Diabetes’ Affect on Mental Health (And What You Can Do About it.)
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Dr.Harshi
Dr.Harshi
Dr. Harshi is a licensed medical doctor with a specialization in Pathology. She is currently employed as faculty in a medical school with a tertiary care hospital and research center in India. Her work is often used by Google for citations as she’s a Google Scholar.
She has vast experience of over a decade in diagnostic, clinical, research, and teaching work. She has a strong interest in medical content writing and reviewing. She also has several publications and citations in indexed peer-reviewed journals such as FastingApps, ResearchGate, BuzzRx, Sunshine Behavioral Health and PathologyOutlines.
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Chris Stocker
Chris Stocker
Chris Stocker is a financial services professional and licensed insurance agent. He's also Owner and author of The Life of a Diabetic as well as Type 1 Detour. He's been writing about Diabetes related topics for over 10 years, and has been featured in HealthLine, Diatribe, Diabetes Advocates and JDRF.. He's been writing about Diabetes related topics for over 10 years, and has been featured in HealthLine, Diatribe, Diabetes Advocates and JDRF.
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Last Updated on December 11, 2024
An estimated 34 million children and adults in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes. This condition, which affects the way the body regulates glucose in the bloodstream, can have serious health consequences if not properly managed. Living with an ongoing health condition can affect your body and your emotional well-being. A closer look reveals the impact living with diabetes can have on mental health.
Diabetes impacts more than just mental and physical health. It also impacts the ability of obtaining health and life insurance. Like they say, nothing is easy with diabetes. However, it is very possible to live a healthy life, even with a diagnosis of diabetes.
Quick Article Guide
Here’s what we’ll cover in this post:
Living With Diabetes Can Be Stressful
A diagnosis of diabetes can be a life-changing event. Suddenly, you’re not immortal anymore, and you learn about the serious consequences that can occur if you fail to properly manage your health problems. You must educate yourself about the ways to regulate blood sugar levels effectively, and you must make the daily changes that will allow you to stay healthy and functioning well.
These changes in thinking and lifestyle can be extremely stressful and can contribute to a number of mental health issues. For some people, the uncertainty and worry about future effects can be devastating, and can make it harder to maintain your general health. For this reason, diabetes and mental health issues often occur together.
Diabetes and Depression
Research indicates that the relationship between diabetes and depression is quite complex. Constant medical management of diabetes can bring its own kind of stress. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, blood sugar levels can go awry, leading to fears about damage to your body and your inability to control what’s happening to you. And constant testing and attention to your physical condition can make you feel out of step with your peers.
These issues can lead to depression. But studies have also found that those who are already diagnosed with depression are more likely to develop type-2 diabetes, which further supports the strong link between mental health and physical health. Maintaining a positive and proactive mindset can be an ongoing challenge for people living with diabetes.
Diabetes and Anxiety
Anxiety can also develop as a result of living with diabetes on a daily basis. You may become anxious over constant monitoring of your blood sugar. You may fear the needle pricks associated with frequent blood testing. You may develop fears about experiencing the symptoms of low blood sugar. Fears about social events like dinner engagements and parties, where you may have to explain your refusal of foods or alcohol, may also develop.
Diabetes and Eating Disorders
Eating disorders also frequently occur alongside diabetes. The eating disorder can come before the diagnosis of diabetes, or it may develop as a result of the condition. The intense focus on food, the types of food you eat and how much of it you consume can lead to obsessive patterns of thinking. Weight is also a feature of managing the disease and can lead to rigid rules on caloric intake, focus on weight loss or gain, and problems with self-image. Counseling may be needed to put these issues back into perspective, in order to allow a healthier relationship with food, weight and body image.
Types of eating disorders that commonly co-occur with diabetes include:
- severe dietary restriction, including strict calorie restriction or eliminating essential nutrients from their diet
- objective binge eating, which involves eating an large quantities of food in a short period of time and feeling unable to stop
- subjective binge eating. This is like objective binge eating, except while the feelings of lack of control remain, the amounts of food eaten may not necessarily be huge. The important factor is that the person experiencing the binge doesn’t feel like they can stop on their own.
- other maladaptive weight control strategies, like not taking the suggested amounts of insulin for the purpose of losing weight.
Diabetes Burnout
Sometimes, people with diabetes develop a feeling of burnout. The constant dietary restrictions, daily injections and regular testing can begin to feel like a never-ending chore. When this occurs, it’s a good idea to visit your doctor to discuss the management of your blood sugar. You may benefit from an adjustment of medication or other measures.
Many people find it helpful to begin a new exercise program that excites them, such as a sport, dancing or an exercise practice with meditative aspects that help them maintain a more positive frame of mind, as well as helping to regulate glucose levels. Connecting with other people who are dealing with diabetes through a support group or online community can also help you to maintain your daily efforts and to get a perspective on how others deal with the routine of managing diabetes.
When you experience this burnout, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend reminding yourself that “perfect is the enemy of good.” Striving for perfect blood sugar management might be an uphill battle —one that may not even be possible to win. Instead, focus on small steps, like lowering your A1c by 1 percent at a time. You’ll still be on the right track, but you’ll feel less overwhelmed breaking your journey into small steps you can easily succeed at.
Monitoring Your Mental Health When You Have Diabetes
You may have signs of stress or poor mental health and not realize it. Check in with the people closest to you to see if they feel you’ve been angry, out of sorts, lacking in energy or more anxious than usual. Your loved ones know you best and can tell when you’re not acting like yourself. They may be concerned and may not have wanted to mention it to you.
Your sincere interest in their thoughts on the matter can provide a perspective you may not be able to have about yourself. You can then take active steps that will allow you to improve your mental health, which will in turn allow you to manage your diabetes more effectively. Never be afraid to reach out to your circle of friends or family.
Getting the Help You Need
The first line of defense against the negative mental health aspects of living with diabetes should be a frank discussion with your physician to ensure you are using the most effective methods of controlling your blood sugar levels. The stress of living with an ongoing health problem and physical effects of uncontrolled diabetes can be difficult to live with and can lead to substance abuse problems in an effort to manage the discomfort and feelings of isolation. If indicated, your doctor can refer you for treatment with a counselor that can provide behavioral therapy or medication to improve mental health symptoms.
Remember, don’t think of a diabetes diagnosis as an end to your “normal life.” Think of it as a new way of living that forces you to focus on your physical and mental health. When you do, you’ll feel better inside and out and get to focus on the things in life that make you truly happy.
Sources
Professional.diabetes.org:- Data and Statistics About Diabetes
CDC.gov – Diabetes and Mental Health
Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – The Mental Health Comorbidities of Diabetes
Niddk.nih.gov – Eating Disorders and the Patient With Diabetes
CDC.gov – Dealing With Diabetes Burnout
SunshineBehavioralHealth.com – Holistic Addiction Treatment
Dr.Harshi
Dr. Harshi is a licensed medical doctor with a specialization in Pathology. She is currently employed as faculty in a medical school with a tertiary care hospital and research center in India. Her work is often used by Google for citations as she’s a Google Scholar.
She has vast experience of over a decade in diagnostic, clinical, research, and teaching work. She has a strong interest in medical content writing and reviewing. She also has several publications and citations in indexed peer-reviewed journals such as FastingApps, ResearchGate, BuzzRx, Sunshine Behavioral Health and PathologyOutlines.
