Your Emotions and Diabetes

Is depression more common among people with diabetes? Most studies find that depression is more common, that it recurs more frequently, and that it lasts longer among people with diabetes than in the general population. Whether you believe this applies to you probably depends on whether you think "depression" is having the occasional "blues" or if you use the more clinical definition of chronic feelings of hopelessness. Everybody, diabetes or no diabetes, goes through periods of feeling down, along with low energy and not caring to be involved in things going on around them. Depression is serious when these feelings go on for long periods or are interfering with your quality of life or your ability to care for your diabetes.

Erratic blood glucose levels can also cause some of these feelings. Having high blood glucose for a long stretch brings on fatigue and sleepiness. It can sap your energy and keep you from getting involved with activities. It can be hard to tell if you are feeling depressed or feeling bad because your blood glucose is high. So in addition to the fact that having to deal with diabetes day in and day out can give you the blues, high blood glucose levels can add to the blues. It can become a vicious cycle.

The only way to stop it is to seek help.

Can diabetes affect my sense of self-worth? Having a chronic disease like diabetes can make it harder to feel good about yourself. You may feel "damaged," just because of diabetes. Being different can make the teenage years even more painful than usual.

How you feel about yourself can affect how you care for your diabetes. Do you believe you deserve to spend the time, effort, and money it takes to care for your diabetes? How do you show yourself respect? If you do it by making choices, others will respect your needs, too. If you need to check your blood glucose right now, do it. Don't be worried about asking others to wait for you while you check.

Can stress affect blood glucose control? Yes. Stress affects your body's hormone balance. Your body produces powerful hormones in response to a difficult or "fight or flight" situation.

These hormones get your body ready for quick action by breaking down stored forms of glucose into blood glucose. This sends your blood glucose levels up. If you have type 1 diabetes, you probably don't have enough insulin on board to cover the higher glucose levels. If you have type 2 diabetes, your levels are likely to remain too high because of insulin resistance. Your body also releases stress hormones in response to situations such as illness or surgery.

Can stress cause diabetes? Stress doesn't directly cause diabetes.
However, for people already headed in that direction, it can push them along a little faster. Perhaps you've heard stories of people whose diabetes began after a stressful experience, such as a severe illness or a car accident.