Diabetes & Mental Health

[Giverny]

Unsurprisingly, diabetes can have a huge effect on a person's mental health. Diagnosis can often lead to anger, denial, fear or depression. These can range from mild feelings of irritation through to serious depression.

Diabetes and mental health is a serious issue that needs better consideration and a range of care solutions. Like many mental health problems, those caused by diabetes are often underestimated or ignored.

(Read more about it here: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-comp ... ealth.html)

Has your mental health been affected by your condition? If so, how?

 

[Mileana]

Hi Giverny,

For me it really goes both ways as I am both diabetic (1.5, insulin user) and bipolar.

My need for insulin was triggered by a mood episode requiring medication which had the sideeffect of pushing me from pre-diabetic into insulin over a few days. I was at the time manic, which meant all my hormones were kicking around my body and definately, I could not tell the irritability and elation I was feeling due to the mania from anything body-related that had to do with blood sugars.

I find when my bloodsugar is high over a period or I 'overdose' on carbohydrates, I will easily have my mood go up a bit, then get sluggish and irritable.

When it is low, I will tend to get angry and impatient.

I think most people know some of these symptoms - and in me, these things may then feed further imbalances in my mood.

That's why I am pretty happy in a way that I was forced to look at the diabetes aspect and dietary choices as I have now discovered that when my bloodsugar is narrowly controlled and I low-carb, this has a very positive effect on my moods also - I will be calmer, more content, more productive.

As for the reaction to diabetes, I have never been upset or depressed about having it. I guess in a sense you can say that I have been used to many ups and down in my life and for me for instance the year that I could not walk was far worse. I have pretty much dealt with my diabetes head on once it was a fact - I refused to let it limit me, so I had to work out ways to do exactly what I wanted, or something very similar, despite of my diabetes.

The only thing that can still upset me especially about type 1.5 LADA is that it often changes its agenda, so I will have more hypos or more hypers than I would like - simply because my own production is not stable. And I sometimes have trouble making my diabetes team understand these difficulties as other posts on here will reveal - this can bring my mood down a notch as sometimes I feel rather stranded.