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Type 1 Burnout

sjm1308

sjm1308

Well-Known Member
Messages
152
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I need help as I am slowly killing myself. I've been type 1 7years and never had control. I'm exhausted. I'm at a cross road where I either seek help or continue down this destructive path. So here I am. My last A1c was 83. My readings are rarely out of the teens. I'm so tired all the time. I have palpitations and breathlessness and have recently been diagnosed with anemia depression and anxiety. I start counselling next Fri. I take Metformin 500mg in the morning and Levimer am and pm and Novorapid. I also have chronic back pain.

I'm so sick of this. I truly don't want to be like this. I want to get healthy so I can have a family. I have a great support in my husband but I just can't get it together. My dsn is somewhat supportive but I don't think she gets the mental health aspect.

I binge eat and snack constantly then randomly bolus. I know Im playing with my life here. It's like I'm punishing myself. It's like my form of self harm.

If anyone has any ideas on where I could begin as I really want to change...i did the DAFNE course few months ago and it would help if I didn't eat so much. I'm 4 stone overweight.

I bought a notebook today and I'm going to record all my readings in it and I'm going to try and eat 3 meals and only snack on low carb things. I'm aiming to begin walking 20mins a day and build on that as at the minute I'm lazy and unfit.

Please go easy on me as I'm already beating myself up enough. But if anyone has experience of this and coming out the other side I'd love to hear from you.
 
Been there don't that, two kids and I am as normal as one can be, it's not easy and not many nurses understand, it just time to take control yourself, your life you can do it if I can you will, test bloods, more often, eat less ****** food and you will get there, I know it's hard no I really do, but don't stop, scream, cry throw things if you wish, then start again

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
You are never ever alone on here just ask anything even if you think it's silly someone here will answer any question, and will not judge you you don't ask how are you meant to know so go for gold and ask, start being happy love to you

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
Many hugs from me!

I have had depression, anxiety and burned out repeatedly since I was only about 15. It's a tough journey, and you're going to have to keep fighting here even while getting help. But here are a few things to consider:

- You've acknowledged your problems. This is SOOOO important. Someone who doesn't acknowledge they have issues, can't work on the issues. So be proud of yourself for recognizing and understanding you need to change things, even if you feel lost on how to do it. You took your first step. You did that much! It's a big step too, don't undervalue this one. Without taking this step, the rest can't happen, it's your foundation for everything.

- You've made the excellent choice of getting therapy. It's one of the best things out there for human peace of mind. Therapists help you see things from perspectives you never considered before, and they give you swift kicks in the butt when you need it or hold your hand when you need it. Remember that you need a therapist you mesh with, whom you feel you can trust. Get a referral to someone else if you're not jiving with your current therapist. It's not selfish or weird, a human connection and a feeling of trust is vital for successful therapy.

sjm1308 said:
I bought a notebook today and I'm going to record all my readings in it and I'm going to try and eat 3 meals and only snack on low carb things. I'm aiming to begin walking 20mins a day and build on that as at the minute I'm lazy and unfit.
Click to expand...

- I recommend you start with less. Your bad habits didn't start in just a day, and your new good habits won't change overnight. 1 step at a time is the way to go. Start with recording your readings for a week. Then the second week, record you readings and log your meals - write everything down, be honest, and do your best to stick to 3 meals a day and low carb snacks. Then the next week, do all that and start your walks. You have 4 new goals listed (record readings, 3 meals, low carb snacks and walks) and for someone who's in the position you're in, and still hasn't started therapy yet, this can be too much. You will burn out even faster if you take on so many things at once without having a support system in place.

sjm1308 said:
If anyone has any ideas on where I could begin as I really want to change...i did the DAFNE course few months ago and it would help if I didn't eat so much. I'm 4 stone overweight.
Click to expand...

Understand that change is a gradual process. Accept that this will take time. You're not going to see impressive results next week. Be honest with yourself and try to frame intrusive thoughts constructively. Instead of thinking "I screwed up again because I binged, I'm a failure and killing myself slowly", reframe it into "Okay, I binged - what caused it? Did something in particular happen? Did I avoid a stressful situation and turned to food to calm myself? Are there alternative ways to calm myself? Can I read a book, or do some crafting, or watch a funny YouTube video to improve my mood? Is there a way to address the stressful situation with the support of someone else?" You need to retrain your brain to stop with the self deprecation and to put the feelings aside to look at these things factually. Write a list of facts:

"1. I overate again.
2. <x> happened before I overate. (Or maybe: nothing specifically happened to make me overeat, I just did.)
3. I don't feel better after eating.
4. I could have done ___ instead of eating.
5. I will create a list of alternatives in my notepad - the next time I feel like bingeing, I'll take the notepad and try one of these options first."

You need to break these things down into smaller steps and tackle them one by one. Our feelings can be pretty intense and cloud the rational stuff easily. If you break it down without having feelings involved, it becomes easier to tackle what's causing you distress and procure viable alternatives.

I have a friend who specializes in treating and preventing burnout, regardless of how it came into existence. Her blog has a huge wealth of resources available for free that I've found useful and has helped me ground myself and practice proper self care. You might benefit from it a lot too, should I PM you the link to her site?
 
Hi. Have you thought about having some help with the anxiety and depression etc. I do some non-medical volunteer work with Mind, the mental health charity, and know the good work they do. If you have a branch in your area you can get the GP to refer you or self-refer. Aside from that try to gradually change to more suitable snacks such as nuts, cheese and berries.
 
sjm1308 said:
Yes @Diabell I have been referred by my GP for counselling and start next Fri

Sent from my F8331 using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
Click to expand...

Hi sjm1308 - I'm not T1, so I won't comment on your burnout, except to wish you well on the road to recovery that you have already begun.

There is a long thread on the forum on burnout, and I'm posting a link here, not to depress you at all, but to try to illustrate that there's a lot of it about.

Good luck with it all.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/diabetes-burnout.13994/page-8#post-1251478
 
with me I didn't realise how bad I was damaging my body until my eyesight deteriorated and my legs started to hurt when I walked! both things I am still struggling with now, unfortunately if you're low on self control and will power like me it's difficult to get into a healthy routine until you get such a massive shock and decide if you want to live, being healthier is the only resort, all the best on the road to recovery!! x
 
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