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Dont think i will ever get things right

diabetic23 years

diabetic23 years

Well-Known Member
Messages
123
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm at a loss at how to make things better. Iv had type 1 diabetes nearly 14 years now and iv never been able to control it. I'm always eating sweets chocolate etc daily. I have skipped injections multiple times, had dka many times too. Iv tried to manage better but after a week I'm usually back at sweets. Iv a personality disorder and feel it's a constant battle to control both. I don't know anything about my diabetes, or how to carb count. It's getting me down
 
Easiest way to start carb counting is using an app such as MyFitnessPal, it can scan bar codes of food and tell you how much carbs are in them. Then you can start to build up a picture of what your typical meals consist of.

I have no idea what it is like living with a personality disorder and I can imagine it being tough. Could it be an option to not have too many snacking foods available to remove the temptation?

Do you test often? Do you have a picture of what your day to day levels are like?
 
Hi @diabetic12yrs That must be very hard to deal with.

Do you have any support from your DSN? Have you asked to go on a carb counting course like DAFNE?

Can you give us an idea of your insulin regime and what you eat on an average day. Don't worry about including the chocolate. No one will judge you here :)

You say you've missed injections. Is that because of stress, weight concerns, or other reasons?

There's help and advice here, so please tell us a little more :)
 
It's probably a good idea to address your mindset before you get into more technical things like carb counting. I'd argue that the mental struggles of this disease are more difficult to manage than the physiological ones. Plus, you can't have one or the other. It's both or neither.

I'm very self-aware of my habits which has been extremely helpful at problem solving this disease. A few thoughts if I were in your shoes:
1.) Why are you eating things that you probably shouldn't on a daily basis? Is it a coping mechanism? Boredom? etc
2.) Why are you occasionally skipping injections? Are you dealing with underlying problems like depression? Anxiety? etc

If you can't answer those questions on your own, it's best to speak with a professional on the matter so they can help you figure out why this is happening and eventually correct it. It's a tough thing to do, but if it were me, that's what I'd like to think I'd do.
 
I agree with Torq about mindset and seeking professional help.

I latched onto carb counting as one of the sources of your frustration, i.e. struggle to carb count, get disheartened, negative mindset, comfort food, high BG levels, repeat cycle. Once you start to get a bit of control on your levels or daily routine that will give you a boost of confident to tackle whatever else crops up.

:)
 
i see a psychiatrist regularly and attend therapy for my personality disorder have been seeing them for about 5 years now

my day to day at the moment is all over the place i get up and my sugar levels tend to be between 9 - 11 and then i inject but i skip breakfast and go to college, usually have a low sugar (today dropped to 2.7). then i over correct and my sugar levels go high i dont have lunch or do that injection when i am in college. i took an injection late afternoon when i felt high. and then i come home from college and go to bed and sleep for 2- 3 hours. im too exhausted to do any dinner so am missing that injection. then my levels go high again at bed time i take my levemir(22 units) and sometimes a couple of extra units of novorapid
 
ElkBond said:
I agree with Torq about mindset and seeking professional help.

I latched onto carb counting as one of the sources of your frustration, i.e. struggle to carb count, get disheartened, negative mindset, comfort food, high BG levels, repeat cycle. Once you start to get a bit of control on your levels or daily routine that will give you a boost of confident to tackle whatever else crops up.

:)
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i think if i knew how to carb count it might help with better control. though i see my nurses often and i ring them weekly ( they know my struggles and are very supportive) they can only do so much without me testing alot
 
TorqPenderloin said:
It's probably a good idea to address your mindset before you get into more technical things like carb counting. I'd argue that the mental struggles of this disease are more difficult to manage than the physiological ones. Plus, you can't have one or the other. It's both or neither.

I'm very self-aware of my habits which has been extremely helpful at problem solving this disease. A few thoughts if I were in your shoes:
1.) Why are you eating things that you probably shouldn't on a daily basis? Is it a coping mechanism? Boredom? etc
2.) Why are you occasionally skipping injections? Are you dealing with underlying problems like depression? Anxiety? etc

If you can't answer those questions on your own, it's best to speak with a professional on the matter so they can help you figure out why this is happening and eventually correct it. It's a tough thing to do, but if it were me, that's what I'd like to think I'd do.
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1. its mostly because i get emotional and distressed and i would turn to chocolate.
2. i have skipped injections in the past for losing weight but thats not my reason now. im an anxious mess daily
 
First thing I would go for is getting some sort of routine going, get a few meals together that you like, work out how much carbs are in them and be a bit conservative for a week or two and stick to those meals while you get used to knowing what you are eating.

I started off exactly the same way, now I can kind of estimate it on a plate. Not perfect, way to go yet but it gets easier.

With snacking, I would try the out of sight out of mind approach. Stick to things you aren't a fan of to cure hypos (luco tabs I use - urgh).

With frustration - don't reach for the chocolate! Make a cup of tea or something! Much nicer in my opinion!!
 
diabetic12yrs said:
i see a psychiatrist regularly and attend therapy for my personality disorder have been seeing them for about 5 years now

my day to day at the moment is all over the place i get up and my sugar levels tend to be between 9 - 11 and then i inject but i skip breakfast and go to college, usually have a low sugar (today dropped to 2.7). then i over correct and my sugar levels go high i dont have lunch or do that injection when i am in college. i took an injection late afternoon when i felt high. and then i come home from college and go to bed and sleep for 2- 3 hours. im too exhausted to do any dinner so am missing that injection. then my levels go high again at bed time i take my levemir(22 units) and sometimes a couple of extra units of novorapid
Click to expand...

It sounds like you've got a fair bit going on with the diabetes. It's hard to get control when things go off balance like that. If one thing is messed up, then, as you've seen, it's hard to get back on track. Your erratic blood sugar and missed meals are probably making you feel worse than you need to.

I think it would be best to start with little steps and one thing at a time. Keep it simple.

Try to sort one meal at a time. Even if you can't count carbs you can still work out an appropriate dose for a particular meal by testing two hours after. Choose, say breakfast. Eat the same thing every day -exactly the same. Test before and two hours after. You'll gradually get a good idea of how much insulin you need for that meal.

If you know you're prone to over correcting hypos, then use glucose tablets and eat two or three, then wait 15 mins and test to make sure you're ok.

Diabetes is hard work, but it makes you feel better to get it under control. Try to have a routine and stick to it as much as you can. Routine can help make control easier.
 
azure said:
I think it would be best to start with little steps and one thing at a time. Keep it simple.

Try to sort one meal at a time. Even if you can't count carbs you can still work out an appropriate dose for a particular meal by testing two hours after. Choose, say breakfast. Eat the same thing every day -exactly the same. Test before and two hours after. You'll gradually get a good idea of how much insulin you need for that meal.

If you know you're prone to over correcting hypos, then use glucose tablets and eat two or three, then wait 15 mins and test to make sure you're ok.
Click to expand...
This was exactly how I approached the situation after I was diagnosed last year. It may sound boring, but that's because it's supposed to.

Remember that you don't have to do it forever, but only until you get the hang of things. Fortunately, I've found that it also helped me to develop a routine outside of diabetes. I'm less inclined to eat junk food, I have a set workout schedule, and I started learning to cook which I never tried before diabetes. Not only that, but I also didn't feel as guilty when I did/do occasionally feel like eating something I probably shouldn't.
 
Hi,
If you want to take control of your diabetes you need to get it into perspective. You can't ignore it and it won't go away but you can live with it. As previous replies have said, education courses will give you the tools to live a long and healthy life, but i also agree with the posters who have said that you need to be in the right mind set. I've had type 1 since 1978. I have no complications despite the fact that i'm not perfect and spent several teen years also abusing my diabetes. Good luck. X


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Last edited by a moderator:
Heya, big hug, you are amongst friends here.

Running low and high will make you feel anxious so unfortunately it has a knock effect on your moods. It is a good motivator for you to cut out the sweets, sweets are addictive too, so one leads to another and then your BG levels will run high, then you get tired and it will get you down, hence why you are getting emotional. Learning to carb count will help hugely, but so will support from your team in getting you onto DAFNE, this course will help you learn carb counting and in doing the course it will help you to mange and adjust your levels so you feel confident with your insulin doses.

Is there any reason why you are not injecting properly you can tell us ?
 
Juicyj said:
Heya, big hug, you are amongst friends here.

Running low and high will make you feel anxious so unfortunately it has a knock effect on your moods. It is a good motivator for you to cut out the sweets, sweets are addictive too, so one leads to another and then your BG levels will run high, then you get tired and it will get you down, hence why you are getting emotional. Learning to carb count will help hugely, but so will support from your team in getting you onto DAFNE, this course will help you learn carb counting and in doing the course it will help you to mange and adjust your levels so you feel confident with your insulin doses.

Is there any reason why you are not injecting properly you can tell us ?
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I really want to get it right which is why I'm taking my levemir cause that's long acting and will stop me getting ketones. The other injections I'm just not doing cause I am too upset most days and just feel my mood is too low all I want to do is stay in bed and cry. :(
 
diabetic12yrs said:
I really want to get it right which is why I'm taking my levemir cause that's long acting and will stop me getting ketones. The other injections I'm just not doing cause I am too upset most days and just feel my mood is too low all I want to do is stay in bed and cry. :(
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I know you have other problems, but I'm sure getting better control of your diabetes will help you feel physically and mentally better. High blood sugar and erratic blood sugars make you feel cr*p in every way. They take all your energy away, ruin your sleep and make you feel extremely run down.

You mentioned you were seeing a psychiatrist. Has he or she made any suggestions to help your low mood?
 
azure said:
I know you have other problems, but I'm sure getting better control of your diabetes will help you feel physically and mentally better. High blood sugar and erratic blood sugars make you feel cr*p in every way. They take all your energy away, ruin your sleep and make you feel extremely run down.

You mentioned you were seeing a psychiatrist. Has he or she made any suggestions to help your low mood?
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They say medication doesn't help me, they don't exactly trust me with it after previous times. I have done dbt, I guess now would be a good time to re-read it
 
diabetic12yrs said:
They say medication doesn't help me, they don't exactly trust me with it after previous times. I have done dbt, I guess now would be a good time to re-read it
Click to expand...

If you're looking for a book, Think Like A Pancreas is a great one and very popular here.

My other thought was could it be diabetes burnout that's contributing? Diabetes is wearing year after year, and sometimes it can just be hard to cope with. I wonder if your DSN might have some suggestions.

When I first read your post above, I misread 'medication' as 'meditation'. Meditation and mindfulness might not be your thing, but many people have found they can help when life's hard. Worth a look anyway, even if you decide it's not for,you.

Finally, take a look around the forum. You're not alone and everybody here understands what a pain diabetes can be.

Take care of yourself :)
 
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder and, in our case being Type 1s, a genetic one. We can do nothing to reverse it.

The relationship we have with our condition, however, and the way we approach our condition is a mentality and a mind-set that can change.

The reason I am writing this is because, I am reading your post and the way you express yourself very, very carefully and I am trying to read between the lines.

What I sense is a person constantly craving for love, with a belief that you are unworthy or undeserving. I feel a deep-seated guilt and a belief you have to struggle to survive. I sense that you can often lose yourself in relationships and you crave for sweetness to mask the feelings of weakness and limitation.

In my view, the first thing you need to do is register for a DAFNE course so as to learn the basics of accurate carb-counting. However, along with this, and probably the most important thing that you should do is to reverse your mind-set.

The most important element to self-healing is the ability to be present with yourself. You cannot begin if you are preoccupied with the past or living in the expectations of future times. All these do is scatter your ability to focus and leave you powerless.

This moment, every moment of your life is and should be filled with joy. Experience the sweetness of your life (do not try to find it in a chocolate bar). You are angry and frustrated because you think that life has lost its sweetness. All you need to do is start loving and approving yourself and you will see that you, alone, will create sweetness and joy in your life.

Happiness is an inside job. No person, no relationship, no purchase, no materialistic need, no chocolate bar will provide it for you.

Be courageous.
The realization that you must act upon this issue is a very good start! Well done!
Stay blessed and keep giving the good fight.

I hope your bg levels are on point today!!
Have a great day ahead!
Regards
Josephine
 
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