Burn out, anxiety and stress

MeiChanski

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2,992
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Thank you for your response. I should get some counselling- you're right!! I have had so many amazing things happen recently, I would love to be able to sit back and enjoy them. I won't be able to do that unless I address the underlying cause for why I feel so low.

Typically for a non emergency appointment I could wait 3 weeks to see a GP. Would anyone regard this as an emergency? I'll see what happens when I call at 8 this morning.

I think this feeling has been around for a long time, it wasn't until last year it started to rear it's ugly head and progressively got worse until a month ago I stopped testing and it terrifies me. I think I might bite the bullet and test this morning. My fear is holding me back, I can't believe I live like this with diabetes. Reading how people have dealt with there own situations is comforting and makes me feel a bit more normal.

We shall see!!
Some psychology/therapy appointments are self referral so you don't need a doctor to refer you to see a therapist, so it's good to check via google to see what's available in your area. Initially I did go to my GP to ask what the options were and they said to call this number to get an appointment. If you're desperate, you can call Samaritans - 116 123, just so you have someone to talk to if you're feeling low and appointments for mental health do take a while, so Samaritans is a good option while you're waiting.
Also you can try mindfulness online, or mediation if you have time. I often find self help does help in times when you're waiting for help.
For your diabetes, usually dsns can call you back if you leave them a message or they are able to talk to you over the phone. Nonetheless, we are all proud of you that you're taking a step in the right direction. I hope these small changes will start putting a smile on your face again. We are all rooting for you :)
 
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Thank you for letting me know how to navigate these things. I honestly wouldn't know where to start. I looked on the mind website and it was quite shocking to see the symptoms of anxiety in black and white. It was describing me!

I managed to get an appointment for the 18th September with the GP. I left a message for the nurse as well. I only wish this was what I had done sooner. I was in denial for a long time, I'm glad I'm sorting it out now.

When you come from a family that tend to get on with things and never complain/Take a day off. It was really hard for my mum to understand how I was feeling. Especially when you're feeling low doesn't mean you're suicidal, she was rather freaked out by it needless to say.

I listen to a lot of meditation/hypnotherapy. It calms me down for the moment. I will continue to try ways of self management. I think with the wedding planning I didn't go out as much as I used to. I religiously counted my steps everyday and I miss that. So for now exercise, deep breathing and hopefully it will ease my symptoms for the moment while I wait.

This forum is really supportive. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel.
 

MeiChanski

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,992
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Thank you for letting me know how to navigate these things. I honestly wouldn't know where to start. I looked on the mind website and it was quite shocking to see the symptoms of anxiety in black and white. It was describing me!

I managed to get an appointment for the 18th September with the GP. I left a message for the nurse as well. I only wish this was what I had done sooner. I was in denial for a long time, I'm glad I'm sorting it out now.

When you come from a family that tend to get on with things and never complain/Take a day off. It was really hard for my mum to understand how I was feeling. Especially when you're feeling low doesn't mean you're suicidal, she was rather freaked out by it needless to say.

I listen to a lot of meditation/hypnotherapy. It calms me down for the moment. I will continue to try ways of self management. I think with the wedding planning I didn't go out as much as I used to. I religiously counted my steps everyday and I miss that. So for now exercise, deep breathing and hopefully it will ease my symptoms for the moment while I wait.

This forum is really supportive. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel.
I'm the same where I keep saying "I wish I had did this sooner" but it's not good to keep dwelling on it, because the important thing right now is you're getting help now and you're acknowledging something isn't okay. My family are Asian so mental health is taboo, we never talk about it so Samaritans, therapy and this forum is a good way for me to talk about my feelings. It is very sad that I cannot be honest with my family and talk about the issues we have faced. Even typing is therapeutic to some extent, just to let off some steam. :)
 
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Family is everything to us (italian) and to hear about your loved ones dealing with things like this it makes them uncomfortable. Because I regard my mother like a friend, I forget that she doesn't want to hear these things about her daughter. I think seeking help elsewhere is best.

I'm trying my hardest to push through. There are obvious day to day things you can't avoid or say no to. Plus I have two small people who rely on me heavily. I cooked a lovely meal yesterday for me and my husband and hadn't done that in a while.

Taking each day as it comes. I really hope I hear back soon from the nurse.
 

ickihun

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Hello everyone,

I need some help and advice. I was doing really well a couple of months ago and reduced my hba1c to an acceptable level and even made my diabetes specialist really proud.

I haven't tested my blood sugars for just over a month now... I feel absolutely awful and so guilty about it and I know that I need to do it too. I have terrible anxiety about it. Every time I test I get a sense of failure. I recently got married but it was so overwhelmingly stressful I think I shut down and disassociate from every thing going on around me.

I worry all the time about my kids too. I had an 8 week old that almost passed away from sepsis 3 years ago and I remember falling in the road when he was in a carrier. I still get flash backs from it to this day.

The other thing that is driving me nuts is the constant picking on myself that I do every day. I'm not a size 10 anymore but I can't stop grabbing parts of my body or touching my face and just tearing myself down all the time.

In particular I haven't been able to be intimate with my husband for months now and it's taking a toll on him too.

I'm a bit lost as of what to do. It doesn't feel like I'm living my life anymore... like I'm talking about someone else.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Where do I go from here?
I'm glad you posted. Many go through this and sometimes multipal times in their diabetes life. I actually hv had it a few times. My grandmother's passing really rocked me emotionally. It can be triggered by any trauma.
After all we are human.
Your specialist knows this and is there to work with you. Tell all at your next appointment. Is it due soon?
If not you can call on your diabetes nurse. They understand.
Here you can hv unlimited support but no medical advice. Guidance from experienced type1s and many type2s who give you support to relaunch your diabetes fight.
Myself I want to tell you..... you cannot change the past but definitely change the future.
Start now and draw a line across previous high bgs and remind yourself of how you accumlished excelled hba1c. If that is no longer working for you don't worry. Our bodies are ment to change after childbirth and other stressful encounters.
Start from scratch.
Just start getting your basal right. Log fbgs and if very high then food and insulin will need tweeking. Tweek slowly so less shock to your system. Then work on lunch, dinner next and before bed.
One bit at a time. It's not a race. Slow and steady.... OK?
 
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derry60

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Hi there @Diabeticmumof2, I always think that with depression it is a matter of getting to the root cause and (if necessary) getting the right medication and therapy for it. How can anyone simply 'pull themselves out of it' or think of all the good things they have going for them as if this helps. It is a medical condition the same as your diabetes and it needs treating. If you are able to do this (step one is admitting you need support for your mental health and going to the Drs for it), then the rest might just follow. Once your mindset is ok then the rest, ie your diabetes management, your anxiety over your children and your relationship with your husband might also get better. Please don't think this is something you have done to yourself, if you had a broken leg would you just leave it festering? Of course you wouldn't so be kind to yourself and get some professional help. As someone with diabetes sometimes everything is attributed to that which is not always the case but when other things go wrong, diabetes management can be the first to go and this adds to the whole picture and makes things a whole lot more complicated if not dangerous. x
Sometimes there is no root cause. I suffer from depression and have done for years. It is horrible and can take me into a very dark place. To the world I am happy go lucky, because that is what I want the world to see, but inside or when I have my really dark days, nobody apart from my husband and grown up children get to see it. I went to the docs years ago and they gave me medication. I cannot go to therapy because I am not the sort of person that can discuss my feelings on a one to one live basis. I don't even know why I suffer depression. I have no idea why. Sometimes I think that is harder to treat, because there is no root cause for me personally. I have many good days, but now and then the black dog will appear.
 
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I called the nurse and still haven't heard back. I will try again tomorrow.

It's something we shouldn't be ashamed of or fear. Diabetes happened to me because I had gastric flu and for what ever reason my pancreas packed up. In that respect I am at peace with it. My management isn't awful but isn't the best I know it should be. I'm still at least sensitive to highs and lows. I don't know why I've shut down so much and have all these dreadful ideas and thoughts running through my head. I guess it's a build up from not facing problems and just ignoring these niggling feelings. I feel i have great support from my husband, he will be with me at my appointment.

Our minds are a powerful tool, but fragile and I really do need to stop beating myself up about it. Taking each day as it comes!

I'm sorry to hear about other people going through the same thing, because it is so debilitating mentally. It does give me hope to hear you've been through it and have come out the other side. I hope to be on the road to finding something that works for me. I'm slightly dreading medication if it's suggested.
 

ickihun

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Sometimes there is no root cause. I suffer from depression and have done for years. It is horrible and can take me into a very dark place. To the world I am happy go lucky, because that is what I want the world to see, but inside or when I have my really dark days, nobody apart from my husband and grown up children get to see it. I went to the docs years ago and they gave me medication. I cannot go to therapy because I am not the sort of person that can discuss my feelings on a one to one live basis. I don't even know why I suffer depression. I have no idea why. Sometimes I think that is harder to treat, because there is no root cause for me personally. I have many good days, but now and then the black dog will appear.
Hormones are very influential. Even insulin.
 

Norfolkmell

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249
Type of diabetes
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Tablets (oral)
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I have had depression for several years/ decades and was very resistant to taking medication, however a very wise doctor explained that depression is a chemical imbalance in your brain, if it you were anaemic you would take medication to get better, depression is the same you could do it without help but why turn down help unnecessarily. Medication works but you may have to try different things, I went through a lot of different ones some with very weird side effects but eventually found something that worked alongside all my other medications.
You've come to the right place for support and understanding, I'm sending huge hugs from Norfolk.
Please tell us how you are getting on and please tell your husband how you are feeling, they are usually relieved to know what's really going on and will support you in everything.
Mell
 

ickihun

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I called the nurse and still haven't heard back. I will try again tomorrow.

It's something we shouldn't be ashamed of or fear. Diabetes happened to me because I had gastric flu and for what ever reason my pancreas packed up. In that respect I am at peace with it. My management isn't awful but isn't the best I know it should be. I'm still at least sensitive to highs and lows. I don't know why I've shut down so much and have all these dreadful ideas and thoughts running through my head. I guess it's a build up from not facing problems and just ignoring these niggling feelings. I feel i have great support from my husband, he will be with me at my appointment.

Our minds are a powerful tool, but fragile and I really do need to stop beating myself up about it. Taking each day as it comes!

I'm sorry to hear about other people going through the same thing, because it is so debilitating mentally. It does give me hope to hear you've been through it and have come out the other side. I hope to be on the road to finding something that works for me. I'm slightly dreading medication if it's suggested.
Did you get your nurse?
 
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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I rang them and left another message. I feel like every time I try to contact them they aren't there and I continue to leave messages.

Would it be worth physically going to the department? I'm slightly worried as I know it's Friday today. Also having the children to think about. My mum would be able to come to my house and sit with them while I went over.

I really hope they're not going to get angry with me, I have an appointment on the 19th September. I need to let them know what is going on or this will get worse- plus I have to give blood soon too. I just know my numbers are going to be up from last time. It feels like it's the same feeling of missing your homework and I have to go tell a teacher (if that makes sense).

I will try anything offered to me. I felt a little less stressed yesterday, we went shopping to look for paint colours for my son's bedroom and... It's bright red!! The horror!! (He's a Liverpool supporter). I will go down every avenue to overcome this. I turned 30 this year and after all these milestones I've achieved in life I don't want to waste anymore time in getting the treatment I deserve!

Norfolk looks lovely. My mum was taken there for holidays as a child, I'd love to see it for myself one day.

Thank you all for the support! I'll check back when I have spoken to someone.
 
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I rang them and left another message. I feel like every time I try to contact them they aren't there and I continue to leave messages.

Would it be worth physically going to the department? I'm slightly worried as I know it's Friday today. Also having the children to think about. My mum would be able to come to my house and sit with them while I went over.

I really hope they're not going to get angry with me, I have an appointment on the 19th September. I need to let them know what is going on or this will get worse- plus I have to give blood soon too. I just know my numbers are going to be up from last time. It feels like it's the same feeling of missing your homework and I have to go tell a teacher (if that makes sense).

I will try anything offered to me. I felt a little less stressed yesterday, we went shopping to look for paint colours for my son's bedroom and... It's bright red!! The horror!! (He's a Liverpool supporter). I will go down every avenue to overcome this. I turned 30 this year and after all these milestones I've achieved in life I don't want to waste anymore time in getting the treatment I deserve!

Norfolk looks lovely. My mum was taken there for holidays as a child, I'd love to see it for myself one day.

Thank you all for the support! I'll check back when I have spoken to someone.

I would definitely go the department, you need help, support and advice, just go and get someone to sit down with you and let it all out.
Good luck and take care
 
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
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I will. It can't carry on like this. I remember being offered counselling a year ago by my dietician and I thought I was in a good place then to not take her up on the offer. I wish I had now. It's a shame I had to let it get this bad to finally admit my problems. Right, so on the phone to mum and off I go to the clinic.
 

BillJohnstone

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hello everyone,

I need some help and advice. I was doing really well a couple of months ago and reduced my hba1c to an acceptable level and even made my diabetes specialist really proud.

I haven't tested my blood sugars for just over a month now... I feel absolutely awful and so guilty about it and I know that I need to do it too. I have terrible anxiety about it. Every time I test I get a sense of failure. I recently got married but it was so overwhelmingly stressful I think I shut down and disassociate from every thing going on around me.

I worry all the time about my kids too. I had an 8 week old that almost passed away from sepsis 3 years ago and I remember falling in the road when he was in a carrier. I still get flash backs from it to this day.

The other thing that is driving me nuts is the constant picking on myself that I do every day. I'm not a size 10 anymore but I can't stop grabbing parts of my body or touching my face and just tearing myself down all the time.

In particular I haven't been able to be intimate with my husband for months now and it's taking a toll on him too.

I'm a bit lost as of what to do. It doesn't feel like I'm living my life anymore... like I'm talking about someone else.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Where do I go from here?
 

BillJohnstone

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
A few years ago I was working with a new colleague who seemed cheerful and happy with life. I was surprised to find that he had just recovered from open heart surgery after a major heart problem. I commented that he seemed happy with life and he replied that every morning he looked in the bathroom mirror and smiled at himself then got on with the rest of his day. I tried it and it works for me. Now for the last three months I have suffered ripped tendons in my knee. Food poisoning which has resulted in severe infection and my Hab1c shot up to 15.5 after hard work to get it down. Now I am in the school of the better the devil you know. So working with my doctor's and a superb diabetic nurse I am now in control of my problems and getting positive results. You have a fortunate child and a supportive husband and you owe it to them to be incharge of your health. So don't ignore it and by taking care of yourself you are taking care of your family. So get a grip of it and have a long and heath life. Finally, I had to fill in a form at a clinic for my damaged knee. Tick box form with loads of aliments that I could have. I tick one box out of 28 and suddenly realised how lucky I was. When I saw what could be wrong with me my problem seem minor. Good luck. Just be good. Regards.
 
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KK123

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A few years ago I was working with a new colleague who seemed cheerful and happy with life. I was surprised to find that he had just recovered from open heart surgery after a major heart problem. I commented that he seemed happy with life and he replied that every morning he looked in the bathroom mirror and smiled at himself then got on with the rest of his day. I tried it and it works for me. Now for the last three months I have suffered ripped tendons in my knee. Food poisoning which has resulted in severe infection and my Hab1c shot up to 15.5 after hard work to get it down. Now I am in the school of the better the devil you know. So working with my doctor's and a superb diabetic nurse I am now in control of my problems and getting positive results. You have a fortunate child and a supportive husband and you owe it to them to be incharge of your health. So don't ignore it and by taking care of yourself you are taking care of your family. So get a grip of it and have a long and heath life. Finally, I had to fill in a form at a clinic for my damaged knee. Tick box form with loads of aliments that I could have. I tick one box out of 28 and suddenly realised how lucky I was. When I saw what could be wrong with me my problem seem minor. Good luck. Just be good. Regards.

I realise you are being positive and helpful but I'm afraid the 'Get a grip' and 'things could be worse' approach means NOTHING if a person has clinical depression.
 

Marie 2

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I am of the mind that all options/comments are great. When I was a teen I suffered from depression and while it is a hard road to even want to get out of, reaching out is the first sign of wanting to get help. Something clicked back then and I was able to get past it and never looked back. Sometimes something clicks.
 
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ickihun

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I have suffered depression from the age of around 11 years of age.
That must hv been very rough for you. I used to be loud and bubbly but now realise I was high on sugar before I was diagnosed. I had delayed shock about my diagnosis.
I'm guessing a trauma started yours too.
 

philosophy47

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I realise you are being positive and helpful but I'm afraid the 'Get a grip' and 'things could be worse' approach means NOTHING if a person has clinical depression.
I didn't see that as 'get a grip' just a few words about another view which helped in a particular circumstance. Other people's opinions are always relevant because you can pick and choose the bits that might be beneficial.