The Difference Between Aging and Disease (And Why It Matters)

“You’re too young to have that problem.”

“That’s just for old people.”

Chronic illness doesn’t discriminate. Old age is not just disease, and disease is not reserved for those who are older. And I say this from both a professional and personal perspective.

Personally, I’ll reveal to you this: I have osteoporosis. I was diagnosed at age 35. And I know what you’re thinking: But, Sara, that’s just for older women. I thought so too—until I didn’t. Yes, it’s most common in older women, but it can come for those of us who are younger too. The same for arthritis (I’ve got that too…), heart disease, diabetes…the works.

On the flip side of that, older age is not a disease. Typical aging is not a disease process. Of course, there are illnesses that layer on top of typical aging but aging itself is not a disease to be treated or cured. Instead, we do see more illnesses occur in an aging body, because—guess what? It’s older. It’s been through it. It’s experienced life, been exposed to stressors, been worked and used, and there’s been more time (and therefore more opportunity) for illness to happen.

But disease is not age and age is not a disease. Hard stop.

We need to separate these experiences because they are not interchangeable. People think that they are, and this only feeds the fear of getting older. Candidly, I wouldn’t want to get older either if I thought that it meant that I would be sick and miserable. But, when we shift our perspective and realize that aging is one process and disease is another, we can start to see the aging experience differently (ahem, correctly).

Aging is growth. Development. Opening into who and what we were meant to be. It’s exploring ourselves and the world. It’s experiencing life, with all its ups and downs. That’s not to say that all of it is perfect, nor is all of it even positive. But it’s not all disease.

Humans are complex beings, and the aging process is no different. We all experience it differently. Some with osteoporosis and arthritis (like me), some with diabetes, some with no limitations, some with difficulties in mobility. All of it—worth experiencing.

So, next time you find yourself thinking that aging is just doom and gloom, days riddled with sickness and misery, try to stop yourself. Recognize that you are likely coming from a place of fear (justifiably so), but we can alleviate some of this fear when we rewire our thinking about aging—to separate aging from disease. They are not the same.

Sara J. Margolin, Ph.D. is an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience with expertise in cognitive aging. Her research has appeared in journals such as Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, Experimental Aging Research, and Educational Gerontology, and she has published a textbook on the psychology of aging. Her writing has also appeared in the Buffalo News, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, and the Albany Times Union; and she has appeared on podcasts such as Aging Matters— all discussing various aspects of the aging process. You can find her on Instagram (@drsaramargolin) and Facebook (Sara Margolin) providing insight into the positive aspects of aging every day.