Diabetes and depression can oftentimes go hand in hand. The relationship between diabetes and depression can be caused by certain characteristics of each condition. Having both is not a guarantee if you have one or the other but effectively managing health, especially if you have diabetes or depression can help avoid the development of the other condition. Continue reading to learn about how diabetes and depression can be related as well as tips for managing both conditions at the same time.
Relationship Between Diabetes and Depression
Diabetes and depression aren’t directly related but there are many connections due to state of mind and physical state that can create a relationship between diabetes and depression. The following are a few ways that diabetes and anxiety, or depression, can be related.
- Depression changes state of mind, making doing certain things, communicating and thinking clearly difficult. These changes in state of mind can make managing diabetes difficult.
- Diabetes is a condition that can cause complications of other health problems that can possibly make symptoms of depression worse
- Diabetes can be difficult to manage and hard on the mind and body. The stress caused from the management of diabetes can lead to depression and symptoms of it.
- Depression can allow an individual to make unhealthy decision in regards to food choices, activity, smoking, alcohol use and more. If a person isn’t feeling up to eating right, or getting out to exercise it’s possible for weight to be gained. Many of these decisions that can be influenced by depression can be risk factors for diabetes.
How Can I Manage Diabetes and Depression at the Same Time?
If you have diabetes, or have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, watching out for signs of anxiety and depression is important. Speak to your doctor about the relationship between diabetes and anxiety or depression and what you can do to maintain your health both mentally and physically. Some common signs of depression can include; loss of interest in regular activities, feeling sad, feeling hopeless, feeling physical pain such as back pain or headaches.
Here are a few tips for managing diabetes and depression from the Mayo Clinic. There are certain changes that can be made in life as well as certain therapies that can help with managing the relationship between diabetes and depression.
- Psychotherapy – treatment of diabetes and depression through psychotherapy in the form of cognitive behavioral therapy can help improve symptoms of depression. When depression is treated correctly, it can result in the better management of diabetes.
- Diabetes Self-Management Programs – There are management programs that can help with metabolic control, fitness and weight loss management. These groups focus on behavior and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In this group it is also a way for individuals to improve the feeling of self-worth and their quality of life.
- Medication / Lifestyle – Medications paired with lifestyle changes can be great ways to manage both diabetes and depression. These two things can be mixed with therapy as well as a healthy diet and regular exercise, which can allow individuals to feel better and live a healthier lifestyle.
- Collaborative Care – There is treatment that can be supervised by a nurse, or a case manager that can help individuals manage their health. This sort of treatment isn’t widely available yet.
No matter the case, diabetes and depression can be treated and the best place to start is working with a medical professional to talk about your options. Your doctor or your therapist can help you sort through which type of treatment and lifestyle changes would be best for you as well keep tabs on how things are going throughout the treatment.