what I found in my reporting is that life vest is acting like a leaded vest and drowning the kids they are trying to protect." 

 

Kids feel from an early age that any misstep will result in disaster and that they must replicate their parents' success, a phenomenon Wallace calls the "encore effect." But the challenges young adults in the 1970s or 1980s faced were far less rigorous, she says. 

 

"Life was generally more affordable, health care was more affordable, higher education was more affordable," she says. "There was more slack in the system. A child could make some errors, have some time to try things and drop things. There wasn't this focus on early childhood success." 

 

Many parents would not be able to live up to the expectations they have for their children, she adds. 

 

 

[GoldenTongue]

I don't know how quite to properly characterize it, but I believe that we are just starting to see and understand the magnitude of what amounts to a mental health crisis among younger people, particularly those in the 18-30 age bracket.

 

It's difficult to draw substantive conclusions from this type of anecdotal data, but my wife (who works for ICP, an organization focused on specialized mental health care training) and some of her colleagues who work with various 12 step programs like AA, NA, GA (Gambler's Anonymous), Sex Addicts Anonymous, Love & Sex Addicts Anonymous, and even newer/less established program like Computer Gaming Addicts Anonymous, almost uniformly report that the single largest demographic of new members, for well over two years at this point, are people under the age of 30.

 

Data like that needs to be carefully qualified for a host of reasons (difficulty in accurate and comprehensive reporting of new members, a preponderence of those who may call a hotline or attend one meeting and then never return, etc.), when one considers that most programs' stats indicate that something like 1 in 500-900 addicts actually seek treatment from 12 step programs, but the dramatic shift toward younger new members is something that has many addictionologists and various treatment organizations deeply concerned.  Gambling, in particular, is emerging as a particularly horrific compulsion, with increasing presence of sites like Fanduel, etc., which allow for bets on nearly every type of play, leading to continual hormonal spikes which can quickly lead from one "abuser" to "addict", while also facilitating the accumulation of absolutely crushing debt.

 

There are believed to be a host of factors associated with this, and while the causal elements and the magnitude of their impact can be debated, it's an unfortunate fact that articles like the one that @Commissar SFLUFAN posted represent the tip of a large and growing iceberg.

 

My wife and I discussed the topic of children while we were dating, and we both felt relieved that neither of us wanted to bring children into this world, for many of the same reasons.  The ONLY aspect which is somewhat disappointing to me is that my mom had always looked forward to having grandchildren, but she understands how Shea and I feel, and has come around to agreeing with our reasoning for it.

[Kal-El814]

2 hours ago, GoldenTongue said:

I don't know how quite to properly characterize it, but I believe that we are just starting to see and understand the magnitude of what amounts to a mental health crisis among younger people, particularly those in the 18-30 age bracket.

 

It's difficult to draw substantive conclusions from this type of anecdotal data, but my wife (who works for ICP, an organization focused on specialized mental health care training) and some of her colleagues who work with various 12 step programs like AA, NA, GA (Gambler's Anonymous), Sex Addicts Anonymous, Love & Sex Addicts Anonymous, and even newer/less established program like Computer Gaming Addicts Anonymous, almost uniformly report that the single largest demographic of new members, for well over two years at this point, are people under the age of 30.

 

Data like that needs to be carefully qualified for a host of reasons (difficulty in accurate and comprehensive reporting of new members, a preponderence of those who may call a hotline or attend one meeting and then never return, etc.), when one considers that most programs' stats indicate that something like 1 in 500-900 addicts actually seek treatment from 12 step programs, but the dramatic shift toward younger new members is something that has many addictionologists and various treatment organizations deeply concerned.  Gambling, in particular, is emerging as a particularly horrific compulsion, with increasing presence of sites like Fanduel, etc., which allow for bets on nearly every type of play, leading to continual hormonal spikes which can quickly lead from one "abuser" to "addict", while also facilitating the accumulation of absolutely crushing debt.

 

There are believed to be a host of factors associated with this, and while the causal elements and the magnitude of their impact can be debated, it's an unfortunate fact that articles like the one that @Commissar SFLUFAN posted represent the tip of a large and growing iceberg.

 

My wife and I discussed the topic of children while we were dating, and we both felt relieved that neither of us wanted to bring children into this world, for many of the same reasons.  The ONLY aspect which is somewhat disappointing to me is that my mom had always looked forward to having grandchildren, but she understands how Shea and I feel, and has come around to agreeing with our reasoning for it.

 

This is all true, and I wonder about the extent to which younger people being more likely to seek help for these things contributes to the proliferation. I know a of of people in my parents’ generation or who are maybe 15ish years older than me who regularly talk about symptoms of what seem to be anxiety or depression who simply assume “that’s life.” Almost everyone my age or younger who has means is or has been in counseling at some point if they’ve had those issues.

[GoldenTongue]

19 hours ago, Kal-El814 said:

 

This is all true, and I wonder about the extent to which younger people being more likely to seek help for these things contributes to the proliferation. I know a of of people in my parents’ generation or who are maybe 15ish years older than me who regularly talk about symptoms of what seem to be anxiety or depression who simply assume “that’s life.” Almost everyone my age or younger who has means is or has been in counseling at some point if they’ve had those issues.

 

Speaking anecdotally (again), I've seen this as well.  In addition to what I referenced before, I've been a member of GA since January of last year - my own compulsion was related to a mobile game (Lords Mobile), which started as a diversion/hobby, and escalated into something much worse.  Aside from many common behaviors typical to all addicts (tendencies toward isolation and dissociation, an increasing tendency toward lying while trying to cover up my addiction and its effects), I spent an ungodly amount of money and absolutely became addicted to the constant reward-stimulus structure of the game...and its interconnection to certain forms of social media really exacerbated the problem, helping to foster this idea that I wasn't really isolating because I was "engaging" with others through Discord, Line, Teamspeak, etc...it wasn't until after I'd stopped and starting on recovery that I came to recognize how many "LM friends" were likely as captive to it as I had become.

 

I consider myself incredibly fortunate that a number of factors helped wake me up to my problem before I really did irreparable damage to myself, my marriage, and our financial stability, and remain grateful that the work I've done over the past ~2 years has helped me not only overcome this particular compulsion, but also led me to a stronger understanding of any number of underlying maladaptive tendencies that I've struggled with for much of my life - aside from GA, I work with an individual therapist, and my wife and I are continuing work with a couple's counselor.

 

I think your observation of the generational divide in how getting help is percieved, holds some validity, although as it pertains to those whose difficulties lead them toward 12 step programs, I think there is a bit of a difference: programs like Al-Anon, Gam-Anon, and others, which are focused on the family/spouses/partners of those whose addiction have caused damage, have served as a strong gateway for getting help for decades now.  The spouse/parent/sibling sees what is happening to the addict, often being directly impacted by their behavior, and they turn to the support programs for help, which includes assistance with confronting the addict to help them get to a point where they can accept the need for help, whether that comes from an intervention and rehab, or just starting with a 12 step program.

 

So, speaking personally, I can say that for New York (and at least 25 other states for which I've gotten information from the GA ISO office), the median age for new members has absolutely plummeted since 2020, with a disheartening trend of surges in new membership within the first year or so of gambling becoming legalized in a state.  I'm obviously somewhat biased in my perspectives as it pertains to gambling, but so much of what I am seeing and reading has convinced me that it's growing to become a huge problem, potentially worse (in time) than drugs or alcohol, particularly since gambling addiction isn't nearly as recognized as a disease, as alcoholism and drug addiction, by the layperson.

 

But while I do have that bias and sympathy for gambling addiction, I believe that in many ways, that can often be an offshoot or extension/progression of some form of digital addiction, which, in one form or another, continues to grow as an increasingly pervasive and toxic influence in our lives.  And while younger people are (generally) more open to help in the form of therapy or some other form of intervention, I can't help but feel that a growing host of factors is having the net effect of disadvantaging an entire generation in multiple ways, increasing the likelihood of coping through escape...which is very frequently how the seeds of addiction and mental health problems sprout and begin to grow.

[Kal-El814]

39 minutes ago, GoldenTongue said:

Speaking anecdotally (again), I've seen this as well.  In addition to what I referenced before, I've been a member of GA since January of last year - my own compulsion was related to a mobile game (Lords Mobile), which started as a diversion/hobby, and escalated into something much worse.  Aside from many common behaviors typical to all addicts (tendencies toward isolation and dissociation, an increasing tendency toward lying while trying to cover up my addiction and its effects), I spent an ungodly amount of money and absolutely became addicted to the constant reward-stimulus structure of the game...and its interconnection to certain forms of social media really exacerbated the problem, helping to foster this idea that I wasn't really isolating because I was "engaging" with others through Discord, Line, Teamspeak, etc...it wasn't until after I'd stopped and starting on recovery that I came to recognize how many "LM friends" were likely as captive to it as I had become.

 

I consider myself incredibly fortunate that a number of factors helped wake me up to my problem before I really did irreparable damage to myself, my marriage, and our financial stability, and remain grateful that the work I've done over the past ~2 years has helped me not only overcome this particular compulsion, but also led me to a stronger understanding of any number of underlying maladaptive tendencies that I've struggled with for much of my life - aside from GA, I work with an individual therapist, and my wife and I are continuing work with a couple's counselor.

 

I think your observation of the generational divide in how getting help is percieved, holds some validity, although as it pertains to those whose difficulties lead them toward 12 step programs, I think there is a bit of a difference: programs like Al-Anon, Gam-Anon, and others, which are focused on the family/spouses/partners of those whose addiction have caused damage, have served as a strong gateway for getting help for decades now.  The spouse/parent/sibling sees what is happening to the addict, often being directly impacted by their behavior, and they turn to the support programs for help, which includes assistance with confronting the addict to help them get to a point where they can accept the need for help, whether that comes from an intervention and rehab, or just starting with a 12 step program.

 

So, speaking personally, I can say that for New York (and at least 25 other states for which I've gotten information from the GA ISO office), the median age for new members has absolutely plummeted since 2020, with a disheartening trend of surges in new membership within the first year or so of gambling becoming legalized in a state.  I'm obviously somewhat biased in my perspectives as it pertains to gambling, but so much of what I am seeing and reading has convinced me that it's growing to become a huge problem, potentially worse (in time) than drugs or alcohol, particularly since gambling addiction isn't nearly as recognized as a disease, as alcoholism and drug addiction, by the layperson.

 

But while I do have that bias and sympathy for gambling addiction, I believe that in many ways, that can often be an offshoot or extension/progression of some form of digital addiction, which, in one form or another, continues to grow as an increasingly pervasive and toxic influence in our lives.  And while younger people are (generally) more open to help in the form of therapy or some other form of intervention, I can't help but feel that a growing host of factors is having the net effect of disadvantaging an entire generation in multiple ways, increasing the likelihood of coping through escape...which is very frequently how the seeds of addiction and mental health problems sprout and begin to grow.

 

Yeah that's all spot on.

 

It's been about 2 decades since I worked in psych directly, but then (and since, based on people I know who still work in that field) my impression was that addiction, generally, was perceived pretty differently from other illnesses. Not that everyone accepts the disease model of addiction nor accepts that certain things CAN be an addiction (sex addicts in particular still take their fair share of shit based on what I hear). But most people accept that something like alcoholism is real and that dealing with it likely requires external help. Stuff like ADHD? I think it's more accepted now but there are still a lot of people who think it's the same thing as lacking focus or discipline.

 

But again, in broad strokes you're right; the al-anon equivalent group I join regularly has me as the youngest participant and I'm 43.