What causes anxiety in those with diabetes?

[Langerhans Failed 1993]

I was wondering if I could get some feedback on my question, I'm sure the answers will vary depending on which type you have so feel free to add that. I will start with listing one or two of my fears which causes anxiety. I am a type 1 and for me and my husband one of the greatest fears is having a nocturnal ( night time/ sleep time) hypo. One of my other fears is related to this, currently here in the UK if you get more than 2 hypos, of any kind, in a given year requring emergency services either to your home or at the hospital, you could lose your drivers lisence. I would be interested to hear what causes anxiety in some of you?

 

[Deleted Account]

I was diagnosed with t1 15 years ago. On a day to day basis, I have little anxiety. I am very independent and like new challenges both physically (climbing, sky diving, sailing, ...) as well as intellectually (work, travel,...) which I have never needed to avoid because of diabetes.
However, I am petrified of long term complications. The fear of going blind or having my feet amputated or suffering from cardio problems is bad enough but the thought this may happen because I didn't manage my diabetes as well as I should is horrible.

 

[Lamont D]

Anxiety in itself is a asymptomatic to all types of blood glucose disorders or metabolic conditions.
The reason is because of the variable imbalance in the hormones produced by digestion. The glucose or variables of high hormones, glucose, insulin et al, will encourage your gut brain trigger to hint at more glucose derived foods or drink.
The brain triggers symptoms including thirst, hunger and a prevalent amount of other symptoms to get you to eat more sugary foods to offset the deprivation of hormones to satisfy the brains needs.
In people normally the liver provides extra glucose when necessary during exercise or hunger to maintain brain health because your brain needs glucose to perform at optimal performance for health.
It likes to be in normal blood glucose levels, that's why a low carb diet works. The constant consistency of being in or around normal levels helps with controlling levels.
It helps stability, and lowers hba1c levels.


My worst anxiety, and I have had really chronic anxiety problems during my hypo hell period, would be to lose my cognitive association of my brain. In other words lose my reasoning and be in a constant state of Alzheimer's.
There have been periods before diagnosis, that I just can't remember, it is just a blur!

That is what scares me, really, especially as the wife is disabled, and not being able to cope with life as mine is. I would lose my job and my sense of being.

I'm not going back there!

Best wishes

 

[ally1]

Am t2. I Don, t or have had anxiety. Though I do have rapid cycling bipolar.
Depending what my moods are like, if I am having a manic phase, my bs levels can dramatically change by going higher. When I am like this I start worrying as all I think about are going blind, heart attacks, strokes etc that's associated with high bs levels that are not controlled.

 

[mytype1.life]

Hi.

Very interesting thread! Are you using an insulin pump? Are you prone to lows overnight?

I've had T1 for 23 years and have generally never let it get in the way. I've travelled a lot, studied and worked.

That said, recently anxiety is an issue for me. I'd say it's normal for motivation to rise and fall as we do our best to live like everyone else but there's 3 main fears for me at the moment..

1) Long term concerns re: reducing my HbA1c in order to get the go ahead to try for a baby.

2) Getting it "wrong" - I know that's the incorrect term but I've been trying so hard recently to get my timings, calculations, food, exercise etc., right that I find myself over thinking and analysing what caused a spike or drop - especially at night.

3) Socialising - don't get me wrong, I go to work, I smile and I put on a brave face but as recently as this weekend the thought of socialising (unless with close family and friends who know I am T1) stresses me. I was supposed to be at a work event this weekend but the thought of a Chinese buffet was too much so I didn't go! I'd also had a week of ups and downs and was so drained so decided a rest was best, which is not like me at all!

I read an article similar to this topic recently - https://beyondtype1.org/dont-wanna-anymore/

 

[Ashley13]

I used to get anxious of doing things alone, I.e. Going to the shops, out for a walk/run etc. I had an irrational fear that my blood glucose would go low and I wouldn't realise and I might pass out in public. The fear was irrational because this situation has never happened before, and whilst awake I always get hypo symptoms. I suppose it was maybe more fear of the unknown, and the fact that I wouldn't test in a public place where I could be seen. I do now have a Dexcom which has completely eradicated that fear, and it means I can conspicuously check my glucose levels whilst in public

 

[catapillar]

I was wondering if I could get some feedback on my question, I'm sure the answers will vary depending on which type you have so feel free to add that. I will start with listing one or two of my fears which causes anxiety. I am a type 1 and for me and my husband one of the greatest fears is having a nocturnal ( night time/ sleep time) hypo. One of my other fears is related to this, currently here in the UK if you get more than 2 hypos, of any kind, in a given year requring emergency services either to your home or at the hospital, you could lose your drivers lisence. I would be interested to hear what causes anxiety in some of you?

I have had nocturnal hypos. A night time hypo that wakes you up is great, you're awake you can deal with it. Unfortunately I don't have hypo awareness, so I have had severe hypos causing loss of conciousness overnight and eventually rousing to conciousness at 2pm the next day. Or being woken by 3 paramedics as they start the IV glucose. But I've had those night hypos and they don't make me especially anxious.

The worst night hypo I had was one where I roused, and had to really fight to stay conscious and then literally fell on my butt out of bed because I had hypoglycaemic hemiplegia. That was pretty horrible because, once I worked out I was on the floor because I couldn't move my right leg or my right arm, I was fairly concerned I was having a stroke. But, luckily, the packet of dextrose tablets in my nightstand fell on the floor with me so I decided I would treat the hypo and then figure out what to do about the stroke and the sugar also resolved my ability to move my right side and I managed to walk to the kitchen for some OJ and then realised that it probably wasn't a stroke and then googled it to find hypoglycaemic hemiplegia is a thing and the advice to emergency department doctors is not to bother doing any head imaging in a patient presenting with transient hemiplegia which resolves within 30 minutes of blood sugars normalising. Although I wouldn't have attempted anything particularly dexterous, it did resolve so I didn't think I needed to seek any medical assistance right then. Although it did really panic my GP when I went to see her the following week. Anyway, I'd rather that didn't happen again because it did really frighten me because it's right there in front of you how you're brain cannot work when you are hypo.

It's not more than two hypos of any kind requiring emergency services that cause a driving licence suspension. It's two or more severe hypos. A severe hypo is defined as loss of conciousness or a hypo that you required third party assistance to treat. So a hypo that means your husband has to shovel sugar down you because you were unable to treat it yourself is a sever hypo - there doesn't need to be a 999 call for it to be a sever hypo.

I have surrendered my driving licence because I don't have hypo awareness. DVLA require diabetic drivers treated with insulin to have sufficient hypo awareness, and I don't have sufficient awareness.

I was diagnosed with t1 15 years ago. On a day to day basis, I have little anxiety. I am very independent and like new challenges both physically (climbing, sky diving, sailing, ...) as well as intellectually (work, travel,...) which I have never needed to avoid because of diabetes.
However, I am petrified of long term complications. The fear of going blind or having my feet amputated or suffering from cardio problems is bad enough but the thought this may happen because I didn't manage my diabetes as well as I should is horrible.

@helensaramay very neatly expressed my diabetic anxieties. So, obviously, I've had severe hypos. They don't cause me anxiety. Most of the time I function perfectly fine when low and am perfectly capable of treating LO lows myself. It's distressing, and annoying, when a low requires third party assistance mainly because I'm distressed at the fuss being caused and the worry caused to my family. But I know what a low is, I know full well what the worst that can happen from a low is and I know what my recovery is. It's like it's a known fear, I know I can cope with it. I know that even though I'm having frequent severe hypos I'm perfectly capable of working full time, of running a half marathon, of going abroad, living my life.

The much scarier unknown fear is what would happen if highs caused serious life limiting complications like blindness, or amputation or dialysis. Those sorts of complications are things where I really wouldn't be able to live my life, where I'd need serious care. And I would feel responsible for causing them by not managing my diabetes well enough to avoid diabetic complications. Realistically, its this fear that causes the hypos, it's because I so hate seeing a high number, because a high number makes be so anxious and so disappointed and angry and depressed that's they get over corrected or there is just too much insulin floating around to avoid seeing them.

 

[ExtremelyW0rried]

Diabetes has made me extremely anxious.
I don't go abroad anymore because I can't cope with going through security with a pump. I worry about pump failure. I worry my pump will malfunction and overdeliver. I worry about being too high and going blind in the future. I worry about going too low and passing out when I'm here on my own with the children. And finally I now worry about my own children being type 1 to the point where I regret having them as it seems selfish to have risked inflicting this disease on anyone else.
I never understand how people seem to carry on regardless because it has ruined my life.

 

[ExtremelyW0rried]

Oh and I worry about being old and unable to look after my diabetes myself. You've got to be pretty on the ball the manage it. I've pretty much decided to cart myself off to dignitas when I get to about 65.

 

[donnellysdogs]

I worry about getting any more health probs and relying upon others to care for me. I've never had anybody but me give me my injections. I dont want anybody else ever to care for me.
What carer would come out at 4am in morning to give my 1st injection and guaranteed to do my next two before 8am in morning? And to do corrections at 10pm if I need them?

I dread being in a position without my hubby and needing care help.

I dont think it will happen and although it is a worry, I refuse to think about it.

 

[Kristin251]

Many of the above cause my anxiety. I don't like having to 'figure out' food when not at home.
I didn't like eating carbs and needing more insulin and fearing hypos which is why I'm very keto now.
I don't like trying to get 'exercise right' too challenging and unpredictable. Last night I took a long unplanned walk home, washed the floors and cleaned a bit. Took my normal 2 units lantus at 95 and woke up 44. Never knowing where exercise will take me freaks me out.
I lost the list for travel unless I stay in a hotel with a fridge and can buy my own food.
I just found out a restaurant we go to has GLUTEN in their guacamole. Not being able to trust anything causes anxiety.

Cooking was my passion and hobby. Loved yoga and exercise. Gone now if I want to stay steady. However I have learned to cook just as good of food with out all the ingredients so I suppose it saves me money. When I cook for others I make delisous meals that they would never guess are 'healthy' and then I just make roasted sweet potatoes for those who like their carbs.


And finally, the worst one. Not being my old fun loving spontaneous self because I have to stick myself all day long, watch the clock and calculate my stupid food.

Most days I just ramble along all fine and well but some days I want to scream and cry all day and want the day to end and wake up to a new one.

I do much better on low insulin doses. It is a hormone. When I have correction days from being sick or rebelling I have nasty mood swing.

Another biggy. I worry about giving it to my kids. I was dx'd type 1 at 50 but I strongly believe I post poned it for many years through low carb and exercise.

There...is that enough haha

 

[mytype1.life]

@ExtremelyW0rried - do you have any support in place? I think all your worries are pretty common and justified, however it sounds like your diagnosis is holding you back quite a lot.

I totally get the airport thing, I often get really flustered and panicky in the queue, however I have learnt to put this aside as there are so many beautiful places in the world to see!

If I'm honest last year, I though I'd never travel again as my husband had an accident when we were on honeymoon and we were stuck in hospital for weeks - language barriers made everything so difficult including trying to manage my diabetes. Have you ever had any issues through security?

Re: your kids, again a totally understandable fear. I guess you never know what's round the corner, however a diagnosis is not guaranteed and the good thing is you would be the first to recognise the signs and be able to understand the condition. I was diagnosed when I was 5 years old. My mum and dad were brilliant over the years but it wasn't until my dad was diagnosed with T2 when he was about 50 that he really could really relate to me. I bet you are a brilliant mum so try not to regret such a blessing.

 

[JTL]

Cool as a cucumber.
I have multiple health problems that are challenging and I take on those challenges as best I can.
The T2 I have as good as reversed but have to keep my eye on things.
Not a lot I can do about benign but very painful tumours on my spinal cord cauda equina and sacral nerves.
Sometimes I look fine but I might fall over any minute as the nerves stop sending signals to my legs.
Arthritis in spine recurring spondylolisthesis in spine. COPD and asthma and trigeminal neuralgia ... extremely painful. Known in America as the suicide disease because of the level of pain and it's onset without warning. Comes on like a flash.
I have my family and my music hobby to keep me busy.
Yeah I think most people would describe me as cool as a cucumber and I'd have to agree.
Not sure how cucumbers would feel about it but there you go.

 

[Langerhans Failed 1993]

Hi.

Very interesting thread! Are you using an insulin pump? Are you prone to lows overnight?

I've had T1 for 23 years and have generally never let it get in the way. I've travelled a lot, studied and worked.

That said, recently anxiety is an issue for me. I'd say it's normal for motivation to rise and fall as we do our best to live like everyone else but there's 3 main fears for me at the moment..

1) Long term concerns re: reducing my HbA1c in order to get the go ahead to try for a baby.

2) Getting it "wrong" - I know that's the incorrect term but I've been trying so hard recently to get my timings, calculations, food, exercise etc., right that I find myself over thinking and analysing what caused a spike or drop - especially at night.

3) Socialising - don't get me wrong, I go to work, I smile and I put on a brave face but as recently as this weekend the thought of socialising (unless with close family and friends who know I am T1) stresses me. I was supposed to be at a work event this weekend but the thought of a Chinese buffet was too much so I didn't go! I'd also had a week of ups and downs and was so drained so decided a rest was best, which is not like me at all!

I read an article similar to this topic recently - https://beyondtype1.org/dont-wanna-anymore/

 

[Langerhans Failed 1993]

Thank you so much for your honest and transparent reply.

I can relate to so much of what you have said. I recently went through a spell of nocternal hypo's and it was terrifying, there didnt seem to be any explenation definitively as to the cause. I have been in general pritty good at keeping things stable but this really got to me. Im a bit like you in that I have done many different things and in general have not allowed my condition to affect what I want to do, infact being T1 has probably caused me to want to prove that I can. I have done several cycle tours, run a half marathon, done a 7 day hike in the mountains and many more.

Pregnancy

Well we lost three children at late stages of pregnancy due to diabetes complications, we eventually gave up on having children umtill my consultant told me that he thoght he could put together a team of people who could get me through it. Due to the emotional drain I had said that I couldn't do it again, it took me five years to finally decide to try again, and then two years after that descision to prepare myself. It was hard going on so many levels and I know exactly where you are coming from. The happy ending to our story is that my son was born at 7 months due to complications but is now a healthy happy and mischivious 6 year old who has brought so much delight to our lives. Hang in there, it is sooooo worth it, even after all we have been through.

Getting it wrong

I often tell my consultant that with this condition you nevwer really get it right and certainly not all the time, this is something I have had to learn to live with over the years, as a scientist this is very hard cause its all about getting it right. I have had to learn to balance expectation with reality so that I can live not just a "good" diabetic life but also an emotionally fullfilled and happy one. Again I can relate.

Socialising

This is a tough one and I dont think those who dont have diabetes quite get what a mine field eating out or even going for a drink is for us. It's such a juggling act and guessing game because one just does not know what is in the food.

Thank you so much for your cander, some real "food for thought"

 

[ickihun]

I worry about getting any more health probs and relying upon others to care for me. I've never had anybody but me give me my injections. I dont want anybody else ever to care for me.
What carer would come out at 4am in morning to give my 1st injection and guaranteed to do my next two before 8am in morning? And to do corrections at 10pm if I need them?

I dread being in a position without my hubby and needing care help.

I dont think it will happen and although it is a worry, I refuse to think about it.

Ditto for me too.

 

[ickihun]

I'm getting anxious because diabetic unit has stopped FLO so I'm on my own, especially if psychologist stops my care today.
Will I get burn out again without diabetic support?

 

[serenity648]

I'm getting anxious because diabetic unit has stopped FLO so I'm on my own, especially if psychologist stops my care today.
Will I get burn out again without diabetic support?

what is FLO?

 

[JTL]

Diabetes is something I have not what I am.
I have never referred to myself as I'm a diabetic.
I have diabetes.
It's what I have not what I am.
You wouldn't say I'm a cancer or I'm a high blood pressure. My friend is a broken mind and his wife is a broken leg.

 

[donnellysdogs]

I hated my mum saying to people "my diabetic daughter" - took me almost 3 decades to tell her!!
Now, relatives dont keep her informed of my 2nd mastectomy etc as she would label me her flattie daughter!!

Lol...