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Depression and diabetes.

Thanks, think I've done that before (scored 10 today).

A nurse asked me many years ago did I feel depressed and up until that moment I'd never really thought about it and kind of laughed it off but it's been niggling at me ever since as I've had plenty of suicidal thoughts and feeling of hopelessness over the years.
 
It's very similar to the assessment that doctors' do. 10 is good, I scored 22
 

I think its quite difficult to actually determine... especially with the NHS questions.

My mother has had ECT treatment years ago, was ok for a while but the last 12 months she has just been crying and down..... but NOT suicidal....

Wheras me at one point in last 12 months I have definitely wanted to just stop everything... yet I wasn't tearful and I could still be rational etc... but tge thoughts were most definitely suicidal.

I think sometimes it can be whether you can see an end to the musery that you are feeling... my mum knows she will be having christmas away and a holiday in Feb etc and holidays this past year (retired).

I've just seen no end in sight of medical probs getting stable...but through help I have been able to see some small positives... and a damned determiniation that kicks in to fight...

I don't think the NHS scoring system is a really good diagnosing tool. I think it also depends on wealth, health and understanding people and good stress without conflict....

Some people say they are depressed and can still go on holidays, theatre trips to London and go out etc. When I'm down I isolate myself as much as I can. I don't see it, I just do it. Its only hubby that recognises it and helps me...

Very hard... again, as with diabetes, we are all different..
 
I remember doing that test with my Dr a couple of years ago and not long after I was hospitalised with a nervous breakdown, don't remember much about it, but I was hearing voices to kill myself and I would self harm myself by digging my nails into my face for a kind of release. Doctors treated my depression before my Diabetescare as I just wasn't interested in looking after myself at the time.
Been on medication for the voices in my head and also on medication for my anxiety, pain in my stomach due to hardly eating and if I do cannot digest most food, hence the gastroperisis . Blood sugars very erratic due to pain and depression, just started on a new blood testing machine ( accu chec expert) which is giving me bolous advice, so only been trying this for the last 7 days. Put myself up for this, but seeing Dr next week and hopefully get more advice from her. Mostly in bed due to pain and I've got my husband who is marvellous helping me. But that's it , that's all I got.
If anyone needs advice or can give me advice will gratefully be received I also don't go out anywhere as I can't see a way forward, so socialising is not an option for me, but I find writing all this down to fellow diabetics very helpful
Many thanks for reading my not so great outlook on life
Jadexx
 
Jade... its tough. So tough. Pretty similar position to you..but older!!
I haven't really got answers though...
For me, I have to get up and walking, as this aids colon motility in a small way...nothing stops the nausea although I am trying the bands on my wrist now!!
I rarely go out for much, can't go to Tesco etc to shop by myself as I find it too depressing looking at others shopping trollies and baskets and shelves. Rarely cook for hubby either, although genuinely I am trying to make a hash now and trying to eat small amounts of it....not successfully.. helped make tuna hash last week and I forgot the tuna-lol!!!

I have also had a mastectomy and struggle with lying down due to radiotherapy damage, so I think this is definitely more of a reason as well for me to push myself to get up.

I also realised that my 3 dogs were a huge part of my life and how much I missed them and caring for something furry!! So I got a cat for company.... independent but gives me something to care for besides constantly worrying about my health.

I also think its important for partners to get a break from constantly caring for us. My friend for her confinement to house organises a carer to come in twice a week to jyst sit with her to give her hubby to go out on his bike for a ride.

It is important to realise that if you get DLA or some specific benefits you can get free admission for carers to go to cinema with you. Its called a CEA ticket.

Or some things can be gained to help watch things cheaper at home.... like a jailbroken kodi box or amazon stick.. off ebay and you can get to see all the films/tv progs/sports for nothing.. legally....

You aren't alone...
the "expert"
is brilliant. Make sure you work out your bolus and ratios correct.

There is a benefit to our eating!! We can easily basal test!! I eat pretty much a teaplate of mush a day, rarely having anything else unless its put in front of me.. ie melon and yogurt...
so basal testing to get your basal injection set pretty much right should be easier than normal people that struggle going without food for 10hours!! I treat my teaplate as bolus testing.

My acting time on expert is set up to 5 hours... because of the slow digestion and acting etc of food.... it means the meter does not tell me to over correct. 4 hours was way inaccurate for me....

Pain is the worst and people jyst do not understand it...
 
im not in denial nor have i bordered on suicidal thoughts but i have experienced severe depression and can happen randomly. i know 22mmol/l is high as an average blood sugar but when i feel fine and test my blood, it comes up as high as 20, it's like i've lost the awareness of having a high blood sugar, so i dunno if my body gets used to it therefore giving it the sense of being normal. i avoid hypo's because they give me a headache as soon as get as low as 4, thats just one of the reasons I keep my sugars so high. crazy but i'd rather have a heart attack than have a severe headache.

im not basing my depression on diabetes, there are other things such as stress relating to jobseeking, pressure from family to get a job, so until i have an income and not living off family i will start making an effort to control my diabetes
 

Please, please, please you should not need to "keep" levels that high just to avoid hypo's and rather have a heart attack?? Do you really realise the damage to the whole of your organs from high levels... heart attacks aren't even listed!!

At a level of 20 you are 4 times higher than you should be!!!

If you had a good understanding of diabetes and how insulin and food works you would be quite happy and healthy with your levels consistently under 7.0.

Any levels above 8.0 can affect your thinking.. and ambulancemen wxplained to hubby and me (30yrs+ T1) only in July this year that "narky" is jyst a common thing for people with levels higher than the standard target ranges. And before DKA.

You can use any excuse you want in this world to get out of caring and looking after yourself but it is all saings and roundabouts at the end of the day....you get in a never ending circle and denial is bang slap in the middle of it. You deny your body good levels and it could be said tgat this denies family if having a pleasant, happy, healthy relative, and this will lead to them having stress as well as you etc..

Sorry..you need to get control of diabetes and get levels down and balanced... high levels definitely cause mood imbalances...
 
Hi keishamarie,

As per other posts here you are definately not alone. I've had type one diabetes since 1992 and whilst I didn't have the diagnosis of depression until around 2010, I know I've suffered with it much longer.

For me it's a battle everyday! Many of the people on here have been so helpful when I've posted a similar post to this and provide some of the support and/or direction required.

Having said this, it is only us that can make the changes. Don't get me wrong .... I'm still very much in diabetes burnout, but I am waking everyday and trying again. I've started by just trying to check my blood glucose when I wake and when I can manage this for a sustained period (I. E. Few days or a week) I will try and add in a second test routinely.

Mentally and emotionally (plus everything else life and work have to throw at us) it is a daily battle, but don't give up .... we will all get there eventually if we have a little faith xxxx
 
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