• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Just diagnosed and feeling depressed

jgmun

Member
Messages
13
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I guess this is common, I am prone to depression and this type 2 diagnosis has hit me quite hard - Any others have the same experience ?
 
Welcome to the forum, @jgmun. There are many, many knowledgeable and helpful members here. So, just ask away.

To your question: Yes, it is quite normal to be depressed after getting diagnosed. Personally, I felt a deep sense of mourning when diagnosed because I felt that life as I knew it was over.

However, as I started feeling more in control, this changed. Today, I feel the diabetes diagnosis has been the motivation to find out more about the impact of healthy eating on my metabolism and I feel better than any time I remember in the last twenty years.

Can you tell us a little more about yourself? What were your blood sugar levels or HbA1c at diagnosis? Have you been prescribed any medication?
 
jgmun said:
I guess this is common, I am prone to depression and this type 2 diagnosis has hit me quite hard - Any others have the same experience ?
Click to expand...


Hi,

Firstly welcome. There are a lot of very wise and experienced people that will I'm sure be able to give you some good advice. I've been diagnosed just over a year.

When I was first diagnosed, like you it really hit me hard, although I had been getting warnings that I was pre diabetic for a couple of years. I think I went into shock and then denial. I tried to ignore it but it's not something to be ignore.

I have gone down the low carb high fat route. This seems to be working well for me at the moment.

I would suggest reading the info newly diagnosed on the website. I don't know how to tag Daisy so if someone could for me, she will post you some information for you to have a look at.

If you have any questions, just ask. There is always someone who can answer you. I have found this site to be very supportive.

Good luck.
 
Hello @jgmun and Welcome to the Forum .
Tagging @daisy1 who will post on this Thread some useful information for New Members.
 
Hi. You are joining a very large group of other diabetics so not alone out there. I will tag @daisy1 to give you useful information for the newly diagnosed. The low carb diet is the key for most of us. Exercise always helps as well. Have enough proteins, fats and veg etc as you reduce the carbs. Let us know where you are with the GP, whether you've had your HBa1C blood test yet and any questions you may have.
 


Hi Yes, i was 116 hba1c at diagnosis but 46 after 5 days of no carbs and 4 metformin pills a day i am 48 6ft 3 and 19 stone
 
As already said.
Low Carb diet but also Exercise. The recommended exercise is 150 hours weekly of moderate exercise this equates to 30 mins a day x 5 days & can be done in 10 minute chunks. If you normally travel short journeys by car or bus then walk it you will be surprised how soon you do those 30 mins a day.
I used to run as the pic shows but at moment am injured but still endeavour to go out & walk at least 20 mins daily.

I obviously do not know your circumstances but if you do need to get active you can always join yopour local Parkrun 7 no you do not have to run you can walk the course & you are never last as there is always a tail walker to ensure everybody gets round safely

All the best to you on your journey
 
I have always felt at my best when eating low carb - I started back in 1970 - but over and over I have been told that eating low carb is really bad - even though it made me thinner and more active. When diagnosed I decided that my opinion was going to be my guide from then on, so I ordered up a freezer full of meat on the way home.
Now I eat low carb foods and the diabetes just doesn't do anything - it might be dead and gone. Whatever - I am going to stick to the foods I like and get rid of some of the weight I put on during the 'cholesterol lowering' diet - which didn't have any effect at all. Started low carb and it went down - but the nurse said it was a delayed improvement. Yeah. Right.
If you get similar results to mine you have absolutely nothing to worry about.
Oh - except your clothes falling off.
Low carb is usually very effective in reducing weight, particularly around the waist.
 
@jgmun

Hello Jgmun and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 259,000 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 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. Most of these are 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.
 
Thanks - That is very helpful - So far I've managed a week of no carbs - having spent a lifetime eating them in spades !!
 
Thanks Paula - This site is fantastic for me.
 
jgmun said:
Hi Yes, i was 116 hba1c at diagnosis but 46 after 5 days of no carbs and 4 metformin pills a day i am 48 6ft 3 and 19 stone
Click to expand...

Hi @jgmun,

Well done on embarking on a low carb diet. For many of us, going low carb has helped tremendously in lowering blood sugars to normal levels.

As you are only on metformin (which does not increase insulin levels), there is virtually no risk of your blood sugars dropping too low. It is therefore safe to reduce your carbs.

Can you give us an example of what you eat in a day?

Also, there is a link between depression and diabetes. So, it is quite possible that going low carb might help with depression too.

Do you have a meter to measure your blood sugar levels?
 


Hi Ziggy, Thanks - It's been ok so far, but could murder a hamburger lol - I have been eating granola for breakfast, ham and sad at lunch and quorn sausage and low sugar beans at night, with a small amount of these and peanut butter and almonds

I don't have a monitor as my d. nurse said it might concern me while i get stable - I am however being monitored weekly for now
 
jgmun said:
Thanks - That is very helpful - So far I've managed a week of no carbs - having spent a lifetime eating them in spades !!
Click to expand...
Do you have a meter to test your blood glucose levels at home?
I was eating very few carbs for a while, but as time went by I settled on 50 to 60 gm of carb a day as that did not put my levels up over 8 mmol/l after meals, and it dropped further often being under 7 or even 6 mmol/l.
If you need a new meter with economical test strips there is one available by mail order I think it is called 'code free' and there are discounts available plus no VAT for diabetics, but I am not sure of the details as I found one in Lidl supermarket.
 
Ah - so not no carb then - if you had a meter you might get a shock to see just how high some foods will make you spike.
I often have beefburgers, two quarter pounders cooked with onion rings, eaten with mushroom sweet pepper and courgette stir fry. I do sometimes wonder what nurses think they are doing giving out such advice - do they think that they are doing patients a favour advising them that they are too silly to be able to cope with the truth?
 
I thought that food was no carb ?
 
Hello Jgmun
Welcome, this forum is great, I just joined recently- everyone is very supportive and I am learning something beneficial every day, it gets easier
 
Hi @jgmun,

Ultimately, it's your decision whether you want to monitor your blood sugar levels or not. Admittedly, I didn't feel ready for a long time and waited for a year before measuring my own blood sugar levels. However, if you feel ready to do this, you should just go for it (even without permission from your nurse). Measuring our blood sugar response to different types of food can teach us so much and can sometimes even surprise us.

Based on your comment, it seems that you are cutting out hamburgers? There is really no need to do this -- as long as you don't eat the bun that comes with it. Some wrap the hamburger in lettuce. Also using portobello mushrooms as a bun is a good option -- if you can get them. Ketchup is also quite carby, but if you only use a tiny portion, it won't make too much of a difference. The hamburger patty, mayo, mustard, pickles, onions, tomatoes, cheese and bacon are fine.

Other great foods, if you like them, are eggs, olives, avocados, butter, chicken, fish (especially sardines and salmon), zucchini, eggplant, salad with Caesar's dressing. Many of us have pork scratchings, cheese and nuts as a snack.

Especially granola and but also beans (even low sugar beans) are probably not the very best choice for low-carb.

There is a low carb section on this forum. It might be worth looking at this for meal ideas. Also, there is great low carb website called dietdoctor.com. You can go on the site without signing up as there is also a lot of great info if you don't
 
Last edited:
oh i didn't realise r granola - will bin it - and yes am avoiding burgers etc at moment - Its the bun and sauces and cheese i like with them !
 
I'm afraid that granola, the low sugar beans, the peanut butter, the almonds - possibly the quorn sausage - all will have carbs.
It will be shown on the packaging - no need to deduct the fibre as in the US, we do net carbs here.
Try out some tasty foods the low carb way and it should get a lot easier to cope with fewer carbs and your blood glucose should drop too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…