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Underestimated

J

jfyie123

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I was just wondering whether im the only person who underestimated the mental effect diabetes has on you? I hope I don't sound over dramatic but I just feel a weaker person than those around me? Maybe its just me

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Re: Underestimated

Diabetes can be mentally draining as we have a lot to contend with on top of all the other stresses and strains that life throws at us, that said I can't say I've ever felt a weaker person for having the condition over those that don't.
 
Re: Underestimated

Certainly not alone there. I breezed through for about 13 years and then things really took a turn for the worse. I'm afraid diabetes can have a dramatic affect on some people's life and that's why it's important to talk about things if you can. Not so long ago I would have scoffed at the thought of me having to see a behaviour therapist for anxiety - now I'm on a (long) waiting list but realise I need some help coping. I hope you have a good network of friends and family that you can turn to and a diabetes team that will help and listen. Don't bottle things up. I do remind myself day to day that things could be a lot worse and that gives me the kick start I need until the next 'crisis'. All the best. :thumbup:
 
Re: Underestimated

Ditto, it never goes away, and you wonder what you could have dome differently. As a not overweight diabetic, the only thing was I became vegetarian for 6 yrs. Now back to eating a little meat and fish.
 
Re: Underestimated

yea iam having a few problems at the minute, not sure if ive always been a pessimistic or whatever. What I do know years back in my teens etc I had good control had a few hypos along the way but just ate regular never seemed to bother me just got on with it, some people good control or not can get abit stressed for me personally ive got abit fed up now. Have a house wife kids and a new boy on the way so should be happy as owt but still have this depression type thing god knows what. Its not just about getting a good HBA1c I just want to feel well its more than annoying. Constantly feel sickly tight stomach type of thing no energy.. but even if you do get good blood sugars and feel well it can still be a gruelling task everyday for some diabetics. Anxiety is through the roof for some reason but iam not sure if its mental burn out or feeling **** poor control etc over along period that causes it. been like it for some years just plodding along day by day... lol 32 sounds like my life is already over but that's how I personally feel is this the best its gona get waiting for problems to occur crazy I know. I get fed up then have a drink sometimes abit excessive but it makes me feel abit better more relaxed but when I over do it makes me feel more **** the next couple days vicious circle. Ive felt guilty because I should be grateful theres a lot worse off than yourselfs but it dosent work like that, if ya minds not in it you can struggle doing the basic things in life, even walking and going into shops sends my adrenalin all over the place and walked out many times, funny enough after couple beers I can do almost anything once the nerves settle down, the brains a funny thing can make you a shell of a person. This is dramatic but like to be honest gave myself a prep talking to my self and thought lam not carrying on like this any more...I thought do I actually want to live or not sorry that's how it had got my thinking...ive been drifting for years and it took me less than a second to say yes of course I do, and not only that to do something about it, sounds abit blunt but so many people go into limbo land want to change but don't know how, so ive recently decided to book myself into a course thing ive got no expectations but iam going to try everything that's out there to improve my mental health and be more positive....ive realised doing anything in life quit smoking drinking eating healty and doing things in life your head needs to be in the right place and focused other wise if not basic tasks can become a problem. Sorry for long rant but not been on for a while, il keep ya posted on my first therapy session this Tuesday and iam actually looking forward to it. Take care folks :thumbup:
 
Re: Underestimated

I'm sure non diabetics don't realise how hard a struggle it is to keep your BS stable. Even my family say to me "you'll be ok" when I stress about having high/low levels. I tend not to talk about it too much as I feel that I'm becoming a bore :(


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Re: Underestimated

There is so much to think about with diabetes plus the worries about complications that it is only natural to become quite low and/or depressed about it. I have been on antidepressants for years and I'm sure a lot of it is down to diabetes. There is a history of depression in my family which doesn't help! I had never heard of diabetes burnout before joining this forum but everything I've researched on it has made sense of so many things that I feel. The constant constant constant facts and feelings of diabetes added to the other pressures and stresses of life sometimes make me silently scream ENOUGH. I bought a book a while back called "Flourishing" written by a psychologist which draws on scientific studies on happiness and why some people are more resilient than others and started but didn't finish it. Recently I've had at it again and it is a real eye opener on how much of our thinking creates our reality. The problem with diabetes is that it takes up a huge amount of our thoughts and mind but if we spend more time focused on the positives of our lives and count our blessings daily we can balance out the worries and frustrations. I understand the feeling weaker aspect. Carrying a heavy burden wears us down whether it's physical mental or emotional.

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Re: Underestimated

Its a weird one for me, I think ive always been a deep thinker anyway, want to change the world for the better lol. Think my depression anxiety is partly due to my diabetes but also because I **** think to much ha ha. For some reason I refuse point blank anti depressants or any tablets for that matter I might take a parecetomol every now and then if iam really bad. Its weird I wont take a tablet but quite happy to have a few beers and sometimes feel abit better bit contradictive I spose. To me tablets is a last resort in my mind there is a million and one things I could try before taking medication, I want to be able stop getting stressed anxiety and iam sure the brain is a key part of it. So ive decided to start embracing the things out there that maybe help. Having an assessment tomorrow at a phycological place see if they can put me on some type off course, I think ive always been like it, but years ago I was quite happy just plodding along being settled in my own life, but ive got to the stage I want to do more things and realise if I struggle with anxiety walking into shops etc iam certainly not going to achieve anything I want, so I put myself forward to this and il try giving it my best shot, if this doesn't work il try something else il become I Buddhist monk if I have to ha ha. But iam thinking at least iam trying to do something and that alone makes me feel better instead of waiting for things to change. But I think society in general puts a lot of pressure on people to adding to more stress, do we actually need more or should we be happy with less, ive seen a lot of people that are very happy on the very basics in life so maybe I just need to change my perspection. :thumbup:
 
Re: Underestimated

I'm so glad to hear that you are going to talk tp someone aboit how you are feeling. Your post put me in mind of two quotes.
"When you are in your own mind you are in enemy territory" (!)

"The secret to happiness is to keep the gap between what you have and what you want as short as possible"

Good luck on your mission to have a bigger life for yourself. I know that with the right help you can overcome your anxiety. You seem to have a fighting attitude to this so you are already part of the way there

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