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Depression can take different forms and affect people in different ways – it’s always best to get help. |
Things to look out for:
- feeling tired or having little energy
- crying all or some of the time
- lack of concentration
- not being able to sleep or over-sleeping
- avoiding people
- little interest or pleasure in doing things
- finding it hard to function at work
- loss of appetite or eating too much
- physical aches and pains
- feelings of despair and hopelessness.
Depressive feelings can affect anyone. Although the rate of depression is higher in people with diabetes, this does not mean that if you have diabetes you will get depressed.
Depression is a serious condition which shouldn’t be ignored and can be treated. It affects how you think and feel about things. It is not a sign of personal weakness or failure. You cannot simply ‘pull yourself together’. Without help, depression can last for a long time but how long it lasts varies. Treatment can help.
Depression is very different from feelings of being fed up or sad, which can be a normal reaction for someone with diabetes. These feelings will usually pass as people learn and develop ways of dealing with them.
Why does it matter?
Coping with diabetes and depression can be turbulent and become a vicious cycle of events. Depression can get in the way of looking after your diabetes for various reasons. For example, it can affect your food choices and your eating patterns, and whether or not you take your medication. If you are depressed you may feel exhausted and often anxious, which could mean that testing blood glucose levels or taking your medication may feel like too much at times. Loss of appetite and overeating are symptoms of depression which will affect diabetes control. And stress caused by depression can also affect blood glucose levels.
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 Being diagnosed with diabetes was a depressing blow – losing a high-flying career and facing up to an unknown medical condition. It was a great encouragement, however, to learn that diabetes is a controllable medical condition. As a result, it was possible to return to my dream career. We can do anything we put our minds to.
– Person with diabetes |
Reviewed December 2009
Next review December 2010