AskNadia: Giving Up on My Diabetes
Dear Nadia,
I have a difficult time managing my type 2 diabetes. Sometimes I just want to give up.
Donna
Colorado
Dear Donna,
The Lancet, a medical journal reports that people with diabetes are twice more likely to suffer from depression.
If you feel like you want to “give up,” you could be experiencing depression. The symptoms of depression and hyperglycemia are similar which is why you want to speak to a healthcare professional to sort out which if not both are affecting you.
Depression
If you suffered from depression before your diabetes diagnosis, your depression could be the cause of your Type 2 diabetes. Several renown medical journals state that there is a link between being depressed first and later getting a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. They do not know why but there seems to be a relationship between the two.
The stress of managing your diabetes can also make you depressed while high blood sugar can make you sad. Feeling sad is not the optimal mental state to be in when managing diabetes.
If you have both diabetes and depression, there are lots of medications that can help you get in gear. The one thing you do not want to do is to ignore your diabetes or the reason why it is overwhelming you.
Diabetes Burnout
Diabetes burnout is anther condition that makes people “want to give up”. It is different from depression.
Diabetes Burnout is when you know what you need to do and are tired of doing it. The constant care of testing your blood sugar, watching your diet, medication, and exercise to achieve your targeted blood sugar can be exhausting. If this is, in fact, is what you are feeling, then speak to your healthcare professional about what blood sugar range is more realistic for you given how you are feeling today.
How to Get Out of a Slump
Don’t give up. The desire to give up is all part of the learning process on how to manage your diabetes. There is no failure when it comes to diabetes management. It is all a learning process. Once you gain tools from your healthcare professional or other people living with diabetes, you will learn how to cope and move forward when feeling unmotivated.
Think of something that you thought you could never learn and how you over came that feeling. It is important to recognize that “wanting to give up” is a feeling that will come and go over the years.
You do not want to ignore your diabetes or the feeling that is affecting your inability to manage your disease.
I recommend reading diabeteshealth.com articles and viewing youtube videos that keep you inspired.
One of my all-time favorite youtube videos is Nick Vujicic. An Austrian man born in 1982 without arms and legs. He has become a world sensation because his talks about overcoming hopelessness.
You be the judge of Nick Vujicic inspiring talk .
diabeteshealth.com also has many informative articles you will enjoy reading about depression and diabetes burnout.
Source:
Mayo Clinic
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Disclaimer:
Nadia’s feedback on your question is in no way intended to initiate or replace your healthcare professionals therapy or advice. Please check in with your medical team to discuss your diabetes management concerns.
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About Nadia:
Nadia was not only born into a family with diabetes but also married into one. She was propelled at a young age into “caretaker mode,” and with her knowledge of the scarcity of resources, support, and understanding for people with diabetes, co-founded Diabetes Interview now Diabetes Health magazine.
Nadia holds 11 nominations for her work as a diabetes advocate.
Her passion for working in the diabetes community stemmed from her personal loss. She has used her experience as a caretaker to forge a career in helping others.
For 25 years, Diabetes Health contributes free copies of the magazine to healthcare professionals and pharmacies that use the publication as an educational resource for patients living with diabetes.
