Not Eating Properly / Depression / Type 1 Diabetes

[sh1981]

Hello everyone,

I have a question. My girlfriend has Type 1 diabetes. I have noticed that she does not eat properly, sometimes only once per day. She mentioned that she gets depressed cause she always has to inject before eating and also check her blood all the time, so eating is more of a task than fun.

My questions are:

1. Do you think this could be cause of depression?

2. Is this common among people with Type 1 Diabetes?

3. How many times a day should a diabetic person eat normally? 3 times a day?

4. Do you think she is not eating because she is undergoing some sort of depression due to having to inject multiple times a day?

5. Is there any way she can be made to eat properly?

6. What side-effects / harms can she suffer from if she keeps on eating one meal a day (that too not properly)?

Thank you.

 

[lionrampant]

There are differing opinions on depression in relation to diabetes. It's fair to say that some people can't handle it and do get depressed. I don't know your g/f, so I can't say whether it's her own lack of control or feelings of dealing with it alone that are the root cause.

As for how common it is, again that's a bit of a disputed issue - there are some places that refer all newly diagnosed kids to a counsellor and then there are some people who think it's the exception rather than the rule - and you'd have ended up depressed anyway, just about something else.

You have to remember that diabetes is a very sexist illness - for guys, we just inject in our legs / arms / lower stomach / buttocks and be done with it. For a woman, that's hugely problematic - because the injection process does mark the skin - fairly noticeable bruises being a prime example. You can call that me being sexist all you want, but it's true. When was the last time you worried how your legs looked on a night out?

She cannot be "made" to eat properly. What needs to be done is for someone, perhaps you perhaps not, to help her tackles the underlying issue - be it her battle with diabetes, or whatever else in her life that makes her feel so despondent.

Not eating for a diabetic is pretty much as bad as not eating for a non-diabetic. You don't get the nutrients you need, you suffer more general ill health, and certainly start to lack energy. All of which makes something like depression worse.

Edt: And of course not eating could increase the chances of her going hypo - her background insulin will still be working away, even if she's not doing her "fast" injections at meal time.

I think the big question is this: Have you talked to her about it?

 

[sugar2]

Hi,

Well, I have been diabetic for 30+ years, and sometimes it gets me down, although I wouldn't say I get depressed...but everyone is different. Having someone who cares and takes an interest will certainly help her!

It is really difficult to answer your questions, all I can offer is my opinion...so here goes.

1. Do you think this could be cause of depression?
It could be, but she really needs one to one help to sort this out. Is she depressed...or is she p'eed off with it? I think most Type 1s crtainly get p'eed off at times.

2. Is this common among people with Type 1 Diabetes?
I don't know. I would say probably.

3. How many times a day should a diabetic person eat normally? 3 times a day?
Well, this is the same as for non diabetics. What is important for a diabetic is that she balances her food intake withe her insulin. Does she take her injection with her meal, and does she need to have another injection of long acting insulin. This may be gofficult for you to know, wothout directly asking her to be honest. Diabetics should have regular blood tests (HBA1Cs that give them an idea about how ther blood glucose is over a longer period of time. Diabeteswise, this si the thing that you have to watch. Obviously, she needs to eat a healthy diet.

4. Do you think she is not eating because she is undergoing some sort of depression due to having to inject multiple times a day?
How long has she been diabetic? It is possible, especially if she is newly diagnosed. I don't know what to suggest, apart from talking to her, and trying to find out. There are many different aspects that could be an issue. Pain, embarrassment, feeling diffesrent? Practical help, or sensitive encouragement from you might help, but it is difficult to say without knowing her.

5. Is there any way she can be made to eat properly?
Errr, no. Cooking her 3. mothwatering meals a day might help, but again, it might not! You are being a real star though for trying, and that alone is something that might help. Try not to nag her too much, gentle encouragement would be more effective. (Well, it wuld with me anyway!)

6. What side-effects / harms can she suffer from if she keeps on eating one meal a day (that too not properly)?
Again, diabetes wise, alot depends on how she is managing her blood sugar. Is she trying to lose weight? From a diabetic stand point, if her blood sugar is high, she can be doing a great deal of harm. To be honest, not eating properly is a problem for anybody. Like has been suggested above. Talking to her, sensitivly, is the best thing you can do. All the best of luck though. It could just be that this is nothing to do with being a diabtic though!

 

[hanadr]

Obviously, I don't know the paticular circumstances, but there are a few young people, who have been so brainwashed by images of skeletal "stars", that they want to look like them. It's quite easy for a T1 diabetic to lose weight, by not taking their insulin. However, I saw a case on TV of a young woman who did that and went blind quite quickly.
I think your G/F needs to talk to someone. Probably not a diabetes specialist of any kind, but maybe a psychiatric social worker or youth worker( if she's young). She needs to understand her self-distructive behaviour. I would say too beware of unqualified "counsellors"

 

[Rach79]

Hi sh1981 - ok so it seems she is associating eating with blood testing and injections which means it is a task for her. No diabetic enjoys testing blood sugars or injecting however it is vital in order to maintain normal glucose levels. Normal would be between 4mmol and 7mmol before eating and between 7mmol and 10mmol after eating. However it is often difficult to achieve this, sometimes eating too much can raise blood glucose which means a risk of complications so she could be scared of this or generally hate injecting and so eating becomes a chore. There are such a thing as needle free injections although I'm not sure how she would go about this. Tell her to consider this but also consider talking to the diabetic clinic about her concerns and they may help her through it or refer her to someone else to talk to depending on her wishes.

 

[Trinkwasser]

I was doomed from birth, one side of the family carries depression (mainly Atypical Depression, ie. predominantly physiological symptoms) and the other carries the diabetes.

One thing which was VERY noticeable was that rapid changes in BG set off major mood swings. It's not unlikely she's caught in a circular argument where the lack of regular food causes major BG swings which are causing major shifts in her neuroendocrines, which are worsening the depression symptoms. Quite how you break out of this cycle I don't know. In my case it was dropping the carbs to a level where my BG no longer swung wildly from high to low over a couple of hours. In her case closer tailoring of insulin to food may be the key. See if you can persuade her to monitor her BG regularly throughout a day and see if there's a correlation between BG and mood.

 

[Katharine]

Diabetes and depression is pretty common. It's great you are there to support her.

There are often psychologists attached to diabetes departments that can help.

Would she allow you to accompany her to her next diabetes clinic visit to ask about this?

Women with diabetes also have the added worry of getting through a pregnancy safely. There could be many unspoken fears she is suppressing.

Has she friends you could invite round for dinner? She may be more willing to eat in company and when she sees that her life can be more normal.