So lately, the past couple months but this past month especially i have been feeling really depressed. I am not sure if it is because of the fact that i havent been taking the best control over my diabetes or if it is due to other reasons. Does anyone else experience major depression due to diabetes?
About two months ago now, my boyfriend and i split up.... it has been extremely hard on me and i kind of let my diabetes go down the drain again because of this. With this i have been feeling very depressed. I am not sure if i am feeling this way because of my break up, because i let my diabetes go or because of both.
Anybody ese experience anything like this or have any ideas what it could be or any ways to help? I am sick of feeling this way. I know in time i will get over my break upo but its a hard one.. been together for awhile and its kinda over something dumb.. we tlk every day and idk if thats making it worse or what :/
First, I am sorry about you and your BF splitting up. I've been there before, just know it will get better with time.
From experience I have let my diabetes go before, and the more you ignore it, the more out of control and depressed you can feel. High blood sugars make you feel crappy, and it turns into a downward spiral from there really fast.
I suggest taking baby steps, that is the advice I got from many people when I was going through severe depression from my diabetes. If you can dedicate at least one time during the day when you will check your blood sugar, take a correction if needed for a few days and then add a second time, third time etc...slowly you will be able to get yourself back on a routine.
Of course I have no idea how you letting yourself go but, I am assuming that you are not checking, maybe not taking your insulin on time or at a meal?
Hi Amber - First, please know that you are not alone. Depression is one of the complications of living with type 1 diabetes. Here are some articles about the correlation between living with T1D and Depression: http://jdrf.org/?s=depression
It's hard to say, since I'm definitely not a medical professional, if you are depressed or not. I think it'd be worth a call to your endo's office (hoping you are seeing an endo, if not your drs. office). They might be able to get you in to talk to someone and/or refer you to a counselor. Don't be ashamed to need some help sorting through your emotions (let's face it - we deal with more than more people - ending a relationship is hard, ending a relationship with diabetes is just more difficult - you can't just not eat, you fall out of good habits of BG checking, etc. the snowball of feeling bad continues....). Anyway, talking to someone a couple of times to help you work through what you are feeling and helping you get back on track with diabetes management will only help you get back to a place you feel comfortable again.
These feelings are perfectly natural. In my experience, diabetes alone does not cause depression. Rather, diabetes is something that in conjunction with another negative event in your life can lead to depression. A break-up is a perfect example of this. I recall my first break-up... I completely lost my appetite for a few days, and naturally my diabetes suffered as a result. It is no surprise to me that this is the case for you, too. It is easy for me to say this from my perspective, but your health is your number one priority. By taking control of your diabetes again, you will feel more empowered and in control of your life, and this will help improve your state of mind. I cannot offer much advice in the way of your ex, as this is not a dating site, but I am sure you will find a way to work things out. Just remember: don't be a victim. You are in control. By taking action, and finding ways to occupy your mind, you will automatically feel better.
Amber, when our glucose levels go up and down as they do for all of us, brain chemicals can change also. Hormones, glucose changes, and LIFE can all put one into a depression. I personally have found that my emotions are cheeriest when my glucose levels are perfectly in target range, so it may help you to start working on that. Just focus on the next few hours -- do what you can to normalize glucose within the next 3 hours. Then you look afresh, test and do what is necessary to normalize within the NEXT 3 hours. Do it one step at a time, and you may feel better. We can't help what iife brings us, but we can do the work to adjust our glucose levels, and this helps us better cope with life's ups and downs. I know for sure that I FEEL best when my levels are as normal as possible. So test more often and adjust. It may help you.
Thank you everyone for your input and advice! I appreciate it soooo much and it helps knowing i have others like you all to help me! I am going to take babysteps and work my hardest to getting back on track and staying in track. It is for my own good :)
Hello! I have battled break ups and depression in the past! First bad break up felt like my life was over! Lost a bunch of weight from just not eating a whole lot. But you will get through it! It just takes time. I am not sure if diabetes can cause depression, but I am sure it must be a big factor. I have struggled with depression/anxiety (anxiety is depression's BFF..lol) for a while. Been on meds before and it helped a whole lot. Could probably still benefit from meds but me and hubby want a baby so trying not to be on much right now. :)