Can losing your will to live actually cause your death?

My father was in a nursing home with Parkinson's Disease and depression. He lost his interest in everything and did nothing but sleep. Is it possible that the loss of his will to live is the thing that killed him?

Answers:
Yes it can..Sorry about your lose.

This occurance happens again and again to patients. They give up on their fight, and then they pass..
It is for sure possible.
yup. most people dont know that you can actually mentally kill yourself.
and it works the other way around too. if your sick.you can keep yourself alive for a tiny bit longer.if you have the will.
Many people would say yes. If someone truly loose there will to live
it can impact there health. I would also agree with those people but I would add that the person must have some form of illness and must have truly lost the will to live not just a small depression.

Very sorry for your loss.
that could've been a contributing factor

in his general health(or lack thereof), if he didn't want to live, his immune system might not have fought as hard as it would've if he really wanted to live
I believe that people lose the will to live. I have noticed that sometimes the death of a loved one casues the loss of the will to live.
I'm sorry about your father.

When he's depressed, he can easily forget about logic. And by doing so, there's a good chance, he will lose his will to live.
i think that could have been one of the factors in the loss of his life. i believe that you can die a spiritual death before you die your physical death if you do lose the will to live.sorry about your father :(
Definitely, my grandfather went to bed and would not eat,or get up and died right there
Ye' s, it is possible. It is seen mostly in the elderly, and infants. The suprising thing is that human touch can dramatically affect the outcome. In babies it is called 'failure to thrive'.
yes this can happen and all to much to the order that people that is old is ready to die and so they will their souls to die.
then when this happens they stop eating and stop being around other people and sleep all the time.
this-is when they are willing their life to death.give up their ghost.
this is why so Meany people go to the nursing home and they are just waiting to die there,they have no more time for life and is willing their life to end.
this is all the time for more older people that goes to the nursing home.
As I nurse I have seen it in a lot of the elderly. I saw it in my own parents. A person's will to live is powerful. If one loses that will, they stop eating and drinking, which contribute to death. But it is truly ones will when one is very ill and or very old that cause them to die.
Yes it definitely can! I believe with all my heart that's why my mom died,she just gave upon living!
I think it's definitely possible to die from losing your will to live. My grandma has Alzheimer's and went into the hospital where she became even more confused and agitated by her surroundings. Everyday that went by she seemed more dead in spirit. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with her except for her mental state. Once we moved her to a nursing home specializing in memory loss her spirit bounced back. While she was in the hospital I was almost sure she was giving up and going to pass away.

I think you can also translate this to couples who have been married for a very long time that die very close together. Almost like their spirits can't go on without the other. I think sometimes your spirit just has to give up on your body it'd be very frustrating to be your father's state or my grandma's state and still have a will to go on. And on the other side of the coin there are people who have near death experiences who feel they have tons to live for that survive in the most horrendous conditions. There is a lot to that spirit of ours.
I'm afraid of that exact thing.My brother died and my mom is staying in her room all day.She doesnt do anything she use to.I beleive that you can die from apathy,yes.
Our spiritual self is alive and well when we are able to be active participants in this world. When our physical bodies are no longer useful to us then we move on. Unfortunately those we leave behind are the ones who suffer the most. I think your real question is- is it my fault that he didn't have the will to stay here any more. He was tired! And he wanted to go home. He loved you as only a parent can love a child. I'm certain if he could've been in your life in a positive way he would've stayed. But, with his passing he is able to watch over you all the time. You'll find yourself over time remembering the funny things he said or did. Eventually your memories won't be sad. God bless you little angel. I know your daddy's looking down at you and he's really proud of you!
first of all let me say I'm so sorry for your loss. when some one loses their will to live and give up it can contribute to their death. i was taking care of a patient in the nursing home, who just had weakness. he had difficulty swallowing thin liquid, and hated to drink the thick liquid.his doctor told him that he was 90 and had lived his life and didn't have much time.the patient took it to mean he was dying and told every one he was going to die in 3 days.the first day after the doctor visit he got a blood clot in his leg..my the third day he was gone..he had given up..he had no real disease, and nothing that was fatal.he had just given up..
Yes, some people, when they don't care anymore if they die or not, they do die. Also with him having Parkinson's Disease his depression grew larger. Depression is something that people don't quite understand, you feel alone, you feel no one cares, you feel the world is against you and judging you, you feel you don't want to go outside, you feel that you are not important to no one even if people tell you they love and care for you, and these are just some of the things people with depression have to go through, there are many more. Depression is a real illness,especially when is a chronic depression. When people give up your mind tells the body to slow down and this might have contributed to your fathers' death.
I want you (even though I don't know you) not to feel guilty about what happened to your father. God was ready for him to go home and for him not to suffer any further.
Yes it can. I actually witnessed this with my great-grandmother. Her husband died of natural causes and she had no idea how to deal with anything. As he paid the bills and just generally kept things going smoothly for her. Before he died she was the happiest woman alive. After his death she kind of withdrew from life altogether and her children transfered her from nursing home to another. Which was very sad. But she didn't really know what was going on because she got alhiemers disease. She her husband, her memory and her will to continue with living. She died in 2004 and the good part was she was the same age as the year as she was born on 1900. So she had a nice life except for maybe the end.

I also think my mother lost her will to live to. She had all kinds of medical problems and just probably said I give up, take me away from it all. It did on July 5, 2006.

Sorry for your loss!
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