As tech billionaires pour their physical and financial resources into figuring out how to live longer, or even forever, the pressure to do so has trickled down to the general population.
An obsession with living longer has given rise to a new mental health disorder called Longevity Fixation Syndrome.
As tech billionaires pour their physical and financial resources into figuring out how to live longer (or even forever), the pressure to do so has trickled down to the general population.
Experts at Paracelsus Recovery, a mental health clinic based in Zurich, have found that an obsessive and unhealthy fixation on longevity is increasingly presenting as anxiety and stress, and even eating disorders.
“We are seeing a growing number of people whose lives are being dominated by the fear of ageing and decline, so much so that we have identified it as a new condition, Longevity Fixation Syndrome,” says Jan Gerber, the founder and CEO of Paracelsus Recovery. “What starts as self‑care becomes obsessive self‑surveillance. The stress generated by this mindset can be so intense that it actively shortens lifespan rather than extending it.”
Gerber adds that “there is no longevity without good mental health.”
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Someone with Longevity Fixation Syndrome may obsessively monitor their bodies, stick to unattainable routines, and engage in behaviours fuelled by fear.
Orthorexia, for example, is an eating disorder characterised by an obsession with eating “pure” or “clean” food, believing that severe restriction is a healthy choice. Pixie Turner, a nutritionist who spreads awareness of orthorexia with her personal stories, told Business Insider in an interview that she once snuck out of her university lectures to go and eat a plate of vegetables on her own because she was too afraid to go to a Chinese buffet with her friends.
Here are some of the key symptoms of Longevity Fixation Syndrome:
- Obsessive monitoring and tracking of health metrics including blood pressure, sleep, glucose levels, and faecal samples.
- Extreme routines including strict diets and supplement protocols, intense exercise routines, and controversial therapies such as “plasma exchange.”
- Anxiety and fear related to ageing, which raises cortisol levels and can cause inflammation are accelerate negative side effects, including ageing.
Longevity has replaced other trends in recent years to become a leading indicator of someone’s health. It was once a fringe movement associated with biohacking but cold plunges, saunas, supplements, Mediterranean diets, and vitamin IVs are becoming increasingly mainstream.
High-profile enthusiasts such as tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson have also increased awareness. Johnson’s “Project Blueprint” of dieting, supplements, and treatments in a bid to reverse ageing has generated much discussion, particularly the plasma transfusions he takes from his teenage son. The longevity sector is expected to reach $9.8 trillion by 2029.
However, any kind of obsessive behaviour can cancel out the intended physical benefits and “spiral out of control,” says Gerber. Rather, one of the most important factors in living a long and healthy life is maintaining strong relationships, he said.
“Anxiety and loneliness are not separate from the pursuit of longevity; they are often the forces driving it,” Gerber said. “The longest‑lived people are not those exerting the tightest control over their bodies, but those who feel connected and emotionally supported.”
The real biohack, he said, is not another supplement or protocol. “It is a calm and resilient mind,” he said.
