Depression

I suffered from depression before diagnosis, i had a breakdown 2 yrs b4 diagnosis, i must say my diabetes hasnt made it any worse, i think a lot of depression stems from no reason at all hence why its an hard one to understand
i also think any long term illness/disease etc can make existant depression worse, its a hard one to understand is depression, ive since done 2 uni courses on mental health as it does interest me

Have you spoken to your care team about this?

I thought i was "depressed" as well, always feeling low all the time, but some time with the care team and professionals they decided it wasn't depression, but a thing they call "diabetes burden".

Diabetes Burden can have symptoms of depression, but is caused by all the things we as type 1's have to deal with, such as always having to think about how much insulin to take, taking all the injections, remembering all the doses and injection times and carryings the pens and meters and needles, etc with you every where you go... But if someone was to take that all away, we would probably feel much much better.

I think it's important to find out (if you haven't already) whether you are suffering from actual depression or Diabetes Burden. If it's diabetes burden there may be things that you can do differently to eliviate the burden and make life generally easier.

I'd never heard of "Diabetes burden" thanks for pointing it out. I'm a T2 and always doing, but Husband is T1 and will sit or sleep hours if I let him. I try to keep him active, but he's pretty resistant. I worry that he will be in real trouble if he retires in 2 years time. He's very overweight and has so many problems. so pehaps it's me who has the burden

Hi, I've suffered with depression since I was arouond 9 or 10 years old but I've been virtually free of it since I had hypnosis around 5 years ago. When I was diagnosed with diabetes last year, I kept being asked by the nurses and doctors if I was depressed. Apparently every newly diagnosed diabetic they see gets depressed about it and I was the first chirpy patient they'd had!

It might be because for me, depression is ten times worse than diabetes and after suffering with depression for years, diabetes doesn't seem that bad. I also realise how lucky I am to be alive, because if it wasn't for the discovery of insulin I would be dead. It made me think of all those people in the past who just wasted away and died.

Depression is terrible though. It's so debilitating. My heart goes out to all of you have it.

Diabolical said:

Anyone else struggle with this?
I've always been a bit of a miserablist, but the overwhelming depression that I got after diagnosis was... well.. overwhelming. It crept up on me.
I THINK I'm keeping on top of it now, but you never really know.

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Depression can be one part of the grief process which we all go through whether it is actual grief at the loss of a loved one or a life changing event such as being diagnosed with a life changing illness ,such as diabetes.Some go through it quickly and reach acceptance fairly quickly but others 'stick' on the depression bit for a while.In my husbands case,after his stroke, the depression lasted 4 years!Me? I have low mood days but thankfully they usually lift ,especially with the help of friends who know just how to lift my spirits again.

I'm new to this forum so hope you all don't mind me butting in. :?

I'm a Type 1 using Accu-Chek Spirit pump since December 2007 (can highly recommend by the way ) and I was diagnosed on 13.02.1985 when I was the ripe old age of 3!!!

I understand what people mean by depression or diabetes burden (which I haven't heard of before but it does fit the bill). I seem to feel fed up and frustrated with myself and my diabetes every so often but I tend to notice it more when going away and having to think so much of what I need to take with me and how much and where to store it and what to put it in and so on and so on - it's an even worse feeling when going abroad as you have to think about it even more so and it does my head in. It's alright once i'm up in the air on the plane.

There's also odd days when I just feel fed up and I can't think why - this maybe relating to blood sugars, i.e. if i've been running low and feel rubbish because of it or I have a banging head. The low's make me feel even worse sometimes now as I'm a member of slimming world and don't want to eat something extra and ruin all my hard work that i've achieved doing that. Sometimes when i'm low I can rebel and just want to raid everything in the kitchen - after doing this later on it can make you feel a bit down as I think "I shouldn't have done that, I didn't need to eat all that".

I think diabetes burden is a very good description for these feelings rather than depression - after all I think most of the time it's the diabetes that gets to us, especially after nearly 24 years of having it in my case.

I look on diabetes as I rule it, it doesn't rule me.

Thanks.

Nat

STUBOY! You star, You hit the nail on the head, i have Nothing to get depressed about but i do sometimes, im type 1 and i think Diabetes Burden is the answer, just no (word removed) holiday from it :x

Some useful links,

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2000 ... t-anymore/

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2007 ... ugh-alone/

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2010 ... scarlet-d/

The majority of us get depressed at the beginning and go through a period of grief. The daily grind of being a diabetic does take it's toll from time to time and we get so fed up with it all regardless of type. There are days when I could scream at the beast and tell it to leave me alone but it isn't going away any time soon.

x Carol x said:

Hi, I've suffered with depression since I was arouond 9 or 10 years old but I've been virtually free of it since I had hypnosis around 5 years ago. When I was diagnosed with diabetes last year, I kept being asked by the nurses and doctors if I was depressed. Apparently every newly diagnosed diabetic they see gets depressed about it and I was the first chirpy patient they'd had!

It might be because for me, depression is ten times worse than diabetes and after suffering with depression for years, diabetes doesn't seem that bad. I also realise how lucky I am to be alive, because if it wasn't for the discovery of insulin I would be dead. It made me think of all those people in the past who just wasted away and died.

Depression is terrible though. It's so debilitating. My heart goes out to all of you have it.

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What a fantastic, positive attitude you have Carol.

When I feel down I try to remember all the people in this world who are in real pain and suffering and then my own problems don't seem so bad. I am luck though that I have not (yet) suffered from depression, but I fully realise how debilitating it can be for those who do.

I've never been diagnosed with depression - but I'm sure I've suffered with it (on and off) for a good few years. Found it always to be worse in the winter months, and have researched S.A.D.

I've found (for me at least) that high ('ish) doses of Vitamin D (20,000IU daily) GelCaps have certainly helped. I wouldn't stop taking them now. I noticed a difference after less than a week.

Ive been feeling depressed about having diabetes lately. I was great at the at the start but now six months on, its getting me down. I wish sometimes i didnt have to test or inject.

I seem to catch everything going aswell, i supposed to be on bed rest fromt he doctor this week, caught some virus in my glands. Ive no enegry, and my levels wont settle!

Im going to call my diabetic doctor and talk to her about it