Mental Health in Diabetes

Diabetes can cause depression, anxiety, and stress, and some of these conditions can exacerbate diabetes as well. There is a kind of vicious cycle relationship between diabetes and mental health.

News that you or your child has diabetes can be traumatic. Many people have incomplete knowledge about how well diabetes can be managed. Even those who are well informed, baulk at the prospects of having to forego their favorite sweets and fried foods. There is no cure as yet for diabetes, so it is natural to feel depressed on knowing that you or someone you have has the condition.

The complications of diabetes for the heart, kidney, eyes, and feet can cause anxiety. Indeed, there is good reason to worry if you cheat on your prescribed diet, do not set aside time for exercise routines, or forget to take medicines.

Prescriptions for diabetes management are detailed, and it can be quite a chore to follow them as part of routine life. Stress pushes your blood glucose up, and there could be aspects of your life unrelated to diabetes, which build up stress inside you.

Some people feel depressed, anxious, or stressed out at the financial implications of diabetes. Children and their immediate families, often also need help to cope with a chronic illness so early in life.

A cheerful and normal state of mind is a part of managing diabetes.

Your physician can counsel you on how to manage depression, anxiety, and stress. He or she can also refer you to a psychiatrist for more focused treatment of your mental condition.

Please leave a post here or send me an email if you would like information related to the links between diabetes and mental wellness.