Is mental health low on your priority list for managing diabetes?
Mental health affects so many aspects of daily life, from how you think and feel, handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Having a mental issue can make it harder to manage your diabetes care. Untreated mental health issues can make diabetes worse, and problems with diabetes can make mental health issues worse.
Depression: More than Just a Bad Mood
Depression is a medical illness that causes feelings of sadness and often a loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy. It can get in the way of how well you function in your personal life, including taking care of your diabetes. When you’re unable to manage your diabetes well, your risk for diabetes complications increases. Some examples of common complications include cardiovascular disease or nerve damage.
Individuals with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression, compared to individuals without diabetes. According to statistics, only 25% to 50% of individuals with diabetes may get diagnosed with depression and receive treatment. Treatment is usually very effective with therapy, medication, or both. Without treatment, depression often gets worse.
Symptoms of depression:
- Feelings of sadness, hopeless, anxious, or fatigue
- Loss of interest in activities
- Overeating or loss of appetite
- Lack of sleep or sleeping too much
- Having trouble concentrating or making decisions
- Experiencing aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems
If you think you might have depression, contact your provider and discuss options for treatment. The earlier depression is treated, the better for you, your quality of life, and your diabetes.
Stress and Anxiety
Stress is an emotion which is part of life. If you’re stressed, you may not take as good care of yourself as usual. Your blood sugar levels can be affected. Stress hormones make blood sugar levels rise or fall unpredictably, and stress from being sick or injured can make your blood sugar levels increase. Experiencing stress for long periods of time can lead to other health problems or make problems worse.
Anxiety is experiencing feelings of worry or fear. Individuals with diabetes are 20% more likely than those without diabetes to have anxiety at some point in their life. Managing a long term condition like diabetes is a major source of anxiety for some people. Anxiety symptoms may feel like low blood sugar or high blood sugar. It’s always best to check your blood sugar when experiencing symptoms of low or high blood sugar in order to treat it effectively. Studies have shown that therapy for anxiety is more effective than medication. Sometimes, both work best together.
Ways you can help lower your stress and anxiety:
- Get active
- Meditation or yoga
- Call a friend
- Read a book or do something fun
- Limit alcohol and caffeine
- Incorporate a healthy, well-balanced diet
- Get enough sleep
Speaking with your provider can help you decide what may be best. Getting help for your mental health issue can help you better manage your diabetes.
Diabetes Distress
You may sometimes feel discouraged, worried, or frustrated while dealing with daily diabetes care. Those overwhelming feelings are known as diabetes distress, and may cause you to slip into unhealthy habits, stop checking your blood sugar, or even skip provider appointments. According to statistics, 33% to 50% of individuals with diabetes have diabetes distress. This can look like depression or anxiety but can’t be treated effectively with medication.
Try some of these approaches instead:
- Make sure you’re following up with an endocrinologist for your diabetes care. This provider has a deeper understanding of diabetes challenges.
- Ask your provider to refer you to a mental health counselor who specializes in chronic health conditions.
- Ask about one-on-one visits with a diabetes educator.
- Focus on one or two small diabetes management goals instead of everything all at once.
- Join a diabetes support group, so you can share your thoughts and feelings with individuals who may have the same concerns.
- Here, at Cornell Cooperative Extension, we offer a monthly Diabetes Support Group. Please visit our website under Community Education and select Diabetes Education, look under events for more details. Cornell Cooperative Extension | Diabetes Education (ccesuffolk.org)
Talk to Your Health Care Team
Your health care team knows diabetes is challenging but may not understand how challenging. If you’re concerned about your mental health, let your provider know right away. You’re never alone!
Schedule an Appointment with a Diabetes Educator:
Our Cornell Registered Dietitian Nutritionists are Diabetes Educators and would love to help you manage your diabetes and live a healthier lifestyle. You may schedule an appointment at one of the Sun River Health Center locations to help you better control your diabetes.
Please visit the following resources for more details:
https://ccesuffolk.org/community-education
https://blogs.cornell.edu/communityeducation/category/diabetes/
All Blogs are written by Professionals in the fields of Nutrition, Human Development and Diabetes.