I’ve been thinking a lot about growing older and whether I will achieve a long life. I’ve always assumed I wouldn’t because I take so many pills, I’m not active (at the moment), and I don’t always follow a healthy diet. If ever.
Plus, stats show that people with major depression have a lower life expectancy. Knowing that, you figure I would do whatever I could to stay healthy. But the thing about depression is that it makes you apathetic to most everything, even when I’m not in an episode. Sometimes I’m motivated, and other times I’m just not. I haven’t exercised regularly in years, even though a treadmill and an exercise bike beckon just one room down from where I type these columns.
A few years ago, I was a part of Stroller Strides. I even ran a 5K and went to the gym regularly. That’s when I had young children who weren’t in school full time. In the fall I’ll have two kids at the same school most of the day, so what’s my excuse then? I’ll probably have lots.
But I shouldn’t.
Research shows untreated mental illness can have on physical health. Poor self-reported mental health can shorten life expectancy as much as diabetes, smoking and lack of exercise.
According to U.S. News’ Healthiest Communities 2019, rankings show the effect untreated mental illness can have on physical health. Poor self-reported mental health can shorten life expectancy as much as diabetes, smoking and lack of exercise.
The World Health Organization reports that people with severe mental health disorders have a 10- to 25-year reduction in life expectancy, while those with depression have a 1.8 times higher risk of premature mortality. Bipolar disorder has been known to significantly affect life expectancy, the report stated, with rates 30-50% higher than that of the general population.
That’s bananas.
In an older article on Healthline, a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, depression is especially deadly for women.
The mortality rate from depression in women began increasing only in the 1990s. For either gender, depression is connected to other serious diseases such as cancer and heart disease that are not immediately noticeable, the study stated.
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Depression stresses the body with its constant release of cortisol, which can lead to high anxiety. It also changes blood pressure and can increase heart attack risk.
A BlueCross BlueShield website page on major depressive disorder says that people diagnosed with it are nearly 30% less healthy on average than those not diagnosed with the disorder. This decrease translates to nearly 10 years of healthy life lost for men and women.
The website also reports that a key reason for the lower overall health of those diagnosed with major depression is that they are likely to also suffer from other health conditions. About 85% of people diagnosed with major depression also have one or more additional serious chronic health conditions and nearly 30% have four or more conditions.
I fall into that 85% group. Along with major depression, I have generalized anxiety disorder, binge eating disorder, migraine disorder, a personality disorder and a substance use disorder.
Now I’m starting to get worried. Before, in my head, as I downed the sixth Diet Coke of the day or devoured my candy stash, I would say, “Everybody dies someday.” But that’s baloney because I know from experience when loved ones do die, the time you spent with them was never enough.
This is getting darker than I intended.
I obviously need to make some positive changes. But this time I need more than luck to get by. I need to care about my physical health as much as my mental health. Why haven’t I thought of that before?
Probably because I didn’t want to give up my Diet Coke and candy. But all in moderation, right?
Right??
Heather Loeb
For more than 20 years, Heather Loeb has experienced major depression, anxiety and a personality disorder, while also battling the stigma of mental health. She is the creator of Unruly Neurons (www.unrulyneurons.com), a blog dedicated to normalizing depression and a member of state Rep. Todd Hunter’s Suicide Prevention Taskforce.
Mind Matters
Now more than ever we need to take care of our mental health. Guest columnist Heather Loeb discusses why and explores other important mental health topics in this special series.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Mental Health Matters: How poor mental health can harm physical health
