Diabetes and Mental Health

Diabetes and Mental Health

February 26 2024 TalktoAngel 0 comments 1230 Views

Diabetes is a chronic disease that can have an impact on one's physical and mental well-being. For example, mood changes can occur quickly as a result of blood sugar fluctuations. A person may also find managing diabetes daily to be overwhelming, and this Stress can have a variety of negative effects on mental health.

You might concentrate on treating your body once you learn you have diabetes. It makes sense because it is the most urgent need. However, the news can also result in strong emotions.

If you have diabetes, you already know that the emotional journey doesn't end there. Mental health conditions like Depression and Anxiety are more prevalent in people with diabetes. You'll be able to better meet your physical needs if you take care of your emotional needs.

When managing your diabetes daily, you might occasionally feel discouraged, anxious, frustrated, or worn out, as though diabetes is controlling you rather than the other way around. Perhaps despite your best efforts, you haven't had any luck. Or, despite your best efforts, you've developed a health issue related to diabetes.

Diabetes distress can resemble depression or anxiety, but medication cannot effectively treat it. Instead, it has been demonstrated that the following methods are helpful:

  • Make sure you're getting diabetes care from an endocrinologist. Compared to your usual doctor, he or she is probably more experienced with the challenges brought on by diabetes.
  • Request a recommendation from your specialist for the Best Psychologist in India that focuses on long-term mental health concerns.
  • Spend some one-on-one time discussing issues with a diabetes educator so you can come up with solutions together.
  • Instead of thinking you need to tackle everything at once, concentrate on achieving one or two manageable diabetes-related goals.

How Do Diabetes And Mental Health Relate to One Another?

Because managing diabetes necessarily requires changing daily routines, receiving a diabetes diagnosis can feel as though it is a threat to more than just one's health. Your doctor may advise you to modify your diet by avoiding certain foods, drinking less alcohol, or avoiding sugary drinks, all of which can be challenging for anyone, diabetes patient or not.

Doctor's appointments can require time away from work, keeping track of blood glucose and insulin can be initially challenging to remember, and the cost of proper care may be prohibitive. You might start to feel a little off or run out of energy when it comes to carrying out necessary tasks for managing your condition because these adjustments can be emotionally increasing taxes.

  • Diabetes patients, whether they have type 1 or type 2, are more likely to experience Eating Disorders, depression, and anxiety.
  • Diabetes patients experience depression at a rate that is two times higher than the general population across the lifespan.
  • Disordered eating is twice as common in people with type 1 diabetes.
  • Bulimia is the most prevalent eating disorder in women with type 1 diabetes, whereas binge eating is more common in women with type 2 diabetes.           

How does diabetes affect your mental health?

Your mental health can be impacted by diabetes in several ways. Some are as follows:

Depression: Diabetes and depression both have some symptoms in common. When you have either condition, you may experience fatigue, excessive sleeping, and attention problems. The following are indications of depression:     

  • Feelings of worthlessness
  • Sleeping too much
  • Unintended weight loss or weight gain
  • Loss of interest in usual activities
  • Suicidal thoughts

Diabetes Stress: Low blood sugar symptoms can be mistaken for anxiety symptoms or make stress and anxiety already present worse. Anxiety is frequently brought on by the multitude of daily responsibilities that a person managing their diabetes often faces. You may worry about things like the long-term effects of having diabetes if you are one. Diabetes distress can also manifest as having friends and/or family who don't seem to be there for you, refusing to check your blood sugar, or scheduling a doctor's appointment and the requirements of managing diabetes frequently make me angry or frustrated.

Other issues with mental health connected to diabetes include:

  • Eating
  • Anxiety

Tips for helping someone in coping

Individuals with diabetes and those close to them may benefit from techniques such as:

  • Observing feelings: A person may need more help and support managing their condition if they experience frustration and stress regularly.
  • Discussing feelings and concerns: Friends, family, and members of a healthcare team may be able to offer support. They might, for instance, consider how to control their judgmental feelings.
  • Letting loved ones help: Diabetes management does not have to be a person's sole responsibility. Their closest friends and family members can help by reminding them to take their medications, check their blood sugar levels, and engage in joint physical activity.
  • Talking to people who have diabetes: People who have diabetes are likely to understand and can offer useful guidance.
  • Performing one action at a time: People may find it helpful to make a list of tasks and tackle each one at a time to lessen stress. This can also aid in identifying which tasks need to be completed right away and which ones can wait.
  • Taking time out for fun: It's important to schedule time for enjoyable activities.

If you have diabetes, there are many reasons to consult an Online Therapist about mood disorders, stress, or depression. You can schedule a session at TalktoAngel, and you'll undoubtedly manage the stress it causes. A few of these are: If you struggle to control your blood sugar, if your moods change frequently if you've lost interest in daily activities, if you have trouble adhering to your diabetes management plan, if you're feeling down or hopeless, or if you're thinking about taking your own life.

Contribution: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologistlife coach & mentor TalktoAngel & Ms. Swati Yadav, Psychologist



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