Feeling broken / burnout

janemarie71

Member
Messages
21
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, I've seen a few posts on her about people experiencing diabetic burnout but I have never accepted my diabetes, despite being diagnosed 15 years ago. My blood sugars have never been under control and although I try desperately to motivate myself, I just don't seem to be able to do it. I am aware of everything that could go wrong and my last eye screening showed changes to my eyes, yet still I cannot seem to get myself under control. Has anyone else been this rubbish at looking after themselves and did you manage to get a grip? Feeling so depressed and desperate.
 

kokhongw

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,394
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
All of us with this condition has gone thru dark days.

For many of us the realization that carbs are neither essential nor equate with the right to enjoy life...and then managed to overcome the misguided fear of fats and fasting...found that the road to recovery is actually much easier.

These were some insights gained early on my journey.
https://myhba1c.wordpress.com/2016/09/03/turning-mountains-into-molehills/
 
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serenity648

Guest
Hi, I've seen a few posts on her about people experiencing diabetic burnout but I have never accepted my diabetes, despite being diagnosed 15 years ago. My blood sugars have never been under control and although I try desperately to motivate myself, I just don't seem to be able to do it. I am aware of everything that could go wrong and my last eye screening showed changes to my eyes, yet still I cannot seem to get myself under control. Has anyone else been this rubbish at looking after themselves and did you manage to get a grip? Feeling so depressed and desperate.
sending some hugs. Its hard. Have you spoken to your doctor about how low you feel? Keep posting and asking questions, there are loads of us who know just how you feel.
 

derry60

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,196
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Rudeness,people being unkind
I do not know if you are new to this forum, but this forum has actually had the opposite effect on me, and the people here have inspired me. I have always loved to cook but went off cooking as got bored. Now though I am enjoying the challenge of doing my best to ward off ever having full-blown diabetes. I feel like my pre-diabetes is the devil and I am the angel, warding off the evil little Goblin lol. When I look at my meter I say to myself "Ha ha ha Diabetes you are not going to get me" So at the moment I am feeling very positive. I really hope that you get some inspiration from the people here as I most certainly have. Just seen you are a well-known member, aww do some more reading here. I don't know but maybe there is something else going on in your life that is taking your mojo away and making you feel as if you cannot be bothered. I am still new here but we are all here to help. I am not as knowledgeable as some, but am so learning and doing research.x
 

AM1874

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,383
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Not much
Hi @janemarie71 ..
I see that you have been posting since August 2015 so I'm sure that you will already have received and read a lot of advice from folk here. However, I think it would be worth re-reading some of the most relevant material so I have tagged @daisy1 for you again and I suggest that you focus on the valuable information that she will soon be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need about carbs and about what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds

I'm sure you will be aware that a key point to take on board is that managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your blood sugar seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum.

I would also add that, in my opinion, if you have not been able to accept your diabetes since you were diagnosed, there is something else going on here. As @serenity648 has suggested above, you should talk to your doctor about how you feel and I think that you should also take this opportunity to ask about counselling.

This final suggestion is really outside my remit but, FWIW, how about focusing on what's truly important to you. Who are the most important people in your life, for instance .. hubby, partner, significant other .. parents, brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces?
How do they feel about this?
How would they feel if ...?
This might seem a bit hard-core, I know, but if you can't do it for yourself .. maybe you can do it for them

Thinking of you .. hope this helps
 
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pavlosn

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,705
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
72e9e95e06b0606253ae658f70eb942c.jpg


My message is in the photo.

There is little we can do about the past other than hopefully learn from it.

But the world has not ended.

No matter how dark the night is, tomorrow is another day and the sunlight will chase away the darkness.

A new day for you to grasp and start taking small steps towards setting things right.

You just have to make your mind to do it and grasp the bull by the horns.

We are all here to lend an understanding ear for when you need to let steam or to offer practical advice.

But only you can do this, Noone else can do it for you.

So forget or rather forgive yourself for what has happened yesterday and grasp the opportunity that tomorrow brings.

Only do so tomorrow not the day after.!
 

Art Of Flowers

Well-Known Member
Messages
956
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
You should take a look at the video linked in my signature by Sarah Hallberg - reversing type 2 diabetes.

The key to get a grip with type 2 diabetes is to change your diet. Taking pills can help, but diet is much more important. If you don't change your diet then type 2 diabetes gets progressively worse.
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@janemarie71

Hello Jane Marie and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Understanding about diabetes will help you. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will help.



BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 250,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.
  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 

Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,339
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
I hope the above posts have inspired you, they have topped me up. The beginning 2 weeks is the hard part of a lifestyle change. Recently some members have embarked on the Newcastle Diet - the transformations have been remarkable, if you need that final motivational push to adopt a method that works for you, you could do worse than putting in a search on the forum for Newcastle Diet or LCHF success.
 

Derekwest

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hello people I'm new to this and have found myself reading a lot of what has been wrote and I am confused with a lot of info I read I've been a diabetic for about 15years good times and bed just when I think I got it under control it all start going wrong blood sugars go up . Doctors and nurse not much help feel alone most of time I inject four times a day 130 units of holog 200 and 100 toujeo I weigh 17 stone 10 pond and I'm 53 years old can't seem to snap out of this low mood so I eat guess what chocolate short fix I know I should not but seem the only thing that put a smile on my face sorry
 

Derekwest

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi, I've seen a few posts on her about people experiencing diabetic burnout but I have never accepted my diabetes, despite being diagnosed 15 years ago. My blood sugars have never been under control and although I try desperately to motivate myself, I just don't seem to be able to do it. I am aware of everything that could go wrong and my last eye screening showed changes to my eyes, yet still I cannot seem to get myself under control. Has anyone else been this rubbish at looking after themselves and did you manage to get a grip? Feeling so depressed and desperate.

Hello I'm sorry your feel low I would like to tell you it will be fine but in the same place you are at this time so no help but I'm thinking of you and hoping you feel better soon I guess we both have to try and pull ourselves together and get some advice to help us pull us out of this low time we are in god bless you
 

rosalindp

Active Member
Messages
36
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi

Sorry to hear about your current situation. {hugs} I've been in a similar place of denial (but I don't regret putting first the needs of my family when it was necessary).

I agree with the comments above, especially:
"The key to get a grip with type 2 diabetes is to change your diet. Taking pills can help, but diet is much more important. If you don't change your diet then type 2 diabetes gets progressively worse."

I've changed my diet to very low carb, so have been instead eating mainly protein & veges .. & my sugar levels are now (currently still with the help of some Metformin) no longer sky high. - What caused me to get out of denial? - The Drs wouldn't consider my other health issues until my sugars are low enough for them to no longer blame them... & I didn't want to risk my kids becoming orphans just yet...

I hope that things improve for you soon...

Kind regards,
Rosalind

Quote:
“For the general population, the optimal number of cookies is something close to zero, and even fewer for diabetics.” – Eric Sodicoff, M.D.
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Well - I joined a morris side, went out with the Maypole, played for longsword dancing and joined a folk club.
What has that to do with diabetes?
Well it is sort of part of the treatment - I get to go out of the house and go to places, I need to haul big poles around, and my drum, climb up hills to get to performances, and I even miss meals in order to go to band practice or dance practice.
I am doing things and meeting people, going to new places - but I am also buying things which are good for me to eat, I drink real coffee and make myself a pot of mint and liquorice tea - just for me. I buy foods I can eat and prepare meals I like.
I am being a bit selfish - perhaps, but it is a good selfish. It is how I need to be in order to get the best out of life.
I think that we need to tell ourselves and others that we only get one go at this and so we need to get it right, and as long as it isn't hurting anyone else in the process, we have to put our needs first, run our lives in a way which will sort out our problems first. We are worth it.
Buy the avocadoes, and the lamb shanks and the fillet steaks - in moderation, of course, and the high cocoa chocolate, maybe not the MOST expensive, but the good stuff - and fill the fridge with things you can eat, get a whole pig or lamb for the freezer - looking after yourself is not a chore - it is a privilege.
 

Biggles2

Well-Known Member
Messages
324
@janemarie71: My meter is my little support gadget! It helps keep me sane while I try to stick to my routine which is 3 meals a day during an 8 hour window, and fasting the remaining 16 hours. When I feel the urge to deviate, I tell myself to hold out until the next blood glucose check. If the number is good then I get some needed positive reinforcement. And, usually by the time I test, the urge to cheat has passed. I find that a 2 hour turnaround time is so helpful psychologically: it is an achievable short-term goal - not a 'I have to do this forever' proposition which always seems daunting!
Also, I would second @Resurgam's advice: I find some nice flavoured/spiced tea to be a life saver. My favourite is a German tea, Fennel/Anise/Caraway (Fenchel/Anis/Kuemmel). I get it on Amazon. It is a little indulgence, but it does the soul good!:)
 
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Crystalwand

Well-Known Member
Messages
111
Type of diabetes
Type 1
You should take a look at the video linked in my signature by Sarah Hallberg - reversing type 2 diabetes.

The key to get a grip with type 2 diabetes is to change your diet. Taking pills can help, but diet is much more important. If you don't change your diet then type 2 diabetes gets progressively worse.
I am a T1 but found the video, really interesting, so thank you for that
 

Jo_the_boat

Well-Known Member
Messages
784
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
'Stop using medicine to treat food,' she says. That's a very apposite way of looking at it. Very good video.
 
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Sean01

Guest
You need some help. I've seen the replies - there is a lot of support for you here and elsewhere on this sight.

I think I've got my T2 very under control but I have dark days, really really dark days. Share your feelings and you will get emotional support and pats on the back to keep you going but right now, may I suggest that you have taken the first very big step on the road to dealing with this problem simply by acknowledging that you have a problem.

Trust me. When my bs are all over the place, I feel like rubbish. Quality of life is massively improved when everything is under control. Please look forward to improvements in how you feel and take the next step on the road to managing your blood sugar levels.

Good luck with your journey

Sean