What is diabetes distress?
- Diabetes distress is a term used to describe the emotional burden of managing and living with diabetes and can include feelings of stress, frustration, or worry. It is considered a stress response to living with diabetes as managing diabetes has unique and complex challenges that impact daily life. Diabetes requires daily tasks such as medication dosing, monitoring your sugar, eating patterns, and physical activity
How common is it?
- If you are feeling overwhelmed with diabetes and the daily management tasks, you are not alone! In people living with Type 1 Diabetes, prevalence rates are 22—42% and in Type 2 Diabetes prevalence is over 60%.
What are signs and symptoms?
- If you feel stress related to your diabetes Here are some examples:
- Feeling burned out
- Feeling overwhelmed living with diabetes
- Thoughts about food choices and eating control my life
- Worry about having a low blood glucose event
- Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information from my diabetes devises (such as pumps, continuous glucose monitors, or meters)
- Disappointed that I do not get the support I need for my diabetes from my friends and family
- Experiencing diabetes distress does not mean you have a mental illness, but it can co-exist with depression and anxiety.
How can I talk to my provider about diabetes distress?
- Your doctor’s office should be a safe space to discuss ways you are feeling overwhelmed. If you are not sure where to start, here are some questions you can ask yourself and your provider:
- “What is the most difficult part of living with diabetes for you?
- “What are your greatest concerns about your diabetes?
- “How is your diabetes getting in the way of other things in your life right now?
How can I help alleviate diabetes distress?
- One thing I always like to ask during a visit is “What matters most to you? And if you could change one thing to make diabetes easier for you, what would it be?” Perhaps you want to be able to play with your children more, or you want to eat a piece of cake without feeling guilty. Whatever your goal is, it is important because it matters most to you! Take time to engage in activities that you enjoy.
- Find a mental health professional that is knowledgeable about diabetes and its challenges
- Search the ADA website to find a mental health provider in your area specializing in mental health.
- Find a local or online support group
- Social support is associated with positive health outcomes. Joining a support group provides a safe space to share concerns, challenges, and feelings surrounding your diabetes management.
- Get connected with Diabetes Self-Mangement Education Services (DSMES)
- There are many benefits to DSMES including lowering your A1c, improving quality of life, improving self-care and positive coping behaviors, and lowering your all-cause mortality risk.
- Ways diabetes educators can help assist you in managing diabetes:
- How to create small changes in eating patterns that are sustainable
- Help identify ways to be active in both non-structured and structured ways
- Help with setting realistic goals and overcoming barriers
- Are you getting the most out of your diabetes tech?
- Check out some of our information about diabetes tech here
by Katie Lacy, MSN, RN, CDCES
