You know that feeling, right before appearing for an exam, when your tummy starts gruelling, your throat seems to go dry like the Sahara. Some people seem to be hit by conditions like diarrhoea, headaches and perspirations to name a few.
Similarly, diabetics can be faced with a surge of mental disturbance while accepting the fact that diabetes is a long term health problem.
It is really important to address the mental issues that might arise in one with diabetes, and how they can be dealt with.
A healthy mind works with the body in harmony to create a healthy balance and a state of well-being that defines our daily interactions, activities and capacity to live without any restraints, this needs to be recognised more often while treating diabetes.
Diabetes and its effects on mental health
Diabetes does not only mess with a person’s blood sugar levels but also affects their way of life.
Managing diabetes, along with its symptoms and medications can become quite a cumbersome task for one. Besides, managing the workplace and home, frequent doctor visits, food records and checking sugar levels now take up a fair share of time and mind space. Moreover, the fluctuations in blood sugar level can make a person very moody, and affect their way of thinking. One might experience difficulty in thinking clearly, fatigue and reduced energy levels.
This added responsibility can be a reason for excessive worry and restlessness with regards to diabetes getting in their way of living a normal life, which in many, may lead to mental health issues. Hence, it is important that one should be aware of possible mental health conditions they may be at risk of and find all the support they need in the form of loving friends and family.
Diabetes, Depression and Anxiety
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of being affected by depression and anxiety.
Causes of depression and anxiety:
- People with diabetes are 2-3 times more prone to becoming a victim of depression. Surprisingly, only around 25-50% of them get diagnosed and seek treatment. The ones who don’t get diagnosed usually continue to live with it, this makes their depression even worse, when in fact, it can be easily resolved with treatment.
- A few people, with past traumas and negative experiences, are diagnosed with diabetes due to a history of inactive and irresponsible lifestyle, the root of which is their depression.
- In some people, literally, everything related to their diabetes can cause stress, be it self-management, the threat of complications, maintaining a dietary regimen or regular physical activity.
- While some may develop anxiety due to the frustration regarding maintaining the right blood sugar levels, taking adequate care and the possibility of an onset of an episode that would cause them social embarrassment.
- Increased levels of fatigue can cause less productivity which makes people anxious about their employability and work stability too.
Diabetes Distress
A sense of not being cautious or not being responsible enough in dealing with their diabetic condition causes distress.
There is an entire medical condition based on the elements of guilt, anxiety and stress that arise along with diabetes, which doctors call “Diabetes Distress”.
All of these feelings that cause Diabetes Distress are rooted in the need for self-management that comes with diabetes and the way a person might adjust to it emotionally.
Though healthcare professionals and programs educate people about diabetes, they don’t include the psychological aspects of it
The lack of support from family, friends and healthcare professionals heightens diabetes distress further, which can be resolved if it isn’t overlooked as much as it is.
Sexual dysfunction in women:
Diabetes slightly increases the risk of sexual dysfunction(SD) in women. Studies show that although diabetes increases the risk of SD in women, it is more prevalent in the ones with depression. Women with diabetes and SD might feel a decrease in sexual desire along with pain during intercourse and inadequate lubrication of the vagina.
In a few cases, when one is not diagnosed with diabetes but shows signs of sexual dysfunction, this can be an early sign of diabetes too.
Importance of Counselling
It’s high time that the psychological well-being of people with diabetes becomes the mainstay of the treatment.
For diabetic care, people attending diabetic clinics should be addressed on strategies to:
- Achieve targets for glycemic control (blood sugar levels)
- Reduce the risk of the physical complications of diabetes and
- Managing or improving their emotional state of the diabetic
There is now, increasing evidence of the importance of good mental health in relation to diabetes care, both from the perspective of the individual managing their condition as well as in terms of the implications for service provision.
When people with diabetes are given lifestyle counselling, they are able to lower their blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol level, quicker than the ones without counselling.
When these disorders co-exist, their negative effects are integrated, hence highlighting the fact that along with physical examinations of the body, the person’s mental state should also be considered. This is why the screening and counselling of the mental state of everyone who has diabetes are so important.
What could happen if mental health issues are not dealt with?
Research-based on various studies and clinical data has shown that at least one-third of people with diabetes suffer from depressive disorders.
Not only is depression more prevalent in people with diabetes, but there is also a whole range of other mental and emotional wellbeing issues of concern and we can’t just keep ignoring the facts.
It’s a vicious cycle. The person suffering from diabetes already starts feeling stressed because of the burden of the disease, and to top it off, the sudden restrictions imposed on discarding their choice of food makes it tougher.
Additionally, diabetes itself has the potential to induce significant alterations in the structural as well as functional integrity of the brain causing serotonin depletion (the hormone that regulates your mood) and hence depression.
Depression already causes a lack of motivation and desire to work on yourself, which makes you even more lethargic, which further hampers your glycaemic control. Raised blood sugar levels provoke more depressive episodes.
Did you know? - Medicines used to treat some mental health disorders can also cause diabetes
Various studies show that medicines used for various mental health conditions such as schizophrenia used to treat psychiatric disorders lead to the development of diabetes.
People who are prescribed antipsychotics show a higher chance of becoming a diabetic. It can be due to factors like weight gain due to the medication and metabolic syndrome.
Other reports show that antipsychotics tend to make patients tolerant towards insulin, depicting a resistance towards the same.
That’s why it should be treated holistically. The choice of psychiatric as well as antidiabetic medicines play a pivotal role. Psychiatric medicines which do not cause hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) are preferable and in the same lines, antidiabetics with antidepressant properties can be considered to enhance the therapeutic effect.
Please consult with your healthcare practitioners before undertaking any changes in your diet or adding supplements.
We at Proactive aim at creating a world-class medical experience for Indian women and adopt gold standards in every healthcare initiative whether it’s a teleconsultation or a webinar. What sets us apart from the rest is our liberal, convenient, and holistic approach to healthcare.
Disclaimer: This information is educational and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any dietary changes or adding supplements.
ProactiveForHer is a digital clinic for women, offering accessible, personalised, and confidential healthcare solutions. We offer out-patient care, diagnostic services and programs for various health concerns of Indian women, across their lifetime - from puberty to pregnancy to menopause.