https://www.reddit.com/r/depression/comments/1j7izc8/can_a_person_die_from_depression/
created by No_Signature2974 on 09/03/2025 at 22:03 UTC*
125 upvotes, 31 top-level comments (showing 25)
Not by suicide, but by the actual feeling.
My dad passed away months ago, i was getting better but now i feel so sad that i feel like something is putting so much pressure in my chest that, i cant breathe normally and i feel like throwing up. Is this normal? i feel like i might die of sadness
EDIT: I was having a panick attack lol, didn't know they could last that long.
Comment by GenX_Boomer_Hybrid at 09/03/2025 at 23:33 UTC
120 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I've been majorly depressed for 12 years. I wish it were a death sentence.
Comment by ProcedureOk7468 at 10/03/2025 at 01:15 UTC
52 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Broken heart syndrome
Comment by CryptographerDue4624 at 09/03/2025 at 22:44 UTC
33 upvotes, 1 direct replies
i think about this a lot. mostly because i’ve been extremely depressed for over 3 years now. some days i think ill either take my own life or depression itself will take it because i feel the physical symptoms just as much as the mental. i think whether it kills us now or we die 20 yrs earlier than normal from dementia or something, it def plays a role.
Comment by Exotic_Ad_3780 at 09/03/2025 at 23:13 UTC
19 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I feel like I’m dying as I type, I lost my favorite person in the world after a gnarly battle with cancer than ended up in just torture for her and I am so traumatized and cant get myself to eat or shower it’s been officially a month as of yesterday and I don’t see a future where I can even move
Comment by Dangerous-Ad-2308 at 09/03/2025 at 23:11 UTC
13 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I don’t think specifically from the feeling but probably from the actions it can cause you to take or not take. Lot of people struggle with self sabotage related to depression and I think you could fall far enough into that without noticing in a way that could kill you with time.
Comment by Throwaway_practical at 10/03/2025 at 01:21 UTC
7 upvotes, 0 direct replies
No!! This is so important OP. No feeling or thought can kill you. But failing to feel your feelings will absolutely kill you. Every extreme emotion no matter how horrible will always pass when we can't let it pass is the pathophysiology of depression. This came from my psychiatrist.
Comment by z420a at 10/03/2025 at 02:21 UTC
7 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I lost my father last year in May and that completely ruined me mentally for the rest of the year. I'm still barely able to function right now. And I'm really afraid of May because it's now associated with my father's death.
Comment by Current-Engine-5625 at 09/03/2025 at 22:33 UTC
11 upvotes, 1 direct replies
All cause mortality shoots up when someone is acutely grieving. Some level of distress is unfortunately normal, as is cycling, with some days good, others bad. If you are feeling it this acutely it's very important you seek help for it of you haven't already.
Comment by richsreddit at 10/03/2025 at 02:16 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I remember a syndrome called broken heartbreak syndrome where people died from something similar...but of course as the name indicates its a cardiovascular issue caused by heartbreak.
Comment by ChaoticAmoebae at 10/03/2025 at 02:13 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
You can but you normally need a secondary health condition. Usually already weakened heart muscles.
Comment by lightisalie at 10/03/2025 at 03:08 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
That feeling is a normal reaction to grief that almost everyone goes through. Theoretically it’s possible to die from an intense emotion if it triggers cardiovascular issues, but that’s extremely rare unless you already have some kind of cardiovascular disease. You wont have a cardiovascular event from it but even if you did they are mostly survivable with treatment.
The only other way I could think of it killing you would be extreme cases of depression like if you’re catatonic and can’t move so you starve to death.
But generally speaking for almost everyone, emotions cannot kill you directly. They make you act in ways that can lead to an early death so they kill you indirectly but the emotions themselves don’t kill. Emotions are literally designed to keep us alive and they could only kill people in extremely unusual circumstances, which is why people unfortunately have to turn to suicide to escape them.
Comment by dispose_when_empty at 10/03/2025 at 03:51 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
You're grieving sweetheart. Your heart is literally breaking. And something that can set off anxiety. Allow yourself space to feel. Death is natural, pain is natural. I wish I could say it will all go away one day, it doesn't. But with time it the intensity does ease up. I suggest grief counseling.
Comment by souyure at 10/03/2025 at 08:56 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Hello, anxiety attacks often feel like dying. You should urgently consult a psychiatrist to talk to him about it.
Comment by Difficult_Waltz_6665 at 10/03/2025 at 10:02 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
There is psychogenic death where a person completely gives up on life and then dies. Not sure if you can die directly from depression though.
Comment by Ok_Willingness1489 at 10/03/2025 at 03:40 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Not able to look after oneself very well, feeling of misery, lack of rest and even a positive feeling of any kind. Yes it's an early death, even a living death, walking dead
Comment by SectionFinancial2876 at 10/03/2025 at 03:51 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Emotional pain can give you symptoms like that, like your heart is breaking. Also in the pit of your stomach. Sometimes it's like the feeling you get when you're just about to cry. If your sorrow goes on for a long time you can be out of tears but that feeling lingers.
Comment by youngcrone256 at 10/03/2025 at 03:57 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
It is possible to have stress or depression induced heart attack. There are cases where people with healthy hearts have literally died of a broken heart because of this. I can't remember the name for it.
Comment by dispose_when_empty at 10/03/2025 at 04:16 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Sadly life does go on, when I grieved I wasnt given a safe place to grieve so I also pushed through. But I would find moments to just allow myself to cry. Keeping routine, as painful as it is, is better for your mental health. You can easily down in grief.
Comment by ManagerZestyclose844 at 10/03/2025 at 04:46 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I wish, Idon't think I'm depressed but life just makes me tired, I'm tired of moving and trying and stressing for years, I really don't find a purpose here.
Comment by Fickle-Ad8351 at 10/03/2025 at 05:06 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
It will shorten your life, so I'm a way, yes.
Comment by Special_Courage_7682 at 10/03/2025 at 05:37 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Sorry for your loss,I'm in a very similar situation,traumatic circumstances around death keep coming back,8 months later,and have to deal all alone,in my country there's no such concept as grief counselling.Hope it all ends soon,it's just unbearable.People usually say that with time things get easier,but at least in my case,that's far from truth.
Comment by Suspicious-Airline84 at 10/03/2025 at 06:00 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Chronic loneliness is equivalent to the physical effects of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. So yes.
Comment by dojacatmoooo at 10/03/2025 at 06:23 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Idk if this is related but soon after my grandfather passed my grandmother slipped away into severe depression and subsequently dementia. I’m not even sure if she still remembers me, as I live across the country from her and we don’t see each other very often at all. Quite sad really. I think the answer to this question depends on the individual
Comment by Plane-University-639 at 10/03/2025 at 06:40 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I am sorry for your lost. Grief is one of the most powerful and isolating feelings a person can experience. I am not sure if you can die from the feeling, but for sure it can negatively impact you life.
I do not know what was the relationship with your dad like, but I read somewhere that grief is proof of the love lived. So when it comes to the surface it can be good to acknowledge it as loved felt. Like "this pain is huge because the loved felt was immense too". And take refuge in that love.
It is normal to feel lost and to feel alone. It is normal to feel in pain and overwhelmed by those feelings. It is also normal to have good and bad days when processing grief. Try to connect with others, like this post or maybe friends and family. And be patient with yourself, bad days and relapses are normal, you are doing your best.
Comment by Numerous_Salt2104 at 10/03/2025 at 06:47 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
That would be an easy way out wouldn't it? Depression makes us suffer