Man suffering from sleeplessness biting his nails

Diabetes burnout is the term given to the state of disillusion, frustration and somewhat submission to the condition of diabetes.

Burnout can be characterised by a person’s complete disregard for their blood sugar levels.

They may also miss doctor appointments, forget or avoid taking insulin injections or other diabetic medication, or switch back to unhealthy eating habits.

Often it will be a state of mind that is reached after years of dealing with the condition.

Diabetes burnout is often marked by disregarding blood sugar levels and neglecting an individual’s diet.

What happens in diabetes burnout?

At times of diabetic burnout, a person will often participate in self-destructive behaviours.

This may include eating whatever you want despite knowing its effects on blood sugar levels, or estimating quantities of insulin required rather than testing blood sugar levels and injecting precise amounts.

Accounts of people who have experienced diabetic burnout report that they are seeking ‘freedom’ from this confining and often frustrating condition.

However the outcome is somewhat the opposite potentially worsening their diabetes and increasing the risk of accompanying complications.

A person experiencing a burnout, adopting self-destructive behaviour may subsequently suffer from fatigue and/or hypoglycemic episodes, which in their worst case can lead to coma.

Burnout is also often accompanied by psychological changes such as:

How can I prevent diabetes burnout?

There are a number of steps that can be taken to help avoid diabetes burnout such as varying one’s diet and trying new recipes specially designed for people with diabetes.

There are also Mindfulness based courses in the UK which are designed to aid diabetes management – helping understand, address and overcome the mental and emotional impact of having diabetes, including the emotional and psychological conditions that give rise to diabetes burnout.

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