Health Anxiety

briony1

Well-Known Member
Messages
76
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I’ve always suffered borderline anxiety my whole life but since I got diagnosed with type 1 4 years ago (I’m now 26), I’ve really struggled with obsessive thoughts and health anxiety and I’m guessing the majority stems from getting diabetes. Does anyone have experience of this and any advice would be much appreciated - having a bad day of it ☹️
 

bamba

Well-Known Member
Messages
319
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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briony1

Well-Known Member
Messages
76
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin

Chris Bowsher

Well-Known Member
Messages
207
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
@briony1

Hi,

Type 1 was almost definitely a major cause for me.

Since being diagnosed with Type 1 in the mid 90's i have managed to persuade myself that i have been dying of, or i am going to die of pretty much every illness going - CJD, AIDS, Swine Flu , Bird Flu, Lymphoma, Motor Neurons disease, Brain tumors, testicular cancer.

I'm not an expert, but i realise that it's a very complicated condition which is not down to a single root cause. My elongated periods of anxiety and obsessive checking + other behaviours would last at least 8 - 12 weeks at a time and would break me physically and mentally.

CBT helped with the day to day stuff, but the only thing i found that really helped deep down was time - because 6 months after i thought i was going to die, hold on, i'm still alive??

It really does help to look back and realise what you haven't died of already the next time you start to worry.
 
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type1gabs

Member
Messages
12
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi briony

I have to say dont worry about having these thoughts - it happens to all of us every once in a while! Ive had diabetes for 24 years (im 25) and the worry never goes away. Some days you end up crying just thinking all the things that can go wrong. Plus diabetes is a 24 hpur 7 day a week jobs with np holiday :)

When i feel like this, i so some yoga (some are into it some arent!). When i do the poses, i become grateful for the gift of movement as some people arent able to do any poses as they cant walk elderly etc. Its also really therapuetic and makes me think lofe could be so much worse - i could have terminal cancer or something just as bad. Yoga also de stresses me and just makes me feel more positive about everything :) if you've never tried give it a go! Or something meditation related if yoga isnt your thing.

Over the years ive embraced 'i control diabetes, diabetes doesnt control me'. I hit really rock bottom a few years ago as was in total burn out, sufferring with diabulemia and just didnt care. But sometimes you have to go to that dark place to get back in the right direction again.

On a positive note, ive had diabetes for this long I have no complications, fit and well, really happy and im doing the great north run half marathon this year :) so you can live a full happy normal life!

We all have bad days - just remember we are all diabadass's :D

Gabby x
 
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leahkian

Well-Known Member
Messages
302
Hello briony i have had diabetes from the age of 3 till i was 39 then i got a double transplant and am having a little holiday for now. From the age of 17 till present day i suffer depression, anxiety and low mood, so i am still under a mental health team. Some people think that getting diabetes young is better that getting later in life but it is not as when i got it there was not the help there is now. My parents had a orange to practice injecting me, my mental heath started just before i was 18 i went for a eye test and was told i had to go to hospital where i found out there were little blood vessels that could burst at any time. So i need laser treatment on both eyes which lasted 4 months but one night i was sick and i could not see out of my left eye so was sent to hospital. You could not see the blood as it was behind the eye in the end over 3 years and 5 ops my eyes were stable but the price i payed was my mental health suffered and was sent for mental health treatment. Just 3 months after all that had been done i was sent to a renal doctor who told me by the time i was 30 i would need a kidney transplant, i walked out in a daze in tears but what could i do. The mental health team helped me through the dark times but is always there in your mind, i got to 30 and my renal function had leveled out but i thought i would change hospital to the one that would do the transplant. This was the best thing i did i went on the transplant list in Dec 13 and had my double transplant on April the 17th 2015 my sons birthday( he still has not forgiven me). I thought that my mental health would improve but the transplant went perfect but the damage done by the diabetes had done over the years came to light. Yes my mental health is the same so i take everyday as it comes and keep fighting as i have my children to bring up alone and know matter how low i get i fight for them and they know about my mental health as i have told them. The root cause is diabetes you get told to avoid stress but you are living with a 24/7 illness and no one can avoid it.
 

hazedsoundz

Active Member
Messages
27
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello briony i have had diabetes from the age of 3 till i was 39 then i got a double transplant and am having a little holiday for now. From the age of 17 till present day i suffer depression, anxiety and low mood, so i am still under a mental health team. Some people think that getting diabetes young is better that getting later in life but it is not as when i got it there was not the help there is now. My parents had a orange to practice injecting me, my mental heath started just before i was 18 i went for a eye test and was told i had to go to hospital where i found out there were little blood vessels that could burst at any time. So i need laser treatment on both eyes which lasted 4 months but one night i was sick and i could not see out of my left eye so was sent to hospital. You could not see the blood as it was behind the eye in the end over 3 years and 5 ops my eyes were stable but the price i payed was my mental health suffered and was sent for mental health treatment. Just 3 months after all that had been done i was sent to a renal doctor who told me by the time i was 30 i would need a kidney transplant, i walked out in a daze in tears but what could i do. The mental health team helped me through the dark times but is always there in your mind, i got to 30 and my renal function had leveled out but i thought i would change hospital to the one that would do the transplant. This was the best thing i did i went on the transplant list in Dec 13 and had my double transplant on April the 17th 2015 my sons birthday( he still has not forgiven me). I thought that my mental health would improve but the transplant went perfect but the damage done by the diabetes had done over the years came to light. Yes my mental health is the same so i take everyday as it comes and keep fighting as i have my children to bring up alone and know matter how low i get i fight for them and they know about my mental health as i have told them. The root cause is diabetes you get told to avoid stress but you are living with a 24/7 illness and no one can avoid it.

I feel for you man, keep pushing and don’t allow for diabetes to be given the benefit of the doubt, you’re in control, I believe in you !