Drinking and depression with type 1

NeilB81 said:

Hi

Looking for advice I have just gone through break up and heart break. Struggling with a bit of depression and I am drawn to drinking more than I use to. My sugars are all over the place I know I should stop but just looking if anyone has advice to handle levels as I seem to be up in the high teens and twenties.

Thanks

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Hello, welcome! Sending a hug out to you. Have you spoken to your doctor or diabetes team to refer you for some help? Have you done a carb counting course or asked your dietitian about drinks? - some alcoholic drinks need insulin and some you don't, but it's best to drink on a full stomach or have something to eat with it.

I'm sorry things aren't as they should be with your life at the moment. Being in the high teens and twenties isn't a good place to be and it doesn't help with the depression either. Is it the depression making you not take enough insulin or is it that you simply haven't got a clue how to inject for your drinks and food?

If it is that you can't be bothered about taking care of your diabetes at the moment, please ask for help from your diabetes nurse or endo. Diabetes burnout is pretty common and it's a sneaky condition because it makes you not take care of diabetes, which gives you high bg and possibly feelings of guilt, which make you feel even worse etcetera.
If it is that you do test and take your insulin as you're taught, something has changed in your insulin needs or you're misjuding the carbs in your drinks or food. You'll have to take that up with your HCP to see how to get your bg a bit lower without hypoing overnight because of the alcohol.

So in both cases, please seek help from your diabetes team!

As for the drinking, if you want to stop or drink less and you can't manage that on your own at the moment, please ask for help with that as well. Half the country drinks too much (me included), and getting help with it is the best thing you can do if you want to get control over it. But if not, or not right now, learning to manage diabetes with alcohol is a lot better than drinking a lot and having high bg. It is possible too, I do it all the time...

Hi @NeilB81 Sorry to hear of your break up, that must be hard to deal regardless of your t1.

As you are probably aware alcohol is a depressant in itself, so drinking when you are already low is never going to help, it fuels anxiety and stress, both of which affect your glucose control as they trigger cortisol and adrenaline which cause insulin resistance and of course high BG levels, they can also cause a drop in your glucose levels too, as once the liver has done with clearing the toxins out of your system then it will try and restock glucose and can cause a hypo. It sounds like you could be caught in a cycle of behaviour at the moment so you do need support.

The best place to start is with your GP, explain your drinking to them, they can put you in touch with say counselling if they have access to it, so you can talk this through with someone.

I know you probably don't feel like this right now but it's important to take care of yourself. I went through a horrible break up years ago and spiralled out of control for a while until I sat down with a fabulous GP who listened to me and gave me some wonderful advice, it was a turning point but it didn't seem like it at the time, obviously I don't know your circumstances but the most important thing right now is that you take good care of yourself, try not to drink to block out the pain, if you can go for a walk, get some fresh air, talk to friends/family too and lean on those around you for support.

The breaking of a heart, hurts like mad and depression hits hard.
I am not a drinker myself, but reaching for alcohol when so upset and down, it just adds to the depression, it's a downer, I have seen it so many times, it's a viscous circle.
I hope you can find a coping mechanism that can help you through this sad time, such as going for along walk, taking up a sport, writing in a diary, song lyrics, or writing all the bad, sad things on a piece of paper then tearing it up and putting it in the bin.
Sending a virtual ((((( HUG )))))

Hi @NeilB81 ,

I'll be straight with you. Your issue will be exacerbated by the drink & high BGs.. In turn, this will effect emotions.
Contact your diabetic team regarding the BGs & start there..

I'll tag in @Scott-C regarding handling the booze. I'll pull in @Knikki & @therower on this too.

Hang in there. New positive stuff happens when you hold it together.

Ah @NeilB81 what a rubbish situation. We all go through times where we are not taking care of ourselves and it’s really hard after a break up. Find someone to talk to if you can, try to take care of yourself because being healthy is going to help you move on from this (eventually).