|
Health Connection
Dealing with diabetes, depression
By Sally Howard Bath Community Hospital
 | | Sally Howard |
|
A diabetes diagnosis can be an overwhelming, life-changing experience for you and your family. You learn that diabetes can be affectively managed, but you need to make lifestyle changes to delay or prevent serious complications caused by the disease. It's a challenge to make changes to your diet, start or increase your exercise routine, and test your blood sugar daily. You may feel pressure from your family and friends to make these changes and stick with them. You give up many of the foods you love. Your daily routine is sidelined by learning to manage your meal plan, medications, and make time for exercise. All this can cause feelings of anxiety and depression as you try and make your new lifestyle a habit.
But what if these feelings don't go away and you find it increasingly difficult to do everyday activities? What if fatigue and lack of enthusiasm causes you to withdraw from the things you like to do? Believe it or not, this is not an uncommon problem for people with diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes have a greater risk of depression. Unfortunately, many people suffering from depression and diabetes don't get the help they need, even though it can be successfully managed. You may not realize you are depressed because you may have been depressed prior to your diagnosis or you may not want anyone to know you are suffering from this debilitating disease. But it's important for your diabetes management and well being to seek help. Diabetes and depression can be a vicious cycle. The more depressed you feel, the least likely you will successfully manage your diabetes, which affects your blood sugar levels, causing you to feel bad.
Depression can be treated, and determining whether this is what's happening to you is the first step toward getting help.
Symptoms of depression:
¦ You are no longer interested in things you used to enjoy.
¦ Sleep pattern changes: you have trouble falling asleep, wake up in the middle of the night, or wake up earlier than usual, then can't get back to sleep, or you want to sleep more than usual.
¦ Change in appetite. ¦ Trouble concentrating. ¦ Loss of energy. ¦ Nervousness. ¦ Guilt. ¦ Morning sadness.
¦ Suicidal thoughts.
If you believe you are suffering from depression, first talk with your doctor to rule out any physical causes. If physical causes are not the issue, your doctor will refer you to a mental health specialist who can determine your course of treatment. Just like diabetes, depression can be managed. Getting help not only improves your quality of life, it also helps you better manage your diabetes - your energy level will increase and you will have a more hopeful outlook.
Sally Howard is a registered nurse and certified diabetic educator at Bath Community Hospital. She is available Friday afternoons, by appointment, to counsel individuals, free of charge.
For more information about diabetes and depression, call Howard at (540) 839-7000 or visit the American Diabetes Association website: www.diabetes.org.
Please note, information provided is not intended to take the place of your primary care provider's advice.
| 
