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UPDATE: Newly diagnosed type 2 with Depression

Maggie/Magpie

Well-Known Member
Messages
279
Location
Isle of Wight, U.K
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Butternut Squash, Cabbage and confrontation.
Hi All,
I had my HBA1C results back today.
After 3 months eating Low Carb High Fat I've gone from 53 to 40.
I've lost 1 stone 9 lbs in weight and my blood sugars each day range from 5.5 -7 mmols.
I know I should be delighted but some how can't feel like that as still depressed (as usual). Does any one know of a miracle cure for depression? If so I'd like to try it.
Maggie
 
I can't comment on the depression issue, but I would be dancing on tables in your position. VERY WELL DONE.
 

remember that depression lies to us. It seems to draw negative thoughts into our heads in a way that is very hard to ignore. Knowing that the thoughts are lies helps me. And I think of if a limb was paralysed, I wouldnt expect to feel it, even though it is there and in apparent working order. Depression does that to our emotions. We sort of know wht we should expect to feel, and then beat ourselves up for not feeling it, and feel like we are failing at being a person too.

I dont have any answers, but recognising it is "just" depression talking, and the real you is still under the negative voice may help perhaps? sending hugs, if thats OK.

You may not feel proud and delighted, but intellectually can you acknowledge that I think you are amazing and a star and done BRILLIANTLY!!!!
 
Hello Maggie,
I hope you are feeling better. I've been there and understand something of your situation. My route out was linked to Thyroid, and getting the levels of thyroxin balanced.
Also I found it helped to 'think about what I have been thinking about' running up to the dip in mood. I then thought about something else!! Sounds simple, almost silly, but it works. Gather everything positive and good in your life around you, pictures of happy times etc.. focus on the positives when the negative mind set tries to creep up on you again.
Also make a list of all the good things about you, if you find that difficult ask your friends to tell you your good points, write them on mini stick it notes and put them around your mirror or fridge, whichever you go to most, and say them out loud every morning. Gradually you will start to absorb what you have been saying out loud, and when the negative mind set hits again you can challenge it from the list of good things! Get well soon
Hope this helps a little.
 
@Maggie/Magpie

Depression is horrible!!! Have you spoken to your doctor about this? It could be you would find help with some councelling, CBT or medication. It's certainly well worth seeking help if you often/always feel so depressed. As you know, and has already been mentioned by @LAR, there are various strategies that might help you begin to think/feel more positively.

Another thought is that might your depression be linked with winter time? It's not unusual for people to feel so low over winter and often a particular lamp is very helpful to relieve depression (check out SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) on internet, perhaps)

To my mind, it's not worth just struggling on. Please seek help and hopefully you will be enjoying life again soon.
I hope you will be feeling brighter very son
 
Thank you all for your congratulations and kind thoughts.
I've been a diagnosed depressive for 12 years now, I'm what they call medication resistant, so I do get help, but nothing seems to do much.
I'm under going psychological therapies at the moment, only 3 weeks in but on a 4 week break due to xmas and hols of psychologist. The psychologist is aiming to sort both my depression and my PTSD. Still plodding on but trying not to give up on it all before we properly get started. My emotions is one thing I don't seem to be able to control. I do react badly to external stresses so diabetes was a hard pill to take. But I found it was something I could control as it was a physical problem -does that make sense?
I will try to put some of your ideas into place. So thank you all for your suggestions.
 
I found some help with a book by Joyce Meyer- Managing your emotions. She has a web site with lots of resources, some may be of help. She struggled because of serious abuse in her childhood, and she writes from experience. Her CD's als helped me when the negatives became too hard to handle, as I would think about the CD and not what was going on in my head. I do hope you can get better, I'm proof you can
 
Well done on your results although from what you say your success has not hit home with you because of your depression. Having suffered depression myself I think that the counselling could, in time, guide you to look at your situation from a different perspective rather than spiraling into negative thought patterns. Have you thought of taking a course in mindfulness? Mindfulness helps you to focus on the here and now rather than dwelling on the past or fearing the future. There is an excellent free course on the futurelearn website https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/mindfulness-wellbeing-performance which helps you to combat negative thought cycles.
I wish you all the best and hope that the counselling helps you.
 
Hey, Maggie/Magpie, you have a lot to feel proud of but, as a fellow depressive, I can appreciate this may sound trite to you even if it is the truth. Depression has an insidious way of spoiling things for us and kicking us down just when we're trying to get up.

Although you're doing a grand job of controlling your diabetes, you may still be unhappy that you have a condition to control in tandem with the depression. Do you think that may partly be the case?

This is also a crummy time of year to be depressed. Until your psychologist gets back from holiday, be very kind and gentle with yourself. We're all here any time you're struggling and to help you celebrate the good stuff - and your latest results are good stuff! Hugs xxx
 

Thank you LAR. I will have a look at the website and the resources available and see if I can find something to help.
Maggie
 

Thanks JuliaAR for the suggestion, I have done some mindfulness during taking Emotional Coping Skills. It helped for a bit whilst doing the course but my memory's really bad and within a couple of weeks I'd forgotten it all. I guess its one of those things you have to keep doing.
I will have a look at the course you have suggested and see if its something I think I could do on my own. I guess refreshing the principles can only help, its just getting the motivation to do it in the first place.
Thanks again
Maggie
 

Thank you Tabbyjoolz for being very understanding. Your right there is a part of me that is struggling still with having to control the diabetes along side the depression but diabetes is a physical problem, one I can see through my blood glucose monitoring so it easier to manage than the depression as its tangible if that makes sense? I don't seem to have a lot of control over the depression it's just always there like a black shadow over me taking over. I'm hoping by dealing with the deep rooted problems under lying it with the psychologist I will be able to take back some control again and get a little bit of me back. Maybe I'm expecting too much? I have tried psychology twice before and not got anywhere they just discharged me from their services saying they couldn't hear me or I wasn't ready. This time feels right somehow so were see how it goes. The psychologist I've got though appears very young either than that I'm just getting old. I'm hoping it will be an advantage rather than a disadvantage!
Anyway thank you for your support it's appreciated
Maggie
 
There are many different causes of depression, so I am not going to pretend that I know the 'cure' to yours.

But, for me, it was Vitamin D deficiency. A few weeks after starting to take Vit D3 and Vit K2 as a combo, my mood lifted and has stayed up. A number of other physical things improved too.

Might be worth getting tested (I paid to get it done privately for £28), if only to eliminate it as a possibility.

This explains the link between vit D and our emotional state.
http://universityhealthnews.com/dai...ency-symptoms-that-you-can-identify-yourself/
 
Hi Maggie,
There is a website called Smiling Mind which gives you access to meditation downloads which could help you to relax.
https://smilingmind.com.au/
It is free to join and then you can access all the programmes on the site.
The course is very well constructed and I found my fellow learners and mentors very supportive. Perhaps this will help with motivation.
I wish you the best.
 
Sounds daft but I find a few hours a week on a bike helps.
 
Hi @Maggie/Magpie , depression really is a horrible, awful illness. Really well done for getting the diabetes beast under control so beautifully when you are feeling so low - how strong you are!

Something that helps me sometimes is *doing* something - usually something small, like making a cup of tea, even though all you feel like doing is getting into bed and never waking up again. My former psychologist had something she called the 'seven minute rule' - do something for seven minutes, and if after seven minutes you still don't feel like doing anything you can stop, but you often find that once you've actually got over the thought of doing something it's a bit better. I like to do something 'mindless', like making a cup of tea or doing a bit of jigsaw puzzle/colouring book. It's certainly not a miracle cure, and it doesn't always work, but it's something, and sometimes that something is enough.

You aren't alone, sending you virtual hugs *hugs*. I know I'm just a stranger on the Internet, but if there is anything I can do to help, even if it is just someone to listen, please feel free to let me know
 

Hi!

That HB1AC looks brillinat!! Good work on the weight loss as well! X
 
Hi @Maggie/Magpie Well done on getting such great results while coping with depression. I don't think I would be able to control my eating and alcohol intake when I am in depression. It's difficult if you are medication resistant, I find the only thing that can control my depression is medication.
But small things can make a difference, I find getting out for a walk helps - exercise produves 'feel good' endorphins. Getting some sunshine is good. Even if it is freezing cold I can sit in the park well wrapped up for up to an hour if the sun is shining.
I don't have a garden, but I used to look after an in-law's garden and I found gardening took my mind out of the depression.
 

Hiya @EllsKBells,
Your name and image reminds me of my youngest daughter Ellie, some how EllsBells has always been an endearing term I use for her, when young we also used the image of an elephant in association with her, she's grown out of it now of course. She lives in London now and I miss her and her sister (in New Zealand) so much.

You may only be on the internet, but its good to know there's someone out there to talk to who understands what all of this is like, so thank you and everyone for being there I do appreciate it.

Maggie
 
Hi All,
On top of every thing else I have to struggle with I've now been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. I know realistically it only means another pill to take and it may improve how I've been feeling recently but it feels like another kick in the teeth and yet another thing to try and cope with. Feeling very dispondent about it!
Also been temporarily been taken off metformin as fluctuating between constipation and diarrhea GP wants to rule out the metformin as the cause. Been off it for around 10 days now still suffering the same complaint. Blood sugars has risen and no longer loosing weight. So all in all rather disappointed and upset over it all. I guess its because diabetes wise I'd managed to take control of the situation. Now feeling totally out of control and generally depressed about the situation.
In need of some support, thanks.
Maggie
 
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