Diabetes and mental health: How to handle yourself when tensions run high

You've got a lot on your plate. There's plenty of stress at work and you're continuously focused on keeping things together at home. If you have kids, parenting can be a full-time job by itself! And then there's your diabetes — another layer of stress that you have to deal with every minute of every day.

All that stress can lead to anxiety and depression. In fact, people living with type 1 diabetes (t1d) experience depression three times more often than people who don't have diabetes.

Fortunately, there are a number of strategies you can use to manage your diabetes and mental health. These strategies include:

• Meditation
• Exercise
• Talking to a friend or a professional about how you're feeling
• Medication
  
  

Give these tips a try when your stress levels feel like they're going through the roof.

Meditate

For some, the word "meditation" conjures up images of someone sitting cross-legged on the floor with their eyes shut. Meditation can look like this, but it can also be enjoyed by journaling your thoughts or doing a favorite activity.

Sitting quietly, noticing your thoughts and letting them drift by (without trying to follow them) is the simplest form of meditation. Best of all, you can do it anywhere! Giving yourself 20 minutes of "quiet time" every day can dramatically reduce your stress levels and heighten your ability to cope with diabetes needs.

Exercise

You already know that exercise is good for lowering your blood sugars, but did you know it's also good for lowering stress levels? People with diabetes who exercise regularly tend to experience less anxiety and improved sleep, compared to those who don't exercise. Lack of sleep can cause you to feel too tired to exercise, and lack of exercise can cause you to sleep poorly — setting up a downward spiral where poor sleep and lack of exercise exacerbate each other.

To get out of the downward spiral, you may need to force yourself to get some exercise even if you don't feel like it. When it comes to enjoying workouts, sometimes you need to "fake it 'til you make it." Many people start to enjoy exercise once they follow a routine consistently for several weeks.

Talk to someone you trust

When you just need to get your feelings off your chest, a quick chat with a supportive spouse, family member or friend may be all you need! Some people are better at listening than others, and it can be hard for others to know exactly what you're going through unless they've been in your shoes — so you may not get all of the support you crave from your spouse or family and friends. In these situations, you may want to consider joining an in-person or online support group for people with diabetes.

A diabetes support group is a place to find other people who know how it feels to live with diabetes all day, every day. They may be able to offer suggestions you haven't tried and provide empathy when you need it.

Turn to a professional

If you find that you need additional support, don't hesitate to reach out and find a counselor who specializes in helping people cope with chronic illnesses. A licensed professional counselor can help you find ways to effectively manage your stress.

Professional counselors who specialize in diabetes and mental health understand your daily struggles and are familiar with the anxiety that coping with diabetes can sometimes cause. Everyone needs to feel heard, and these professionals can make a huge difference in your daily life!

Medication

Not everyone who is anxious or depressed chooses medication, but it can be effective for some. If you've tried meditation, exercise and talking it out but you still feel sad or anxious most of the time, you may have clinical depression. Red flags for depression include having trouble with concentration, sleeping too much (or too little), significant changes in appetite, unexplained aches and irritability or moodiness.

If you think you may have clinical depression, talk with your physician about whether medication may be right for you. Be sure to tell them about your diabetes management tactics and other medications you may be taking, so they can tailor their advice to your individual situation.

Rethink your coping strategy

Coping with diabetes might feel overwhelming at times — after all, it requires your constant attention and is something you'll live with all your life. If you've been hyper-focused on taking care of your blood sugars since your diagnosis (and you don't imagine a break will come anytime soon) all of that stress can add up! Don't wait until your stress levels hit their boiling point to get a handle on them.

Instead of letting all the pressure of coping with diabetes build up, choose just one of the strategies above and try putting it into practice today. You can't control the fact that you have type 1 diabetes, but you can control how you react to the stress it causes in your life.

Another great way to cope with the stress — and feel like you have more control — is by having diabetes testing supplies delivered directly to your home. Explore the Edgepark website to browse available devices and accessories.