What is diabetes distress?

Sometimes diabetes and depression go together. Depression can affect diabetes in a few important ways.

Depression affects your ability to choose to do what's good for you. Feeling motivated to eat well, exercise, and take your medicines is harder. For example, when you're depressed, you may be more likely to eat something that has a lot of carbs. That might make you feel good for a while. But then you may feel worse.

Depression also increases the stress hormones in your body. This can cause your blood sugar to rise. High blood sugar can make it hard to concentrate. Or it can make you feel tired or grumpy.

The good news is that diabetes and depression can be treated together. And that means you can feel better and more in control of your life.

When you have diabetes, stress can affect you in two important ways. It can increase hormones that cause your blood sugar level to rise. Both mental and physical stress cause a similar chemical reaction in your body. Stress can also cause you to change the way you take care of yourself.

Having diabetes can be hard to accept. It's normal to feel sad or angry. You may even feel grief.

It's normal to feel frustrated or overwhelmed with all there is to do. Some days you may feel like it's just too much work. There will be times when you just don't feel like testing and tracking your blood sugar.

There are ways to handle these tough feelings, though. Getting support and talking about your feelings can help. Your doctor or others in your health care team can help you cope.

When you feel sad, give yourself time to adjust to your losses. If you feel overwhelmed, just try to focus on one day at a time. Do the best you can. You don't have to be perfect.

Remember that diabetes is a part of your life, but it does not have to take over your life. Also, remember that you are not alone. Diabetes is very common.

Get the support you need

Surround yourself with people who encourage and motivate you. Your support may include:

• Your doctor and other health professionals.
• Friends and family.
• An exercise buddy or program.

If you're having trouble coping with your feelings, try talking with a counselor. A professional may make it easier to say things you wouldn't talk about with friends or family.

Your checkups are a good time to talk with your doctor about how you're feeling. If you're discouraged or having trouble coping, your doctor can help.

You might also want to:

• Ask a friend or family member to come to counseling with you.
• Talk to your spiritual adviser if you belong to a church or spiritual group. They have experience helping people manage feelings.
• Join a support group. You can find one through your doctor, your local hospital, or the American Diabetes Association.

Provide positive reinforcement and set goals

Praise and reward yourself for the things you do right. Use nonfood rewards, such as clothing, sports equipment, books, a golf trip, or a movie night. Engage in positive self-talk instead of being negative or critical of yourself.

Set short-term goals for healthy eating habits and exercise.

List the benefits

Continually remind yourself that everything you are doing to manage your diabetes is making a big difference in the quality of your life now and well into the future. It may even be helpful to make a list of the health benefits of caring for your diabetes.

Some items you could include might be:

• I feel good because my blood sugars are more stable. I no longer have uncomfortable highs or lows.
• I am reducing the likelihood that diabetes will interfere with my plans for the future. This lowers my risk for problems with my heart, eyes, feet, and legs.
• I have more energy.
• I can think more clearly.
• I feel better about myself, because I am eating healthy foods and/or I have started exercising.