The challenges of type 2 diabetes can be frustrating. But if feeling overwhelmed turns into depression, getting help is a must
By Marijke Vroomen-Durning, RN
Medically Reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH
Chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, may cause more than physical problems. Dealing with a disease like type 2 diabetes means constantly being aware of what you eat, what you do, and how you live. And adjusting to life with diabetes does take effort. Yet even after you’ve adjusted, there may be times when the stress of a daily illness just gets you down.
Most people feel blue from time to time. But depression isn’t just feeling sad or blue. Depression is a serious disorder that interferes with your life. If depression symptoms become severe, they may make it difficult to function well and manage daily activities like going to school or work, meeting family obligations, and monitoring your blood glucose.
Depression and Diabetes: Who Is Affected
According to statistics, depression affects people with diabetes more often than people without it — up to 15 percent compared with 6.7 percent in the general population. When depression occurs along with a chronic illness like type 2 diabetes, the symptoms tend to hit harder and be more severe. Compounding the problem further, the symptoms of the chronic illness can become worse if depression leads you to miss medication doses, overeat, or skip exercise. This could set off a downward cycle. For people with diabetes, this may mean poorer blood glucose control, which, in turn, means more long-term health complications.
Researchers aren’t entirely clear on the relationship between diabetes and depression — is depression caused by diabetes, or do people who are already prone to developing depression experience it more severely if they also have type 2 diabetes? Whatever the connection, both illnesses need to be treated.
The good news is that both depression and type 2 diabetes can improve when treated simultaneously. A recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine found that of 180 patients who received primary care for both conditions, nearly 36 percent showed improvements in blood sugar, and 31 percent experienced fewer depression symptoms.
Depression and Diabetes: Know the Symptoms
How do you know if you’re depressed? If even just a few of these symptoms describe how you are feeling, talk to your doctor or diabetes nurse:
There is help available for depression. Sometimes, the only treatment needed is psychotherapy, also called talk therapy. Ask your diabetes doctor for a referral to a therapist who works with people who have type 2 diabetes or other chronic illnesses and can give you positive suggestions to keep from being overwhelmed by the challenges of caring for yourself.
Medication may be helpful if counselling alone isn’t effective enough. A psychiatrist is the only mental health practitioner who can prescribe drugs and treat you with therapy as well. Make sure that the doctor prescribing the medication knows that you have type 2 diabetes and has a list of all medications you’re already taking. Avoid self-treatment with over-the-counter, “natural” products or supplements for depression unless you’ve checked with your diabetes team first.
Sometimes, all that’s needed is a bit of help and understanding. If your physical problems are triggering the depression, you need to get your blood sugar under control and take charge of your life to minimize the effects of diabetes on your depression. And when needed, medical assistance may be helpful in getting you back on track, enjoying life, and doing the things you love.
How do you know if you’re depressed? If even just a few of these symptoms describe how you are feeling, talk to your doctor or diabetes nurse:
- Feeling hopeless, helpless, worthless, empty, sad
- Being irritable or restless
- Unable or unwilling to work on hobbies or outside interests that you used to enjoy
- Unable to perform sexually
- Insomnia, fatigue, or excessive sleepiness
- Inability to concentrate or make decisions
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- Physical symptoms like pain, cramps, and headaches
- Thoughts of or attempts at suicide
There is help available for depression. Sometimes, the only treatment needed is psychotherapy, also called talk therapy. Ask your diabetes doctor for a referral to a therapist who works with people who have type 2 diabetes or other chronic illnesses and can give you positive suggestions to keep from being overwhelmed by the challenges of caring for yourself.
Medication may be helpful if counselling alone isn’t effective enough. A psychiatrist is the only mental health practitioner who can prescribe drugs and treat you with therapy as well. Make sure that the doctor prescribing the medication knows that you have type 2 diabetes and has a list of all medications you’re already taking. Avoid self-treatment with over-the-counter, “natural” products or supplements for depression unless you’ve checked with your diabetes team first.
Sometimes, all that’s needed is a bit of help and understanding. If your physical problems are triggering the depression, you need to get your blood sugar under control and take charge of your life to minimize the effects of diabetes on your depression. And when needed, medical assistance may be helpful in getting you back on track, enjoying life, and doing the things you love.
https://community.diabetes.org/discuss/viewtopic/3/13387?post_id=141394
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