When people think of diabetes, sugar readily comes into mind. But this health problem affects more than blood glucose — it could be the very reason you’re experiencing sudden shifts in your mood. Here are the ways diabetes can affect your emotional health:
The blood sugar swings create mood swings.
When your glucose is too high, there’s a tendency that you feel the need to urinate more and get thirsty now and then, since your kidney is working overtime to filter out excess sugar. The constant trips to the bathroom and the need to hydrate can quickly result in exhaustion. You’d grow frustrated and irritable over time.
But when your glucose dips too low, the body sends a signal to the adrenal glands to produce more adrenaline. So the liver could release more sugar into the bloodstream. The thing is, when adrenaline is up, your anxiety’s up too. Since the brain also doesn’t have enough glucose, you’d feel slightly confused and disoriented. You won’t be able to focus, and that could make you moody. All these leave a lot of patients helpless, feeling that they’ve lost control of their bodies and emotions.
What you can do here is to keep track of your blood sugar regularly. To do this right, ask your family doctor near your home in Orem, Utah. Physicians recommend different frequencies, depending on the insulin and other medications you’re taking.
The management of symptoms is equally stressful.
It’s not just the symptoms making diabetes especially emotionally draining, but the very treatment, too. You have to monitor constantly your blood sugar levels. On top of that, you need to follow a healthy lifestyle that your doctors recommended.
For one, you have to watch what you eat always. You need to be meticulous in counting the carbs and portion sizes, make sure that what you have on your plate is a well-balanced meal, avoid sugar-sweetened drinks (which is practically everywhere). Beyond the healthy food, exercise is a must as well.
You need a fitness regimen, a regular workout schedule, and a check on sugar levels before and after exercises. Keeping up with all these is exhausting. Sometimes it can be tempting to abandon a healthy lifestyle. But it’s always best to find a community who you can support you and share your struggles. There are many diabetes support groups across the country that you could join.
A cycle of depression can start.
People with diabetes are prone to depression, precisely because of the two factors mentioned above, the symptoms and the management. Once depression kicks in, it’s hard for patients to maintain the healthy lifestyle diabetes requires. You may have experienced getting on to the other side of the fence, indulging in unhealthy habits, binge-eating on sweets, skipping the gym, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol. All of which contribute to the worsening of diabetes. Then you’re trapped in an endless cycle of diabetes and depression. If all you’ve been feeling lately is an emptiness in your life, you’re probably experiencing not just the typical irritability or frustration. You might need to see your family doctor for counseling on mental health.
How’s Your Mood?
Diabetes not only affects not just your body but your emotions, too. Maintain close communication with your doctor to monitor your physical and emotional well-being.
