Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on June 18, 2008 at 6:48am

Another study was just published reconfirming the link between diabetes and depression.

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Permalink Reply by Judith on June 18, 2008 at 7:54am

Thanks, Manny. I continue to strive for climbing out of depression to a state of perpetual melancholy---much more poetic for an artist, don't you think? Hah! Ah well.....

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Permalink Reply by Anthony Holko on January 3, 2009 at 5:01pm

Dear Judith.

In the 1800's when Tuberculosis was more popular than diabetes it was considered chique to cough up some blood. And all the musicians, writers and painters produced some great stuff. They seemed to live in a state of perpetual melancholy. Go for it, great for an artist.

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Permalink Reply by sweetpotater on June 18, 2008 at 8:58am

I've had a lot of experience with depression and anxiety over the years, along with meds, therapy, nutrition, exercise, you name it. A few years ago I thought I'd finally figured out how to take care of myself so it never happens again, and went about five years with no symptoms. Then this spring some job and family stresses came up and suddenly I was plunging back down into it again. This was the first time I'd been depressed since my diabetes diagnosis though, and I found out something interesting -- I can use my glucometer to help me gauge how bad my depression is getting. Before, I had a tendency to want to hope or believe my depression symptoms were all in my head, and that I should somehow be able to just suck it up and snap myself out of it. And while I can't say I've been happy to see my FBG 30 points higher than usual, it was strangely validating to have some sort of "proof" that there really is something physical going on with me -- I'm not just a bummer of a person, it's "real." I think anyone who's struggled with depression knows how real it is, so to me this is mostly just a useful thing to be able to show people who DON'T understand. Funny how a number on a meter can carry so much weight with people who can't bring themselves to believe in other, more subjective forms of evidence.

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Permalink Reply by Anthony Holko on January 3, 2009 at 4:56pm

Dear Sweetpotater.

This is the essence of control, one of the two pre-conditions is to be able to measure a variable and numerical values are much better than subjective ones. 10,000 years ago when we had Shamans and no meters the subjective measurement would have been considered good enough by both patient and Doctor. Now everybody including ourselves think we are crazy when subjectively we do not feel right.

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Permalink Reply by Mel Wright on June 18, 2008 at 10:21am

Manny, I get down, too. Running and working out at the health club lift me mentally. Extra rest helps. I like 10 hours in bed and hope I get seven hours sleep. Testing can be depressing and discouraging when I see an especially high number.

And all those TV ads about diabetes are always a reminder. Bumber!. Those companies selling testing materials are seeing dollar signs. And there's Wilford Brimley, a washed-up actor, talking about "exercise and a simple diet." Yeah, sure, he really looks like he's been on a simble diet and exercises. He's there for one reason, to sell. I just change channels. One thing that encourages me is that when I'm out pounding the pavement (jogging) I rarely see anyone my age out there doing what I'm doing. Some times I think about the children at Saint Jude's, then I think how fortunate I've been. I turn my thinking to others who are worse off than I, fighting a bigger problem. Elvis had a bigger problem. Ali was the greatest boxer, and we are one month difference in age. But look at his problem. Finally, we have "It's a Wonderful Life" on tape and watch it every year around Christmas. It has a great message.

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Permalink Reply by debb on June 18, 2008 at 10:49am

i don't really know where to start with this. i am a type 2 diabetic. i was diagnosed 2 years before my husband left me. he blames me for becoming ill and letting him down. when my husband left me i went into depression. not a spiral but a deep plunge. to back up here, we had been having distancing problems for about 2 years (partly because of my illness). he just kept pulling away. he had been battling depression for most of our married life. (which he still strongly denies), at this point the depression got worse. he says he kept going to the dresser for his only 30/30 bullet and was contemplating suicide. something he had threatened from time to time for years. (mostly to bring me in line) ( he's a controller). of course he didn't take his life and if and when he does he won't waffle about it. long story short, he met someone who pretended to understand him and told him he really didn't have depression,because she had taken a 1 semester course on it, so she knew all about it, and she talked him into leaving me. i had been so caught up with trying to figure out how to reach him and bring him back to us that i hadn't realized that i was battling with depression of my own. mild yes, but depression none the less. then he left. when i went in for my regular diabetic doctor's appt, my doctor noticed the change right away. he started asking questions and put me on depression meds. then he got me in to see a counselor and physcologist. my husband told me that i wasn't aloud to see these people. yeah right, i did what was best for me. i started seeing them in june and by september i couldn't take the depression medicine anymore. it helped "perk" me up, but i shook so bad i couldn't brush my teeth without get toothpaste all over my face. lol!!! pretty picture, not!! they kept trying different meds, i just kept shaking even worse. finally, i had had enough. number one...every time they changed the meds there was a new co-pay. number two...i had come out of the fog that i was in and was coping as good as new. i asked before thanksgiving to be weened off of them. they advised me to wait until after all the holiday's. i said no, i wanted to do it now. if i could make it through the holiday's i could make it without the use of drugs. and if i couldn't, i could always go back on them. so they agreed. i haven't been back on them since. this was in 2006.
i am basically a happy person. i learned a long time ago that i had to be. if i had let things get to me when i was young i think i would have been on medication for depression years and years ago. i remember my grandmother once telling me to pretend it didn't hurt when i was being picked on and the tormentors would soon stop and go find someone else to pick on. the tormentors started with my own family. i was a shy and quiet child, so school was pure hell for me. but because of my gramma's advice i got through it. i learned to put myself down before anyone got to it first and i always did it with a smile. i learned the sticks and stones thing real well. so, i think i can hide my depression even from myself. i put forth the smiling happy persona and no one, (especially my family) ever know that i was hurting inside, unless i wanted them to see. i even believe it myself, unless i am willing to let it out of the little black velvet box i keep it in, buried deep inside of me, it never comes out. the little black box has gotten a little bigger over the years. anything that might have a way of hurting me has gone in there. the only thing i couldn't manage was when my husband left me. that devastated me. but the little black box is working again. i still have a ton of things thrown at me with the diabetes. from no money to being able to buy food that is good for me, but i take things day by day, minute by minute, second by second and i put everything that might upset me into the black box. if i let myself think about things i think i could quietly lose my mind, but i have a strong self preservation switch that allows me to live my life daily as a happy carefree person with no one (except you guys now) the wiser. if something starts to creep out i just slap it back where it belongs. if i let myself think of my husband sleeping with someone else it would destroy me, so it stays closed away. ticking timebomb?? i don't think so, or i would have exploded when my husband left. i guess it's just my way of coping. there is less depression today then through the two years before and the one year after he left. my smile is more real and i just don't let things get to me like they did. the question is...is my depression related to my diabetes or did having diabetes when my husband left attribute to it?
also on another note. i think anyone having a disease, no matter what kind of disease it is, will have depression. mild or deep or in between. it just goes hand in hand, don't you think?

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Permalink Reply by Mick on June 18, 2008 at 2:57pm

I wrote an article, for our local diabetes news letter about this exact topic! I think that the link between diabetes and depression is undeniably real.

Diabetes and Depression: The connection goes both ways.

According to National Institutes of Health statistics, diabetes affects more than 20 million Americans, or approximately 7 percent of the US population. Diabetes may impact all aspects of your life and leave you feeling overwhelmed. With the long winter upon us and the stress of the holidays in full swing, having to deal with the pressures of diabetes can make you feel like you have too much to bear. Depression has been found to be very common in diabetes and may make controlling this disease more difficult.

Many people have “bad days” or feel sad occasionally. However, feeling this way most of the day for two weeks or more can be a sign of serious depression. Depression is a medical illness, which often does not get better without treatment. People with depression are more likely to develop disabilities, miss work, be less productive, and spend more money and time on health care. The symptoms of depression are different for different people, but may include:

• Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings
• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
• Irritability, restlessness
• Loss of interest in the activities or hobbies that you used to enjoy
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
• A change in sleep pattern. Either insomnia, early–morning waking, or excessive sleeping.
• A change in appetite, including appetite loss or overeating
• Thoughts of suicide.
• Aches, pains, headaches, cramps, nausea, or other digestive problems.

The relationship between diabetes and depression is a “two-way street.” Researchers have found that patients with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression as people without diabetes. Conversely, in one study, people who had a history of depression were much more likely to get type 2 diabetes than people who didn't have depression. In another research study, when someone had both diabetes and depression, they were far more likely to develop heart disease than those with either diabetes or depression alone. Untreated depression can make it much more difficult to manage diabetes. Neglecting their diabetes is a very common occurrence in people with depression. This leads to uncontrolled blood sugars and only makes people feel worse, leading to a vicious cycle of poor control.

If you have any of the above listed symptoms or think that you may have depression, talk to your doctor. Don't wait to get help; depression only tends to get worse over time without treatment. Your doctor may refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. Remember, depression is an illness that needs to be treated just as diabetes needs to be treated. The sooner depression is treated, the sooner you will feel better, and your diabetes control will thank you for it.

I'm not sure if this says anything that wasn't already posted, but hopefully it helps expand the discussion.

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Permalink Reply by Kris Gainsforth on June 18, 2008 at 3:18pm

I'm both, but I think the depression spawned independently from my diabetes. I do know when I have issues with depression, I compensate with food, causing a major problem.

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Permalink Reply by Betty J on June 18, 2008 at 7:17pm

When I was diagnosed as a child with D I would have mood swings and was called moody. Now as an older adult with more information available regarding depression and D I now know why I've had and at times have the journeys I take to the hills and valley I've travelled all my life. As a younger person I was treated with tranqualizers, until I decided not to take them and try to work out my problems. I believe that D and any chronic disease can cause depression but especially D because of the swings our body go through with highs and lows we experience.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Manwaring on August 27, 2008 at 1:02pm

I'm not depressed because i have diabetes, if anything the condition angers me. The depression is from an accompanying condition - manic depression. I take psych meds to manage it, but when life throws it's crap at me that's what usually causes me to experience mania and depression

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Permalink Reply by Jessie on September 26, 2008 at 12:38pm

Why would you not have at least some signs of Depression being a diabetic? I mean come on its a life altering illness that we have to live with the rest of our life- and quite frankly it pi@@es me off! I am a type one, a virus attacked my pancreas its not like I was sitting home gorging myself on 2 pints of Ben and Jerry's every day eating cake for breakfast, cookies for lunch and nothing but candy for dinner!!! I had no choice what so ever in me getting this disease, if I was overweigh and consuming extreme amounts of sugars then ya it was going to come....but I wasn't any worse then anyone else my age and life decided to make it a lot harder.

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