Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health

[Dugbriz81]

I am newly diagnosed type 1 (diagnosed 3 months ago at age 40), and while I'm learning the technical side of management, I find the mental part more difficult. I deal with constant anxiety, mostly over lows. I also feel depression, especially when I go out somewhere social, and I feel in no way prepared for eating at a restaurant, going for something involving extended physical activity etc (I'm MDI and still honeymooning - so my responses to insulin are inconsistent. I have a reasonable understanding of what to do, but its' fear that prevents me from trying a lot of it). Does anyone here have tips for this aspect of T1 management? Do many people seek professional help? If so, what is it about that help that makes things more manageable for you? Thank you very much!

 

[EllieM]

I deal with constant anxiety, mostly over lows.

Have you had bad experiences with hypos, or is this fear from what you've read?

As a T1, I find that mild hypos are a part of life, but in the past I've had periods where I've lost hypo awareness, and they were truly scary. (Particularly for my husband, who was the one faced with unconscious pregnant me at night and not sure whether I was dying.)

But my hypo fear has gone because I currently use a dexcom which warns me when I go to 4.4 so that I have very few serious ones. and know that I'll get woken at night if I hypo. Plus it's allowed me to maintain my hypo awareness by significantly reducing the number I get.

So, if you're worried about hypos, my recommendation is to get onto your team to give you a cgm or flash reader with alarms. And make sure friends and/or family members know the symptoms, in case you ever need a bit of a rescue.

I haven't personally sought professional help (very very supportive friends and family got me through my periods of hypo unawareness, including my second pregnancy when a friend sat with me so I wasn't home alone with my toddler. Now my cgm provides that back up.) But I wouldn't hesitate to seek professional help if I felt distressed about my situation.

Good luck.

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome,

As I'm a type 2 I am of no help with advice but a virtual hug from me. It sounds like you are going through a real tough time. All I can say is that this site is an awesome resource and that things will get to a stage where at least some things are easier to manage.

Be kind to yourself it's a lot to take on.

Welcome and good luck.

 

[himtoo]

I am newly diagnosed type 1 (diagnosed 3 months ago at age 40), and while I'm learning the technical side of management, I find the mental part more difficult. I deal with constant anxiety, mostly over lows. I also feel depression, especially when I go out somewhere social, and I feel in no way prepared for eating at a restaurant, going for something involving extended physical activity etc (I'm MDI and still honeymooning - so my responses to insulin are inconsistent. I have a reasonable understanding of what to do, but its' fear that prevents me from trying a lot of it). Does anyone here have tips for this aspect of T1 management? Do many people seek professional help? If so, what is it about that help that makes things more manageable for you? Thank you very much!

having lived with type 1 for 49 years i can truly say that the mental side of living with this chronic illness is the most difficult part. ( i would suggest a google search of "the 5 stages of grief" for an insight into the emotions you will be going through )

we are constantly doing the thinking for our pancreas and unfortunately none of us is perfect so we don't always get it right. in the short term running shoogs a bit higher is a way to avoid hypos and therefore the anxiety surrounding them ....

but longer term it is an area you should face up to and also speak with your care team for advice .... finding a balance is important to try to avoid any complications in the longer term .....

as for myself I don't fear hypos as i am fully hypo aware and i treat them early to avoid going too low .... i fear high blood sugars more as they are doing the silent damage to my overall health

plus do try and remember that you are only 3 months into this journey and as you get more experience with life situations you should become more able to take the right actions in the circumstances you are facing

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @Dugbriz81

I was diagnosed at 39 and went through a real mental battle at the start, I couldn't get my head round the condition and the impact it would have on my life, I couldn't see a way forward and had issues with injecting in public, going low and feeling so unwell with that, it was a really hard struggle. That was 10 years ago now, but I still remember how I felt back then so clearly, fortunately I came here and got some lovely advice and support from others who helped me, realising I wasn't alone with it was part of the battle won, I talked to my GP but apart from them offering medication which I didn't want they didn't help, my DSN was brilliant though and she helped me come to terms, in time I learnt new strategies to cope so exercise, meditation, eating low carb to limit the amount of insulin I was taking which meant less room for errors and just really getting to know my body and how I was responding to insulin. I also found that learning as much as I could so doing courses, reading books, talking to others on here were a great help, here you get to talk to others with many years of experience with t1 which is invaluable, hope this helps.

 

[RoughcutAU]

G’day Dugbriz81.

Also a member of the turn 40 get T1D club. Diagnosed about 7 months ago so just alittle longer then you in the grand scheme of things. I’m not great on advice but I am a big fan of “time heals” and “one step at a time” philosophys.

I remember being embarassed needing to do my finger prick tests or taking insulin in public ... i remember avoiding going out with friends or dashing to the car/bathroom to try and hide the things i need to do to survive. But with time i’ve gotten “braver” and now it doesn’t bother me as much.

Good luck on your journey mate! Like alot on here say... Diabetes is a marathon not a sprint!

 

[Dugbriz81]

These are incredibly helpful responses, thank you all so much. It's kind of amazing how important and beneficial talking to other people with T1 really is. I actually do have a Dexcom, but I also have had OCD and anxiety my entire life before T1, so sometimes seeing the numbers and the arrows makes my fear of going low worse. I had a couple of scenarios in the 40s that scared me. I also live alone so I need to come up with a better gameplan of what to do if I go even lower. Here's another interesting aspect - I currently have the "share" feature and a couple of family members follow me. A lot of my anxiety comes from the fear of burdening them with worry over my blood sugars. The net result is that I'm more comfortable riding a bit higher than I should. Oh well, its' all stuff I will learn in time I'm sure, and thank you all again for your feedback I really appreciate it.

 

[Sobeit]

I'm sorry you are going through a tough time.I got diagnosed at 48 ! It was very hard to get used to the idea of having diabetes and I cried many tears.But I found this site great and an Irish Facebook group I'm on invaluable.I wouldn't have coped without the advise and support I got from others and just the feeling of belonging and not being alone! I reached out a lot and found it very helpful reading other people's stories as well.I now have a dexcom which is an absolute Godsend.Allows me to keep much tighter control and the arrows are a great help so I can take action before the highs or lows come.Try not worry too much, though I know it's easier said than done! Your family members will feel happy and chuffed that u asked them to be a share contact.Dont worry about that.The chances are you will never have a dangerous hypo since you will be alerted by your cgm if you are going low .Keep plenty of snacks and glucose sweets by your bed ,in your living room ,car etc and always have your phone with u wherever you go! It gets much easier I promise.Facebook groups are a great help too.Dont feel alone .Talk to some of us that are in your shoes as we understand completely.
And talk to your diabetes team.My diabetes nurse was an amazing help in the early days .Anxiety and OCD must be a lot to cope with alone.I know what anxiety is like and have had bad bouts at times.Remember you are a warrior and are doing fantastic! I see there are lots of great responses to your post by other people who walk in your shoes ...which must be encouraging and a reminder you are definitely not alone.Best of luck ...

 

[Sobeit]

I was wrongly diagnosed type two btw at the beginning but then I was told I was type 1 and a half/ Lada .And within a couple of months my beta cells packed it in and full blown type 1!

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @Dugbriz81 Yes the Dexcom is a god send, i've got one too and it's made a massive difference to my life and I cope now.

Tbh I would think carefully about who I share data with to lessen the mental burden, so just pick one person who is unbiased/unopinionated/friendly etc to reduce that anxiety. Also keep a diary and record what your daily life is like, what get's you down, what improves things and maybe whatever you are grateful for too, it's vital to remember the things we are grateful for when living with this as we can become burdened with the negativity of it.

Also agree - keep glucose in whatever form close to hand at all times, I keep it in my bag, coat, by my bed, in my driver's side etc etc, it's vital you can get it when you need it.