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Mental health may sit low on the list when you are managing diabetes. It shouldn't. How you think and feel, handle stress and make choices shapes how well you can stick to a care plan — and the connection runs both ways. Untreated mental health problems can make diabetes worse, and diabetes problems can make mental health worse. The good news is the reverse is also true: when one improves, the other tends to improve too.
Three conditions to know
| How common with diabetes | What helps | |
|---|---|---|
| Depression | 2 to 3 times as likely as for people without diabetes; only 25–50% of those affected are diagnosed and treated | therapy, medicine, or both — usually very effective; without treatment it often gets worse |
| Anxiety | 20% more likely than for people without diabetes | therapy usually works better than medicine, though both together sometimes work best |
| Diabetes distress | in any 18-month period, 33–50% of people with diabetes | not medicine — an endocrinologist, a counselor who specializes in chronic conditions, a diabetes educator, and one or two small goals at a time |
Depression
Depression is a medical illness, not just a bad mood. Its symptoms range from mild to severe: sadness or emptiness, loss of interest in favorite activities, eating too much or too little, sleeping too little or too much, trouble concentrating or deciding, exhaustion, feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious or guilty, aches, headaches, cramps or digestive problems, and thoughts of suicide or death. It can get in the way of diabetes care, which raises the risk of complications. If you think you might be depressed, contact your doctor right away; the earlier it is treated, the better for your life and your diabetes.
Stress and anxiety
Stress hormones can make blood sugar rise or fall unpredictably, and illness or injury can push it up. Long-term stress can cause or worsen other health problems. To ease stress and anxiety:
- get active — even a quick walk can calm you for hours;
- try relaxation exercises such as meditation or yoga;
- call or text a friend who understands you;
- take time for yourself, outside or with something fun to read;
- limit alcohol and caffeine, eat well and get enough sleep.
Anxiety can feel like low blood sugar and vice versa. If you feel anxious, check your blood sugar and treat it if it is low. If stress feels overwhelming, ask your doctor to refer you to a mental health counselor.
Diabetes distress
Feeling discouraged, worried, frustrated or simply worn out by daily diabetes care — often after years of doing well — is called diabetes distress. It can lead people to stop checking their blood sugar or skip appointments. It can look like depression or anxiety but does not respond to medicine; the approaches in the table above do help.
Talk to your care team
Your health care team knows diabetes is hard, but may not know how hard it is for you. If you are worried about your mental health, tell your doctor right away. Help is available.
Sources
Based on "Diabetes and Mental Health" from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licens: CC0 1.0 (allmän egendom) · Bearbetat efter www.cdc.gov
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