leighcooke19
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I’m tired of diabetes. I feel as though i’m burnt out. I haven’t been looking after myself and i don’t know where to start again. I honestly hate this feeling. I just feel as though I have no motivation.
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- Thread starter leighcooke19
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xfieldok
Well-Known Member
I assume you are type 1, I am T2 so won't comment. Loads of T1s here to give you some encouragement.
Hi @leighcooke19 , and welcome to th forum!
Sorry to hear diabetes and you aren't getting along at the moment, being burnt out or close to it is not a good place to be.
As for where to start, what about your diabetes team? DN, endo, dietician, whoever you are seeing. You're not alone in feeling burnt out with diabetes and you won't be the first one to tell them and ask for help with it.
Wish you well!
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- Type 1
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When I was your age (pre glucometer) my blood sugar levels were dreadful. When I finally decided that I should do more than just collect insulin from my GP and took myself to a hospital clinic, they handed me my first glucometer and suggested that I should try to get my average blood sugar down below 13 (or was that my hba1c?).
It's very easy to develop a sense of guilt about high blood sugars and put it all into the "too hard" basket. Taking that first step, doing some blood tests, going to your clinic for advice on insulin quantities and ratios, can make all the difference. Despite some of the T1s who post on here with perfect blood sugars, most of us just muddle along and work out how to get results we can live with. And teenage diabetic burnout is very very common.
So, you're not alone. But you can improve things. Also, high blood sugars tend to make you feel bad/depressed so improving your levels will probably also improve your mood. And modern technology should make things easier for young T1s. (Do you have or want a cgm or a pump?)
Do you have a clinic you can contact? When's your next appointment?
Good luck.
It's very easy to develop a sense of guilt about high blood sugars and put it all into the "too hard" basket. Taking that first step, doing some blood tests, going to your clinic for advice on insulin quantities and ratios, can make all the difference. Despite some of the T1s who post on here with perfect blood sugars, most of us just muddle along and work out how to get results we can live with. And teenage diabetic burnout is very very common.
So, you're not alone. But you can improve things. Also, high blood sugars tend to make you feel bad/depressed so improving your levels will probably also improve your mood. And modern technology should make things easier for young T1s. (Do you have or want a cgm or a pump?)
Do you have a clinic you can contact? When's your next appointment?
Good luck.
NicoleC1971
BANNED
type 1s of all vintages will get your feelings of burn out . It is a thing and probably responsible for the higher incidence of depression in type 1s. Thinking about insulin, food and complications simply takes up a lots of head space particularly when you are new at it.
I hope you'll get a feeling of support here as type 1 is isolating but ultimately you need to work out what you need now to pick up your motivation levels. This was one step but perhaps you need to chat to your GP or diabetes team to see if you are depressed/anxious; because of the impact of your mental health upon your physical health, they should not fob you off but discuss the options whether that ' medications and/or counselling. Or perhaps you need time off from other activities to focus on getting into a basic routine with the diabetes given that having it is a major life adjustment or a 2nd job!
I think we'd all wish for a holiday from diabetes but you probably finding that creates more issues than it solves even if you are not thinking about long term complications (highs and lows are unpleasant).
I hope you'll get a feeling of support here as type 1 is isolating but ultimately you need to work out what you need now to pick up your motivation levels. This was one step but perhaps you need to chat to your GP or diabetes team to see if you are depressed/anxious; because of the impact of your mental health upon your physical health, they should not fob you off but discuss the options whether that ' medications and/or counselling. Or perhaps you need time off from other activities to focus on getting into a basic routine with the diabetes given that having it is a major life adjustment or a 2nd job!
I think we'd all wish for a holiday from diabetes but you probably finding that creates more issues than it solves even if you are not thinking about long term complications (highs and lows are unpleasant).
Lee91
Newbie
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- 2
Hey! Yeah I know how you feel and somehow I’m now 29 I’d say I spent about 8 years just guessing how much insulin to take my sugars were constantly high because I was scared of hypos - I’d only go to the doctors maybe once every 2 years 
sounds awful and I’ve probably done more damage to myself in the long run.... you’ve got to stay head strong and make sure diabetes doesn’t get in your way of anything! I know everyone says the same kinda thing but I never listened I didn’t really want to know how serious it was until now - and I’d still like to think I’m fairly young I’ve only just started to get back on top of things - I rarely even tested my levels as I knew I would be high and never felt like I had low blood sugar (which is bad I know) I started about 3 weeks ago getting on top of it (again - I go through phrases) by making sure I would inject alongside the food I was eating and starting to do my sugars before meals. I’m hoping I can try and stay on top of this - I know I’m feeling better in myself already by getting diabetes more under control because you feel **** if it’s not and you only realise that when you start controlling it again sorry if this is of no use
sounds awful and I’ve probably done more damage to myself in the long run.... you’ve got to stay head strong and make sure diabetes doesn’t get in your way of anything! I know everyone says the same kinda thing but I never listened I didn’t really want to know how serious it was until now - and I’d still like to think I’m fairly young I’ve only just started to get back on top of things - I rarely even tested my levels as I knew I would be high and never felt like I had low blood sugar (which is bad I know) I started about 3 weeks ago getting on top of it (again - I go through phrases) by making sure I would inject alongside the food I was eating and starting to do my sugars before meals. I’m hoping I can try and stay on top of this - I know I’m feeling better in myself already by getting diabetes more under control because you feel **** if it’s not and you only realise that when you start controlling it again sorry if this is of no use
️ the swearing my badDiabetes Solution by Dr Richard Betnstein is a good place to start! It became my bible after I read it. Only wish I read 10 years ago.
Fairygodmother
Well-Known Member
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Oh yes, I think most T1s know the place: tired of all the testing, correcting, making sure the Frio’s been soaked, but not too much, pausing the cooking to jab, waiting til bloods are right while all others dive into their food, being woken by a low/high alarm in the middle of the night and feeling tired in the morning, longingly wanting the whole cake and eating it and b***** the consequences, people thinking you’re drunk or off your trolley when you’re hypo . . . Shall I go on.
I’ve lived with all this for 50 years now and I still burn out from time to time. But I’ve come to know from experience that the feelings don’t last for ever, and that if I can just sit down and work out why the extra load’s occurred and then do something to make it less onerous then they’ll go away again. It’s true that high blood sugars can make us feel physically and psychologically awful, and it’s true that it’s hard to try to work out how to get blood sugars back to the lower figures, but it’s eventually worth it. You may not believe me if you’re in the dark place right now, but give it a go and keep on posting to tell us how you’re doing.
Have you got a Diabetes Specialist Nurse, a doctor or a Consultant you can talk with to help you get back on track?
What insulins are you using? Do you carb count? Have you got an app to help you track and calculate? Have you been offered a Libre or Dexcom? There are much better tools to help you than there were when I was diagnosed - see how many of them you can get your hands on if you’ve not got them already.
And good luck! And ((((((((hugs)))))))))
I’ve lived with all this for 50 years now and I still burn out from time to time. But I’ve come to know from experience that the feelings don’t last for ever, and that if I can just sit down and work out why the extra load’s occurred and then do something to make it less onerous then they’ll go away again. It’s true that high blood sugars can make us feel physically and psychologically awful, and it’s true that it’s hard to try to work out how to get blood sugars back to the lower figures, but it’s eventually worth it. You may not believe me if you’re in the dark place right now, but give it a go and keep on posting to tell us how you’re doing.
Have you got a Diabetes Specialist Nurse, a doctor or a Consultant you can talk with to help you get back on track?
What insulins are you using? Do you carb count? Have you got an app to help you track and calculate? Have you been offered a Libre or Dexcom? There are much better tools to help you than there were when I was diagnosed - see how many of them you can get your hands on if you’ve not got them already.
And good luck! And ((((((((hugs)))))))))
Hello and your message really touched me. I'm type 1 was diagnosed at 10 and I have recently turned 50. I know the feelings you are going through and in my 40 years of managing the condition I have had periods of time when I just could not be bothered facing up to its demands - a silly attitude I know given I am university educated and have a responsible job, however that is how I felt at times. It is difficult to give advice as we are all different but you can have a full and wholesome life and enjoy all the great things life has to offer BUT you need to accept you have an extra burden which if you can overcome will make you a stronger person. Good luck.
JohnEGreen
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I am not type 1 but can sympathize there have been times over the last twenty years or so that I have felt like kicking everything into touch just stopping all my meds and trying to live a normal life like everyone else and then I realised that without the meds my life would be as far from normal as you can get.
Sometimes you just have to accept that life is as it is and the meds and the boring and unpleasant drudgery is what is keeping us going and able to live a more normal and active life.
Find or rediscover your enthusiasm for something and go for it put time and effort into it and give your self less time for sadness and more time for the joy of life.
Sometimes you just have to accept that life is as it is and the meds and the boring and unpleasant drudgery is what is keeping us going and able to live a more normal and active life.
Find or rediscover your enthusiasm for something and go for it put time and effort into it and give your self less time for sadness and more time for the joy of life.
