Hello,
I am 22 and I just got diagnosed with type 1 in early January. The first couple months I was doing well with coping and my diet and exercise and feeling pretty good. The last week or two I’ve been feeling some depression and anxiety and odd feelings of cloudiness and slight pains in my head more occasionally and a pressure in the back of my head and ear occasionally. My numbers are pretty good, not many highs or lows because of pretty good diet and my recent Dexcom has helped and my endocrinologist and diabetic educator says she never sees this many consistent good numbers. Is this normal? I was also told i have a slightly fatty liver and TMJ so it could be related to these things but I am unsure. I have cut out my marijuana usage completely and my alcohol usage almost entirety and now to be completely as they make me feel hazy or heavy and generally not very good anymore. I am constantly afraid that I might have something else wrong with me. I am also constantly being told to breath and calm down its probably nothing and that helps in the short term but I cant help but worry after awhile. And with all the covid-19 concerns going around and me being in Washington where it seems to be pretty bad i don’t feel comfortable going to a doctor and risking my life for what could be nothing, but I’m afraid it could be something like brain cancer or MS and finding this earlier rather then later could save my life. I have always tried to be optimist but in these trying times it just is hard. Any insight would really give me some peace of mind.
@Ben115 Hi Benjamin, welcome to T1N and our forum.
Depression comes with the deal. Look at it this way - you’ve been diagnosed with a life changing chronic illness. This is a disease which is unpleasant and painful to deal with, one where the only reward for doing a great job is an hour of “feeling normal” and from no on, you have to monitor and do math on every single thing you eat and every single time you move. To say it sucks is a gross understatement. This trauma will cause anger, grief, and a host of new feelings as you begin to accept the new deal.
totally great blood sugars for the first month - to - six months is very common. Some idiot labeled this time as “honeymoon”. It is very possible your body will continue to make insulin for up to a year.
Anxiety as a result of trauma (also know an post traumatic stress) is very common. You have been through a lot. It took me over 20 years to reach acceptance, during this time I fought with anxiety and depression, and did a lot of damage to myself and my self-esteem…
you are talking about it. that’s actually a great thing. Keep talking about it.
Consider talking to a therapist, if you can, to deal with the grief and anxiety. I find adding exercise is a huge help.
You likely do not have a brain tumor… but if you have symptoms most doctors are facetiming now as the first step. BTW, you can’t just listen to me I fix stuff for a living, but I’ve been type 1 for over 40 years and I have bitter and vivid memories of when I was diagnosed.
Hey,
I have to say after reading some posts and writing out what I’ve been feeling in the post here and getting all out in words, I feel a lot better. Being able to let it out and understand its okay for me to feel 100% all the time was instantly relieving. I honestly don’t even really feel that pressure in my head anymore. I didn’t think I’d be the type of person to get anything out of this which is silly. Everyone needs some help sometimes, so I thank you for yours Joe. Good wishes to you and yours. I will be using this resource a lot more.
Hi @Ben115. I used to get frequent headaches - I saw a number of different specialists but nothing they suggested seemed to work, so I simply treated the symptoms with aspirin. I was in college at the time, and went to a new dentist when I graduated - they asked me if I ground my teeth in my sleep but being a very sound sleeper I had no idea. The dentist asked if I woke up with headaches and I said “Yes - every day!” He fit me with a bite guard and problem solved. TMJ and teeth grinding may not be the same thing but trying a bite guard might help. I’ve even found teeth whitening trays helped me a bit when I used them (may not be typical but I thought I’d throw that in).
I’ve had telephone appointments with a couple of my docs. It’s not ideal but in the current situation they may be able to give you some peace of mind.
Oh friend… so sorry. If/when you decide you need to act on this I have 2 thoughts- one is seeing a therapist. PTSD is real and EMDR is a great therapy (non-medicated) for unwinding the body’s response to past situations and events. It takes 4-6 visits minimum but could help you a lot. Also this honestly sounds like classic anxiety and/or depression. I hope you would not be afraid to try a low dose anti depressant. Chemicals/hormones can be off that affect emotions just like any other Illness. Baby steps toward medication can be supplements like GABA or serotonin supporting products. Just know there is hope and help and you are not alone in feeling overwhelmed with this. So glad posting helped a little.
To Lisa and Dorie,
I really appreciate the input y’all. I’ve taking steps to relive my stress like meditation and just keeping my mind and body busy and thinking about looking for some therapy options when all of this blows over. Again really appreciate the help.
From, Benjamin
Glad to help - or at least try. It’s very tempting to jump to worst case scenarios, perhaps especially because you’re newly diagnosed and have a lot to learn and take in. I’m not saying it’s all in your head, but managing stress can be helpful with medical conditions and life in general - especially now. So keep up with your meditation and whatever helps keep you can and centered, at least relatively speaking. You might find deep breathing exercises help too. There’s a Bible verse that tells us “A merry heart is good, like medicine,” and science confirms this. So in spite of what’s going on right now - even better, because of it - be intentional about bringing joy into your life every day, whether it be by reaching out to a friend, watching funny movies, or (one of my favorites) reading some really corny jokes.
And if your insurance card has the number to a nurse help line, use it if you feel you need to. They can give you some guidance and hopefully help put your mind at ease. I pray for people who have a need, even if I don’t know them, so I’ll be praying for you. Keep us posted on how you’re doing - there’s a big community here.
Do tour self a favor and repeat
After me. Mindset is the first thing I need to conquer to amicably live with diabetes. Remove all
The negative thoughts. It’s a nasty spiral and will not help. Mind your thoughts. Every time you have one ask is that
Serving me. ? If
The answer is no. Then ask what
Would
Serve me and get lost in whatever your mind creates as the positive. I’m T1D 30 years. And I promise
you there are no limits. Except
The ones we create. Read bring out the magic in your mind. Cool quick read :)! If you need more. Write to me
Hi. I have had t1d for 50 years yayyyy. I also happen to have 2 nursing degrees… there is an excellent book by Dr. Kuebler Ross about the stages of grief. It applies to most life situations getting you to acceptance of your situation. It took me about 35 years to really accept my t1d. Someone mentioned EMDRtherapy. I used it after my parents passed and my hubs divorced me. It saved me and started me on the road to acceptance. There is an excellent book written by the architect of emdr. I have been using the techniques for 20 years. Hugs and love for your courage and bravery…
