Burning Out After 20 Years T1d

Emilybriggs.94 said:

Hi! I am feeling the exact same as your I'm 24 and was diagnosed at 5 years old with type 1! I have the dexcom g5, I suffer from depression and contstanly get told to pull myself together I control mine as much as I can but I totally get that you don't have the headspace for it sometimes, I go through phases of not being great with it and all of a sudden having some sort of mental break down over it all, when I'm trying to cut out carbs I try things like omelette with veggies and hummus and carrot sticks, I'm looking for new meals too as it gets boring doesn't it, glad I'm not the only one feeling like this!
Emily x

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Depression is a common side effect of diabetes in both T1 & T2. I have been a T1 since the age of 9 and I’m now 66. Yes I also suffer from depression. I considering asking for some cognitive therapy with the local counselling team as a self referral. If your depression isn’t helped drugs then I’d suggest any cognitive therapy you can arrange for yourself,

HI Emj

Diabetes is always there so there is a good chance of burnout, people can look at you in the street and think there is nothing wrong with her but would they like to walk in your shoes for a day? I got diabetes when i was 3 and began to suffer from burnout at 18 as 15 years testing, card counting, insulin and looking after other part of your life is hard. I have talked with my consultant about the need for a adult doctor to take over the care of a diabetic when they are 14, around this time in life your body changes, school work, alcohol, peer pressure and plenty of other stuff but you are treated as a child till you are 18 and then your a adult. That may have been right 30 years ago but not today, you have suffered burnout after 20 years which is in the age group(14-28) were there needs to be better interaction between everyone, people like us have grown up with diabetes and could help by passing on our experience to others but with a doctor or a nurse there. If we were more pro active as we are not going to a clinic appoinrment with our parents at 17 and say yes i get drunk every weekend but if you are talking to people with questions but want an answer that you dare not ask your doctor. I believe that theses years can make the difference in coping with diabetes but also mental health, i had a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2015 which went well but all the damage the diabetes had done the 36 years i had it came to the four. So at the minute i am not classed as a diabetic but am still at hospital most months for something related to diabetes. I have been asked whats it like to be normal now but all i can say is what is normal, i don't have to inject but i have to take more tablets. People who get diabetes at a young age think diabetes is normal and diabetes burnout is normal, i used to have a mate who was in to bodybuilding and would ask if i could give him some insulin. I told him he wanted insulin to help him train and i was taking insulin to stay alive and that was the last time i saw him but he got some insulin and is now a diabetic poetic justice or a fool both fit. Burnout is part of diabetes they way i see it is your walking along then there is a hill you have to walk over no matter how tall it is because being a diabetic it is never going to be a clear road.

I think for you the answer lies in whats in your lap, what a lovely dog and take a leaf out of the positive mental attitude of that fine animal that wont get tired with life.

You just need to get into routine of injecting testing eating and plenty of dog walking and speak to people on walk, it is a pain T1 but somebody has to show in can lived with and why not you.