People dying soon after retirement...

**disneysteve** · 08-18-2015, 08:56 AM

Originally posted by FIREseeker View Post

Is anyone else worried about having no reason to live after retirement and just dying?

I'm not worried at all. I have a lot of interests outside of work that I can't wait to have more time to devote to. Plus, my wife and I enjoy each other's company. Hopefully we will both be around to enjoy it for many years.

I know a lot of people for whom their job is their life. Those are the types who will likely have trouble when they retire.

**Like2Plan** · 08-18-2015, 10:27 AM

Yikes! That is a little discouraging. I retired at age 55. Maybe DH has the right idea to work a few years longer.

Though, maybe the folks who are seriously ill are more inclined to retire ASAP?

**greenskeeper** · 08-18-2015, 10:40 AM

"And I am not frightened of dying, any time will do, I
don't mind. Why should I be frightened of dying?
There's no reason for it, you've gotta go sometime."

~ The great gig in the sky by Pink Floyd

**Weird Tolkienish Figure** · 08-18-2015, 10:57 AM

I came across this phenomenon a while back when a coworker at a $10/hr job told me "when you retire, you die" because a guy at this company had died 6 months after retirement. I googled it, and sure enough, it's true. Been shown in study after study.

The figures are more pronounced for men and from a lot of the guys I know, I can definitely see why. And from some those living a bleak monastic life on this forum, I can definitely see why.

**Like2Plan** · 08-18-2015, 11:12 AM

Perhaps it was a good move that I kept my life ins, eh?

**bjl584** · 08-18-2015, 11:30 AM

I have plenty to do once I stop working. I'm sure that I won't be doing much sitting around as long as my health stays intact.

**MonkeyMama** · 08-18-2015, 12:02 PM

Has not happened in my family or my spouse's. The tendency in our families is to live long lives.

Our parents have been retired for a while, retired on the young side. My dad retired due to health reasons but the low-stress lifestyle has been good for his health. If anything, retiring will prolong his life. I think our parents have all been retired for 7-10 years. If anything they seem more happy and vibrant.

This maybe happened with a co-worker of mine but you could argue he retired because of his health problems. I just don't think it was diagnosed when he quit, but it explains some of his behavior. He passed quickly from brain cancer.

**ua_guy** · 08-19-2015, 06:27 AM

I've seen it both ways. A lot of it comes down to your own will and resolve.

I hope to follow in my parents' footsteps...Retirement has been about keeping busy, even if arbitrarily so. Mom joined a book club, dad bird watches, they started a small garden, they do small projects around the house. They also spend a lot of time/money traveling, and on the grandkids. They're keeping themselves happy, and entertained. This is what they lived for, and now they're enjoying it.

Other examples-- as soon as they retired, they fell into depression and alcoholism and they lived pretty short lives thereafter.

**FrugalFish** · 08-19-2015, 06:58 AM

From what I've seen, the key is to have other interests to keep yourself busy, and keep up with your health. Having the other interests is also possibly important to ward of dementia. That runs in my family, and in some ways scares me more than death. I'd rather die earlier, than last an additional 10 years not knowing my family.

**MaryTres** · 08-26-2015, 06:05 AM

Like most people have said, have some outside interests!! Life is too valuable not to go travelling, exploring new hobbies etc. The lifestyle we have today where we sit for the typical 9-5 for 30+ years is pretty detrimental to your health and if you're not doing anything outside of that to counter the effects, then I can definitely see this happening.

People dying soon after retirement...