Contents
Results up Front - Count Summary
Define Dying Too Young
Statistically Normal Life
Statistical Cure for Mental Illness
Resolving Mental Illness by doing Normal Things
Features of Dying Too Young
What age is premature Death?
Dying Too Young in a War
Total Number of People that died in war?
Assignments for a Thanotologist
Tangent - Define Dying Old Men (DOMs)
Nature DBO = Death by Other - Impact
AD = Accidental Death
DBEN = Death by Exhaustion and/or Neglect
DEATH by Exhaustion and/or Neglect
Inappropriate Service
What does it mean to be inappropriately served?
Table – Those Who: Died Too Young (DTY) – KIA
Self-inflicted Death
Principles of Suicide prevention
Define Overtly Dead
Is Death a Power Greater Than Us?
MIA List
Images @ the End – Cemetery and MIA
Define Dying Too Young
Dying too young means losing a life
prematurely, before reaching middle or old age, or before experiencing a statistically normal lifespan.
Key Aspects of the Concept
Untimely End:
It refers to passing away well before
expected life milestones are
met.
Unfulfilled Potential:
The phrase emphasizes the loss of future experiences,
career goals, or family milestones.
Emotional Impact:
Such deaths often evoke a deep sense of
tragedy, shock, and sorrow among family members and society.
Common Causes:
These premature losses frequently result
from sudden accidents, severe illnesses, or unexpected violence rather than
natural old age.
FYI – AI - If you'd like, I can provide: Statistics
on average life expectancy. Information on how societies process untimely grief
Statistically Normal Life
A statistically normal life
expectancy in the United States is 79.0
years overall, with 81.4 years for females and
76.5 years for males.
Key Statistical Life Metrics
Global Context:
Worldwide life
expectancy at birth averages around 72 to 73 years, a major increase from about 31 years in 1900 due to better medicine and public health.
Maximum Lifespan:
While average
life expectancy measures the mean age of survival, the maximum recorded human
lifespan reaches up to 122 years.
Variability:
Geography,
income, and education shift these numbers significantly; for instance, state
averages in the U.S. can vary by nearly a decade depending on location.
Social Norms:
Beyond
biology, statistical "normality" in human behavior and lifestyle
shifts across generations as cultural and societal trends evolve.
Statistical Cure for Mental Illness
In medicine, mental illnesses are
managed rather than statistically "cured," as most chronic
psychiatric conditions focus on achieving
remission
rather than a permanent, zero-recurrence reversal.
Treatment and Remission
Statistics
Adult Treatment Rates:
Approximately 52.1% of U.S. adults with any mental illness and 70.8% with a serious mental illness receive treatment annually, according to data from National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Global Effective
Treatment Gap:
Worldwide, an
estimated 6.9% of people with mental
health or substance-use disorders receive effective
treatment, with a major barrier being lack of recognition that care is
needed.
Remission vs. Cure:
Clinical
definitions separate symptom remission (symptoms resolving temporarily or
long-term) from a medical cure, because conditions like major depression,
bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia carry a baseline risk of recurrence or relapse.
Annual Interventions:
Recent Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Data Briefs show that roughly 19.3% of U.S. adults use prescription medication and 14.0% utilize counseling or therapy in any given 12-month period.
Resolving Mental Illness by doing Normal Things
Yes, engaging in standard, daily "normal
things"—often referred to in medicine as lifestyle medicine or behavioral
activation—is a powerful, scientifically proven way to manage and reduce
symptoms of mental illness. While severe clinical conditions
frequently require professional treatments like therapy or medication, everyday
habits act as the foundation for chemical
stability and neurological health in the brain.
Here is how routine,
"normal" activities directly combat mental illness:
1. Physical Movement
The "Normal"
Action:
Taking a daily 30-minute walk, cleaning the house, or taking the
stairs.
The Biological Impact:
Exercise
regulates neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which dictate mood and
motivation. According to research shared by the American Psychiatric Association, routine movement is an
effective primary or supporting treatment for depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
2. Social Connection
The "Normal"
Action:
Having coffee
with a friend, calling a family
member, or volunteering.
The Biological Impact:
Human brains
are wired for connection. Isolation
tricks the brain into a state of chronic physiological stress. Interacting with
others signals "safety" to the nervous system, lowering cortisol
(stress hormone) levels and triggering the release of oxytocin.
3. Sleep Architecture
The "Normal"
Action:
Going to bed
and waking up at the exact same time every day.
The Biological Impact:
Sleep directly
manages emotional resilience. Chronic
sleep disruption impairs the prefrontal cortex, which handles emotional
regulation. Sticking to a strict sleep schedule helps the brain process
emotional trauma and daily anxiety effectively.
4. Behavioral Activation (Doing
it anyway)
The "Normal"
Action:
Getting out of
bed, showering, making a meal, or participating in a hobby even when you don't feel like it.
The Biological Impact:
Mental
illnesses like depression trick the brain into a cycle: Feel bad →
isolate/stay in bed → feel worse. Doing normal tasks
breaks this loop by forcing "opposite-to-emotion" behavior, proving
to your brain that you can experience competence
and control.
5. Nature and Environmental
Shifts
The "Normal"
Action:
Sitting under
a tree, stepping into the sunlight first thing in the morning, or working out
of a coffee shop.
The Biological Impact:
Sunlight
regulates your circadian rhythm, which governs mood-lifting hormones. According
to mental health insights from the NHS, environments with natural elements
rapidly decrease blood pressure and nervous
system hyper-arousal.
Features of Dying Too Young
Dying at a young age often
involves a longer, more physically
resistant dying process and complex emotional challenges compared to passing
away at an advanced age.
Physical Features and the
Dying Process
Stronger bodily reserves:
Younger
individuals typically possess stronger hearts, lungs, and physical reserves,
which can cause the body to sustain vital functions longer even during advanced
organ failure.
Prolonged decline:
Because
otherwise healthy organs resist shutting down, the active dying process can
involve a more extended period of physical strain and symptoms.
Universal end-stage
signs:
In the final
stages, younger individuals experience similar physical signs of active dying
as older adults, such as irregular breathing patterns (like Cheyne-Stokes
respiration), cooling extremities, increased
drowsiness, and difficulty swallowing.
Emotional and Psychological Features
Perception of injustice:
The death of a
young person is widely viewed as tragic
and untimely, which can lead to intense emotional resistance and grief
from both the individual and their family.
Extended suffering:
The emotional
toll often includes profound frustration and a prolonged sense of unfairness
regarding unfulfilled life milestones.
Support focus:
Care for
younger individuals nearing the end of life centers heavily on respecting
personal autonomy, managing complex symptoms, and addressing heavy
psychological distress.
FYI – AI - If you are looking for
information on a specific condition, age group,
or palliative care strategy, let me know so I can provide more
tailored details.
What age is premature Death?
Premature death is generally
defined as a death that occurs before the age of 75, though some health groups
use age 65.
Age Standards
Age 75:
The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and America's Health Rankings use age 75 as the standard
cutoff. This matches the average life expectancy in the United States.
Age 65:
Some
researchers use age 65 to measure early or untimely deaths.
Life Expectancy:
Other studies
compare the exact age of death to the expected life span of a specific group.
Common Causes
According to the National Cancer Institute, many early deaths come from preventable or treatable health issues:
- Unintentional injuries (accidents)
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Suicide
- Stroke
Note – For the purposes of this
study we set the age of premature death at 70 years old or less.
Dying Too Young in a War
Older political leaders declare
wars, but young soldiers bear
the physical and emotional cost of fighting and dying on the battlefield.
Historical Sentiments and
Quotes
Herbert Hoover:
Stated in a
1944 speech that "Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight
and die".
Popular Culture:
The 2004 film Troy popularized the line "War is old men talking and young men
dying".
Rudyard Kipling:
Wrote in 1918,
“If any question why we died, tell them, because our fathers lied”.
Why Young People Fight
Physical Fitness:
Military
organizations generally recruit younger individuals because of their strength,
quick reflexes, and endurance.
Generational Disconnect:
Decision-makers
in government are typically older and remain safe from direct combat.
Total Number of People that died in war?
It is impossible to calculate a definitive total number of
people who have died in all human wars throughout history due to missing
ancient records, poor data collection, and unrecorded smaller conflicts.
However, broad historical estimates
and data trackers provide a sense of the scale:
Historical Estimates
Recent Centuries:
According to Our World in
Data, more than 37 million people have died fighting in wars since 1800.
This number excludes many civilian casualties and war-related famines.
All-Time Estimates:
Some
wide-ranging historical estimates suggest that anywhere from 35
million (for focused modern periods like 1816–2007)
up to 1.5 billion to 2 billion people have died across all of
human history when including indirect war-related famines, diseases,
and ancient conflicts.
Deadliest Conflicts in History
World War
II (1939–1945):
The deadliest
military conflict in human history, resulting in an estimated 70
to 85 million total deaths (including 50–55 million
civilians and 21–25 million military personnel from all causes, such as combat, disease, and famine).
World War I (1914–1918):
Resulted in an
estimated 15 to 20 million deaths,
split roughly evenly between military personnel and civilians, plus millions
more missing or dead from disease.
Other Major Tolls:
Historical
catastrophes like the List
of wars by death toll estimate hundreds of thousands to millions of deaths
in regional conflicts like the Taiping Rebellion, Mongol conquests, or the
Second Sino-Japanese War.
FYI – AI - If you'd like, I can
break down the numbers further for: A specific century or era
Specific major wars (like the American Civil War or WWI). Military vs.
civilian casualty ratios.
Assignments for a Thanotologist
Thanatologists—professionals
who study the psychological,
social, and physical aspects
of death, dying, and bereavement—take on dynamic
assignments depending on their specific subspecialty. Their work spans
clinical practice, academic research, community
advocacy, and funeral operations.
Clinical & Bedside Care
Assignments
Anticipatory Grief
Counseling:
Working with
patients who have received terminal diagnoses and their families to navigate
emotional transitions before death occurs.
End-of-Life Legacy
Planning:
Helping
individuals author ethical wills, record oral histories, or curate memory books
for their loved ones.
Vigil Accompaniment:
Providing a
calm, non-medical presence at
the bedside of actively dying patients—a common assignment for death
doulas and hospice team members.
Symptom Comfort through
Art:
Developing
customized sensory interventions, such as utilizing bedside live music therapy, to reduce
anxiety during the transition.
Grief Support & After-Loss
Administration
Complicated Grief
Therapy:
Facilitating
therapeutic interventions for individuals experiencing traumatic, unexpected,
or prolonged bereavement.
Support Group
Facilitation:
Organizing and
leading specialized community healing cohorts, such as groups tailored for
grieving parents, veterans, or children.
Bereavement Care
Assessment:
Evaluating
surviving family members to identify
individuals at high risk for clinical depression or physical health
decline following a loss.
Post-Death Benefits
Guidance:
Assisting
families with immediate administrative tasks, including processing legal
documents, navigating death benefits, and filing claims.
Funeral and Deathcare
Operations
Custom Ceremony Curation:
Interviewing
the bereaved to construct highly customized and culturally respectful funeral
ceremonies and obituaries.
Restorative Arts &
Preservation:
For
thanatologists dual-certified as embalmers or thanatopractors, analyzing
chemical and biological data to preserve and dress the deceased for open-casket viewings.
Academic, Research &
Community Advocacy
Death Literacy Education:
Preparing and
delivering community educational
workshops, university curriculum, or open forums like "Death
Cafés" to destigmatize mortality.
Sociological and
Historical Research:
Conducting
empirical field studies on how evolving social landscapes, virtual mourning
trends, and diverse cultures shape modern perceptions of loss.
Medical Ethics
Consulting:
Serving on hospital or corporate panels to advise on systemic protocols regarding euthanasia, physician-assisted care, or institutional living wills.
Tangent - Define Dying Old Men (DOMs)
For this study Dying Too Young (DTY) is dying before the age of 70. A dying old man is not defined by age rather
by functionality, Quality of Life (QOL) and Life’s Satisfaction. We use various assessments to characterize DOMs. DOMs usually score lower than 70% or so with
their Activities of Daily Living Basic 10 Item Screener. They have few Extended Activities of Daily
Living such as literacy or working with computers. A common feature of DOMs is when they lose
the ability to walk by themselves. If Buster
can’t walk anymore he very likely will desire to be put-to-sleep (See POLST). Many DOMs tend to be angry and have few plans. An example of a dying old man was Al.
Nature DBO = Death by Other - Impact
PII = Personally Identifying Information
Last Reviewed: 20260924-TH:
AD = Accidental Death
PII = Personally Identifying Information
DBEN = Death by Exhaustion and/or Neglect
DEATH by Exhaustion and/or Neglect
Exploring an intense and heavy concept, whether for a creative
writing project, a character backstory, or an educational
research topic. Here is a breakdown of how exhaustion
and neglect function as causes of death, focusing on the
biological and physiological realities.
Death by Exhaustion (Inanition
/ Physical Collapse)
In medical and forensic terms, pure exhaustion rarely kills on
its own; instead, it triggers a systemic failure of the body's
vital organs.
Cardiac Arrest:
Extreme
physical overexertion without rest places immense stress on the heart. The
cardiovascular system eventually collapses, leading to fatal arrhythmias.
Organ Failure:
Prolonged lack of sleep or continuous physical labor
prevents the body from repairing tissue. This causes a buildup of toxins,
eventually leading to kidney or liver failure.
Immune Collapse:
Severe
exhaustion completely decimates the immune system, making the body vulnerable
to minor infections that quickly turn fatal (like sepsis).
Death by Neglect (Deprivation
/ Failure to Thrive)
Death by neglect is categorized
by the withholding of basic human needs over a prolonged
period.
Dehydration:
The fastest
fatal element of neglect. Without water, the kidneys fail, blood volume drops,
and hypovolemic shock or cardiac arrest occurs within days.
Malnutrition /
Starvation:
The body
begins consuming its own fat, then muscle tissue, and eventually its own organs
to survive. Death usually occurs from heart
failure when the heart muscle becomes too weak to pump blood.
Exposure:
Left in unsafe
environments, the body succumbs to hypothermia (extreme cold) or hyperthermia
(extreme heat), which rapidly shuts down the central nervous system.
The Combination:
The Feedback Loop
When exhaustion and neglect occur
together, they accelerate one another. A neglected body lacks the calories and
hydration needed to recover from physical exertion. Conversely, an exhausted
body cannot seek out the resources
it needs to survive, leading to a rapid downward spiral.
Inappropriate Service
The Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model
is a federal pilot program by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) designed to target low-value, costly medical services vulnerable to overuse,
waste, fraud, and abuse.
How WISeR Works
Prior Authorization:
Healthcare
providers must request prior approval from Medicare before giving patients
certain targeted services.
Technology Use:
The program
uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human clinical reviews to
speed up and manage prior authorization decisions.
Timeline:
The pilot
program launched on January 15, 2026, and is scheduled to run through December
31, 2031.
Locations:
It is mandatory only for
Original Medicare beneficiaries in six states: New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Washington.
Medicare Advantage plans are not included.
Targeted Services
- The model requires prior authorization for about 17 specific low-value or frequently overused services, including:
- Skin and tissue substitutes
- Electrical nerve stimulators
- Knee arthroscopy for knee osteoarthritis
- Certain spine decompression and orthopedic pain management procedures, such as cervical fusion and steroid injections
What does it mean to be inappropriately served?
Being inappropriately
served medically means receiving healthcare that is harmful, unethical, clinically unnecessary,
or below professional standards. This concept usually falls
into one of three major categories depending on the nature of the care:
1. Medically Unnecessary Care
(Overtreatment)
This happens when a patient
receives treatments, tests, or procedures that offer no reasonable benefit or
where the risks outweigh the rewards.
Unwarranted Procedures:
Performing
surgeries or diagnostic tests that have no clinical indication.
Overprescribing:
Providing medications,
like unnecessary antibiotics for a viral infection, that can cause side effects
without treating the cause.
Financial Drivers:
Administering
services primarily to boost provider revenue or insurance billing rather than
to help the patient.
2. Substandard Care (Improper
Treatment or Omission)
This occurs when the care
provided fails to meet accepted medical
guidelines, commonly referred to as the standard of care.
Misdiagnosis:
Failing to correctly identify a
condition, which delays appropriate therapy and allows an illness to worsen.
Medication Errors:
Administering
the incorrect dosage or a drug that interacts dangerously with a patient's
medical history.
Inadequate Monitoring:
Failing to
watch a patient closely after a major procedure or surgery.
3. Unprofessional or Unethical
Conduct
This involves a breach of the
trust, boundaries, or dignity required in a patient-provider relationship.
Lack of Informed Consent:
Performing
medical actions without fully explaining the risks, benefits, and alternatives
to the patient.
Discrimination:
Providing
unequal or biased care based on a patient's race, gender, age, or background.
Boundary Violations:
Behaving in a
demeaning, offensive, or abusive manner during examinations.
Table – Those Who: Died Too Young (DTY) - KIA
SID = Self-Inflicted Death - Ledger
Self-inflicted Death
Self-inflicted death, or suicide,
is defined as death caused by injuring
oneself with the explicit intent to die.
Core Nature and
Characteristics
Intent and Awareness:
Clinically and
legally, suicide requires conscious or semi-conscious self-directed action
coupled with an intention to end one's life. This distinguishes it from
accidental injury or non-suicidal self-injury, where an individual may harm
themselves without an underlying wish
to die.
Psychological Pain:
Experts
conceptualize the act not as a physical failure of the body, but as an
overwhelming response to severe psychological distress, hopelessness, or a breakdown in coping mechanisms
during a crisis.
Multifactorial Risk:
Roughly 90% of individuals who
die by suicide experience an underlying mental health condition, such as major
depression or substance use disorder, frequently compounded by acute
environmental triggers like financial loss or relational distress.
Global Impact and Prevention
Statistics:
Over 720,000
people die by suicide globally
each year, making it a leading cause of mortality across various age groups,
particularly young adults.
Support and Intervention:
Suicidal
behaviors are preventable through timely, evidence-based public health
interventions, limiting access to
lethal means, and providing mental health support.
If you or someone you know is
struggling or in crisis, help is available. You can call or text 988
or chat at 988lifeline.org
in the United States and Canada to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Principles of Suicide prevention
Suicide prevention relies on a
public health approach that builds safe environments, teaches coping skills, restricts access to lethal means, and
connects people in crisis to immediate help like calling or texting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you or someone you know
is struggling or in crisis, help is available. You can call or text 988
(available 24/7, free, and confidential in the United States and Canada).
Key Principles of Suicide
Prevention
1. Create Safe and
Healthy Environments
Build stable communities:
Promote strong
social connections, stable housing, and financial security to reduce daily
stress and isolation.
Foster supportive spaces:
Help schools,
workplaces, and families create open, kind cultures where people feel safe talking about mental
health.
2. Teach Coping and
Problem-Solving Skills
Build resilience:
Teach children
and adults how to handle strong
emotions, solve conflicts, and manage life challenges.
Encourage help-seeking:
Teach people
to recognize when they feel overwhelmed
and make it easy to ask for help without shame.
3. Identify and Support People
at Risk
Recognize warning signs:
Watch for
signs of distress, such as talking about feeling
hopeless, talking about
wanting to die, withdrawing from friends, or giving away personal items.
Train gatekeepers:
Teach
community members, teachers, and managers how to spot people at risk and safely
connect them with professional care.
4. Reduce Access to Lethal
Means
Secure dangerous items:
Put physical
space between a person in crisis and things they could use to harm themselves.
Lock up dangerous
objects:
Safely store
firearms in gun safes with locks, and keep prescription medications locked away
to prevent impulsive attempts.
5. Provide Effective Care and
Treatment
Offer targeted treatments:
Use
evidence-based therapies (such as specialized counseling that focuses directly
on lowering suicide risk).
Follow up after a crisis:
Provide
regular check-ins and medical support after a person goes through a mental
health emergency or makes an attempt.
6. Support Survivors of
Suicide Loss (Postvention)
Help families heal:
Offer
bereavement counseling, support
groups, and debriefing sessions for people who have lost a loved one to
suicide.
Reduce future risk:
Providing
support to survivors helps lower the higher risk of suicide that can happen
after losing someone close to you.
Define Overtly Dead
"Overtly dead"
describes a state of death that is completely obvious, unmistakable, and open
for everyone to see, leaving no doubt
that life has ended.
Meaning and Breakdown
Overtly:
Done or shown
in an open, clear, and obvious way without any attempt to hide it.
Dead:
No longer
alive; lifeless.
Combined:
It refers to a
situation where signs of death (such as decapitation, rigor mortis, or decomposition)
are immediately and unmistakably apparent. In medical or emergency contexts, it
means a patient is visibly deceased without needing complex tests to confirm.
Is Death a Power Greater Than Us?
Death is a physical power that
can end human life, but it is not
greater than the enduring power of love, faith, or spiritual
resurrection.
The Physical Power of Death
Ends the body:
Death has the
absolute biological power to stop a physical life.
Universal reality:
Every living person faces the
certainty of physical death.
Inescapable limit:
No human can
permanently stop or reverse physical aging and dying on their own.
What Death Cannot Control
Cannot kill love:
Death takes a
physical body, but it cannot erase
the love or bonds built during life.
Relationship continues:
Memories,
lessons, and emotional connections stay alive in the people left behind.
Not the final word:
Many belief
systems teach that human existence does not vanish completely into nothingness.
The Spiritual and Religious
View
Conquered by faith:
Many major
religions, especially Christianity, teach that God holds a power far greater
than death.
Victory over the grave:
Believers hold
that Jesus Christ defeated death through his resurrection, removing its
permanent grip.
A passage, not an end:
For those with
faith, death is viewed as a temporary transition or a doorway into eternal life rather than an unbeatable master.
KIA = Killed in Action is another
way of saying suicide or self-inflicted harm.
MIA = Missing in Action is
another way of saying we lost track of someone.
Situation
- Know in person
- Not known in person yet had impact
MIA List
Mark Allen
Dave Dart
Devon V.
Greg Morgan
Rodney Spink
Robert Knutesen (Knuteson or Knutsen)
Deron Kemp
Images @ the End – Cemetery and MIA
