Coping with the emotional aspects of diabetes
How to cope with the mental and emotional aspects of living with diabetes
The content in this article should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.
Discover how to manage the emotional impact of diabetes and take control of your wellbeing and live a fulfilling life.
Receiving a diabetes diagnosis can be very stressful for both the person involved and their loved ones. Aside from major life adjustments, there are many mental and emotional adjustments that must be made following a diabetes diagnosis.
There is never a break with type 1 diabetes because of the need to constantly monitor glucose levels, take insulin and be careful with food intake. This is why people with diabetes may feel emotions such as shock and denial at the diagnosis, along with sadness, fear, frustration, anger, and even loneliness.1
People with diabetes must be mindful of their levels of stress and anxiety, whether it’s directly related to diabetes, or as a result of other life pressures, to reduce the physical impact of emotional stress on the body.
Managing stress and anxiety with diabetes
Whether your source of stress or anxiety is caused by your diabetes, or impacted by it, there are a number of ways you can help to alleviate the symptoms of stress and anxiety on your body.
1. Recognise that you aren’t feeling great
The most important thing is to recognise and acknowledge to yourself and your carers how you are feeling. It’s important to ask for help from your healthcare professional so that the right treatment plan can be implemented for you early on, to prevent your symptoms from becoming worse.
2. Keep up your contact with family and friends
While you may not feel like socialising, it’s still very important to keep contact with your family and friends, even if it means a short walk with them or a phone call, just to help your mental and emotional wellbeing.
3. Relax and go easy on yourself
It can be easy to put pressure on yourself to get your glucose levels perfect which can be demanding of your own time and energy levels. Diabetes can cause fatigue and a lack of motivation. As your energy levels constantly shift, it’s important to be flexible and realistic with only taking on tasks that you can achieve, whether it be grocery shopping, cleaning the house, or exercise. Whatever you do each day, ensure there is always some time available for you to relax.
4. Physical activity can help
While you may, or may not, feel like running a marathon, it’s important to do some physical activity each day because this can help with your energy levels, mental clarity, and overall emotional wellbeing. Choose an activity that you can enjoy even it’s walking the dog, going for a swim, yoga or tai chi, and ensure to make time for it.
5. Maintain a healthy diet
While you need to monitor your food intake with diabetes, it’s equally important to maintain a healthy diet that consists of foods that will give you the energy you need. Depression, anxiety, and diabetes can lead to a lack of appetite, or cravings for food and drink that are not healthy. Paying attention to what you can eat and even trialling new recipes can make you feel physically and mentally better.1
Dealing with diabetes burnout
Diabetes burnout, or diabetes distress, can occur when people feel overwhelmed by the demands of living with diabetes, which can impact daily life including work, school, social activities and even diabetes management. Some of the symptoms of diabetes burnout are:
• not checking glucose levels
• stopping or reducing insulin injections
• not worrying about your eating habits or exercise
• ignoring or trying to forget your diabetes most of the time2
• stopping or reducing insulin injections
• not worrying about your eating habits or exercise
• ignoring or trying to forget your diabetes most of the time2
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of diabetes burnout or diabetes distress, it’s important to seek help from your healthcare professional. Feeling overwhelmed with diabetes is normal but not when it impacts your self-care.
Preventing diabetes-related stress and anxiety
There are a number of ways to prevent and reduce the levels of diabetes-related stress and anxiety.
For example, if you are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, it can help to focus on breath relaxation techniques. Deep, focused breathing is a good way to calm the mind and central nervous system.
At the same time, it’s important to make sure you are getting enough sleep and have time for some regular exercise and hobbies that you enjoy. Also ensure to spend more time in nurturing relationships that are good for your mental health.
Diabetes stress and anxiety in children and teenagers
Children and teenagers can experience the same levels of shock, anger, sadness, and guilt as adults who are diagnosed with diabetes. What is harder for them is feeling different to their friends and embarrassed about their diabetes.
It’s important for children and teenagers to have a strong support network of family, friends, and healthcare providers as they adjust to life with diabetes, especially as their bodies develop due to hormonal changes.
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