That is exactly what's happening
But they retain free will do they not?
They have the ability to make choices not to choose the consequences of their actions, that's freedom.
Unlike humans, spren's lives have no value.
Shallan's life would have been in less danger if she never formed a bond
Not one of Dalinar, Jasnah, Lift, Stump, or the Shoemaker were in danger of death without their bonds
I fail to see how death without the bond is irreversibly linked to it.