Depression Can Be Fatal

Depression can definitely lead to a lower life expectancy for many reasons, not just suicide. Depression is a mental illness that controls all aspects of your life, including your decision-making process. People with any type of depression (such as major depression, bipolar disorder or post partum depression) will not have the drive to do what's best for their health or survival.

Suicide

In 2008, a massive study on interviews done on 5092 college students in 2000 and 2001 finally were released. It showed that one fifth of young Americans had personality disorders, including depression. Many of those kids admitted to having suicidal thoughts. Even more startling, the study went on to report that 25% of these kids that could be helped didn't go try to get any help because they were afraid of the stigma involved.

Even if the suicide is not successful, planning to commit suicide can lead to dangerous behavior, such as binge drinking, overdosing or engaging in risky sex. After all, if you are not planning on living for much longer, doing the safe thing seems no longer an option.

Believing You Can't Be Helped

A common symptom of depression is the belief that they can't be helped, so why even bother? This belief often seeps over into other areas of life. This can manifest as, for example, not looking for another, more satisfying job because they believe they won't be able to get such a job or are so exhausted that a job search in out of the question.

This also can manifest into poor food choices. Overeating or not being able to eat at all are two extremes that lead to a very ill body. Being too scared to leave the home or too tired because of depression can influence the depressive to not exercise regularly and so, they can put on weight, which makes the body more prone to stoke, diabetes and heart disease.

Self-Medicating

Some people with depression who know they need help cannot get it because of the cost of health care. Because they cannot get medication or a doctor's appointment, they decide instead to self-medicate with anything they can get a hold of in order to make themselves feel better or at least get through one more day. This includes taking massive doses of over the counter medicine, abusing alcohol or using street drugs.

Alcohol and many narcotics give a false sense of control to the user, but actually are depressants themselves and worsen the symptoms of depression. Complications for self-medicating can be lethal. Complications from long term alcohol abuse often include liver disease and obesity, which in themselves can kill a person.

Depression can be managed, but only through a long period of a combination of medications and cognitive-behavior therapy.

References:

"The Family Intervention Guide to Mental Illness: Recognizing Symptoms & Getting Treatment." Bodie Morey & Kim T. Muesser, PH.D. New Harbinger Publications; 2007.

BBC Documentary. "Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive." (2006)

Associated Press: "1 in 5 young Americans have personality disorder." Dec. 1, 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28002991/

Science Daily.com: "Teen 'Self Medication' For Depression Leads to More Serious Mental Illnesses." May 10, 2008. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509105348.htm

Author also has endogenous recurring depression.