Can depression kill you?

Question

From being depressed for a long period of time kill? Like with out killing yourself or anything, like not comitting suicide. Just from being sad for a long period?

Answer 1

rarley it could kill you

Answer 2

Depression causes stress...

Stress lowers the ability to fight off pathogens

That... can - lead to you dying of something that a non-depressed person, would have fought off... with ease.

Answer 3

Depression can make you eat less, which may cause heart problems, and it can kill.

Also, it causes you to sleepwalk sometimes, even if you never sleepwalked before, and if you have a high balcony, you can jump off without ever knowing it.

Answer 4

Yes, people have been known to die from depression.  It usually starts when they begin sleeping increasingly longer periods at night and during the day as well.  Eventually they lose all interest in waking activity including eating and other self-maintenance efforts.  There's more to depression than feeling sad.  In fact, you can be absolutely miserable emotionally without suffering any depression.

Answer 5

To some extent you can cotrol your bodys immune response. Have you ever heard of someone asking if someones a fighter? Essentially you lose your will to live when your depressed and not only does your immune system suffer, you eat less, eat more unhealthily, excercise less, sleep less or more (both of which are bad) etc.

While its not deadly in itself it can lead to complications.

That being said I did stop breathing quite often when I felt that bad.

Answer 6

Some people said that you can develop a disease. If you think you are still in a long period of depression I encourage you to visit  a specialist, a Doctor or someone that could help you as a Pastor or minister or maybe a counselor.  Hope the person that is passing through this get better.  

Answer 7

It can, but not from depression alone.

Depression comes with all different things - lack of sleep, over sleeping, stress, anxiety and many more. These can all lead to further illnesses and can lead to death. Lack of sleep causes your body to become weaker, as does stress. Depression can't directly kill someone from just feeling down and depressed, but the things which come along with it can.

Answer 8

You can't die just from feeling sad.

But I suppose in theory severe symptoms could put your health at serious risk (i.e. insomnia and loss of appetite) if they persisted consistently for long enough.

Answer 9

YES!  plain and simple.  if not treated depression can lead to physical problems that can kill you.  If emotional aspects are not treated a person very likely will develop physical health issues. For some people they are told they have become somatic (focused on physical problems). Some of these may not show up as medical problems that can be verified by tests by doctors, but the pain a person goes through is still very real.

Certainly persons with depression do kill themselves. I don't have the specific numbers on this, but do know that 1 our of 4 or 5 persons with Bipolar who are in a depressive episode will kill themselves. The statistics here are huge.  Please keep in mind I am largely talking about people who are not getting treatment.

Answer 10

depression alone can't kill you but it can make you sick.suicide is the only thing that is severe with depression

Answer 11

No it can't.  It can lead to actions that could put your life in danger, but it in itself will not kill you.

Answer 12

UNFORTUNATELY IT HAPPENS,AND MORE OFTEN THAN WE  WOULD THINK !!!

Answer 13

Yes is can kill you! Being depressed can cause your immune system to become weak. Also it can cause stroke and heart attack. Because your blood pressure may become high, also if not treated it you happen sooner than you think. If you are depressed please get medical help. You owe it to your self to be happy. Depression is nothing to play with get treatment ASAP!!!!!!  YOUR WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 14

Well if you unconsciously stopped eating you could die from starvation.  

Answer 15

you can die from the stress of it all, that affects the heart.

Answer 16

I wouldn't think so.

Usually with depression you are depressed for a couple days, then you reach your high again - where you feel happy and on top of the world again. The only way depression would kill you is if you were so depressed that you starved yourself. Didn't provide yourself with food or water......or did something to kill yourself which would be committing suicide.

Depression can ruin your life though. If it goes untreated (considering you are depressed for a long period) you may end of killing yourself or harming other people, stealing. Resorting to things you know you shouldn't be doing but are doing stemming from depression. It will mess up your life so to speak.

If someone you know is suffering or if you are....please seek help. It is not worth living sheltered or end up killing yourself over. Seek treatment.

Answer 17

Well, depression can harm you in many other ways. Such as loss of appetite for instance.

No you cant die as a direct result, but depression can lead to other connected illnesses that could.

If you are depressed then consult your Dr, asap and get that help!

Answer 18

Depression is emotionally draining. It can make you mentally sick where you can cause pain/death upon yourself.

Answer 19

It can suppress your immune system, so you contract cancer, or an infectious disease. Bouts of depression last an average of 6 months, but dysthymia can go on for years. See section 2, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris on page R first, then page V, and the rest.