Can mental illness be deadly?

Question

Can depression/anxiety disorder be deadly? Meaning, it can literally kill/destroy people just like cancer/AIDS does?
I have always downplayed mental illness in life thinking it is nothing serious compared to physical illness.

Answer 1

Anorexia, bulimia, and substance abuse are the most deadly mental illnesses - not only because of the high rates of suicide among these groups, but also because of the physical strain it causes the body

Answer 2

Mental illness can be life-threatening. Suicide is a big risk especially in severe mood disorders, schizophrenic disorders and substance dependence. People who are mentally ill can neglect medical conditions. For instance, someone with diabetes may stop taking medication or seeing their doctor. People with extreme depression or catatonia can suffer dehydration and/or starvation that can be fatal. Mental illness may not be deadly directly but the consequences can be.

Answer 3

Yes. Mental illness can be deadly both directly and indirectly. When suffering from severe anxiety and / or depression, you are hopeless, helpless and really don't care to much about anything. You will neglect yourself, including your health. Along with this, especially with severe anxiety other medical conditions may exist such as high blood pressure. There are also those cases that people can't cope anymore and take their own life.

Other mental illness such as schizophrenia leave people with delusions and behaviors so bizarre that they may do things to intentionally or unintentionally harm themselves due to paranoia.

Answer 4

Well, a lot of people commit suicide so it can be deadly. Also, I know that depressed people tend to die younger than happy people. Depressed people also tend to become drug addicts and alcoholics which of course, can be deadly. Extremely mentally ill people like people with schizophrenia also have can do dangerous things to themselves while they are delusional like jump off buildings without intentionally trying to kill themselves. Yes, mental illness is just as serious as physical illness. It's also easier to treat a lot of diseases and illnesses than many serious mental illnesses. Also, people tend to recover from serious illnesses more readily than those that are severly mentally ill. Both mental and physical illnesses are horrible things to deal with and healthy people need to do what they can to help. There is much more research and money being funded for physical illnesses like breast cancer when there should be equally funded research and support for people with debilitating depression and mental illnesses like Schizophrenia and addiction that rob people of happy, healthy lives and make their loved ones suffer as well. To answer your question, YES!

Answer 5

Depression can weaken the immune system, stress can cause strokes, cancer. Then there are people who feel so low they end their own lives as well.

The mind and and body have to work with each other. Your mental state has a big effect on the body.

Answer 6

Can depression/anxiety disorder be deadly? Yes Suicide is the #1 leading death due to depression/anxiety disorder.

Answer 7

I dont think it is as deadly as Cancer or AIDS, but if your in a place of not being mentally healthy, you could potentially to harm to yourself or someone else.

Answer 8

It can't kill you physically,but it can easily make you kill yourself.
Living with a mental illness can be torture,believe me ive had 2 for my whole life.

Answer 9

Mental illness can really take you to have serious health physical illness, even put you in danger...

Answer 10

Yes, by suicide. Some times that is the only answer for depression.