Talking with your healthcare professional can be intimidating but there is so much you can do to make this encounter more effective. Being prepared with identified concerns, focusing your thoughts, setting realistic expectations, and being open and honest in your communication are all valuable points to consider.
Mental health
Diabetes and mental health are very closely linked.
Everyone can feel stressed from time to time. Managing your diabetes, as well as other life demands, can feel very overwhelming. Emotional swings can affect your blood sugar levels, so it's important that you know how to recognize mood changes or stressors and how to deal with them.
It is estimated that 30% of people with diabetes have symptoms of depression at one time or another. Sometimes people living with diabetes feel distressed, which can include feeling frustrated, sad, angry or worried. Diabetes distress is a very common condition, so do not feel that you are alone.
The articles in this mental health section explore these and other commonly seen emotional and psychological issues, and offer helpful tips on how to cope and develop management strategies.
Action plan to deal with diabetes distress
Diabetes distress is your emotional response to living with diabetes. It is normal to experience some stress, but when the level of stress becomes overwhelming it can significantly undermine your confidence and ability to take care of the daily tasks. Read this expert article to learn about developing an action plan to deal with diabetes distress.
Diabetes distress: share your feelings with your healthcare team
It is natural to have negative thoughts that become so overwhelming they put us into a state of inertia. It is just easier to do nothing! Experts refer to this as diabetes distress. Read on to learn how to manage this common condition.
Learn to recognize depression
Depression related to diabetes is a genuine and serious medical condition that can be as painful as any physical disease. This article will help you to learn to recognize depression symptoms.
Stress and diabetes
Everyone has stress in their lives at certain times, but this is especially true for people who are living with a chronic disease – such as diabetes – which can often be challenging to manage.
An introduction to mindfulness for people with diabetes
Mindfulness for people with diabetes is a concept that involves staying in the present, instead of worrying about the past or future.
