Type 1 Parent concerns

CazC

Newbie
Messages
2
Hi. I am new to forum and unlike many parents who post here my child is no longer a child but a grown adult. Despite this my worries about her are greater than ever since she moved out. She is struggling with depression caused by the everyday struggle with type1 diabetes and now I feel totally helpless not being close by her. I try to support and encourage her but I feel being her mum is no longer enough. My heart aches every time I hear she is feeling so low and at times suicidal. I have informed the GP and referred her to therapy. Don't know where to turn next. Anyone out there also facing something similar or have any advice?
 

urbanracer

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
5,186
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Hi and welcome to the forums.

Sounds like your daughter is not in a good place and it's not uncommon for T1's. Are her glucose levels high, it can affect moods which can then lead to a downward spiral.

The nice people over in the blue corner run diabetes support groups around the country. If you can find one in your area and can persuade your daughter to go it may help.

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/In_Your_Area

Good luck, hope you resolve this soon.
 

kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,783
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
black jelly beans
Hi @CazC, as parents children never really leave the nest from our heart's point of view.

Firstly to say that letting her GP know of your daughter's troubles is a brave move, one that i imagine you did not make lightly but necessary when you may have felt your daughter was struggling. You can be reassurred that you did what you thought best.

Your Diabetes Association may know of parent support groups, you have this forum/ site and you yoursef may wish to consider counselling to help talk through your worries.

Diabetes and depression can be unfortunate companions and one can exacerbate the other.
It is important that you do not attach blame to yourself for either appearing in your daughter.

For your daughter the working together with her of her diabetes nurse, endocrinologist, counsellor/psychiatrist will be important.

Even things to do with your daughter's diet may be of help to her.
See psychlogytoday.com/blog/diagnosis-diet and any youtube presentations by Dr Ede like 'The Brain Needs Meat'.

Best Wishes and please keep posting.:):):)
 

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi. I am new to forum and unlike many parents who post here my child is no longer a child but a grown adult. Despite this my worries about her are greater than ever since she moved out. She is struggling with depression caused by the everyday struggle with type1 diabetes and now I feel totally helpless not being close by her. I try to support and encourage her but I feel being her mum is no longer enough. My heart aches every time I hear she is feeling so low and at times suicidal. I have informed the GP and referred her to therapy. Don't know where to turn next. Anyone out there also facing something similar or have any advice?

Hi there Caz. I'm sorry neither you nor your daughter sound to be in a good place.

When did your daughter move out, and does she live alone, or with a partner of housemates? Does your daughter communicate her mental state with you, or are you concluding from various comments or other clues she gives you?

One way or another, any big change, like moving out, can take time to settle, even without T1 in play. I can recall moving away from home, to work abroad and a few weeks into it all, sitting, in work, in a foreign country, knowing very few people, aside from colleagues who were very much older than I, thinking, "what on earth have I done?" Those feelings very much changed in the weeks and months that followed. I just needed time to adjust, and work out my new routines and begin to build a new network.

I'm not suggesting that's the case for your daughter. I couldn't possibly know, but I do think it's maybe something to consider., in the mix.

Successful parenting is about bringing up young people, who go on to being independent adults. It looks like you've done a good job there. There's no doubt that your daughter's T1 brings extra factors into the mix for you both, but working with her to build her independence is the way forward.

In addition to @urbanracer 's link to potential groups in your areas, Diabete UK also has a helpline, where you can talk to someone: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/helpline They may have other ideas for sources of support.