Diabetes is a really overwhelming and mind tolling disease. Sometimes I think about how it is going to be with me (theoretically) for the rest of my life and that thought scares me. But it is important to not let that thought overtake your mind or impact your mental health. In this post, I want to share some ways I take care of my mental health while dealing with type 1 diabetes.
According to diabetes.org, people with type 1 diabetes are at a heightened risk for mental health issues, including diabetes distress, depression, anxiety, and disordered eating. To avoid these problems happening to yourself, it is important to pay attention to your feelings about having diabetes.
To be completely honest, I recently went through a change in my life that impacted me negatively. This took a toll on my mind and I witnessed it manifest with my diabetes management, which is bad. If you watched some of my past video vlogs, my blood sugar levels were in the 300s. I noticed this happening when I was not in a good state mentally. But no matter how bad things get, diabetes care should be your top priority.
These are some suggestions that I have to take care of your mental health while having type 1 diabetes.
Find hobbies that can help benefit your mental and physical (diabetic) health
- I took up running pretty seriously because I found that it helped my mind be free
- With time, I found that it actually also heavily helps with stabilizing my blood sugar levels.
Establish a good support system (friends and family)
- Someone really important in my life isn’t in it anymore, which made me feel alone. They were someone I felt like cared about my diabetes and would be able to help me in an emergency.
- I quickly found that I have so many other people around me who care. Establishing a support system can help make you feel less alone and more heard by others.
- I was at a party a few weeks ago and my friends were asking me what good blood sugar levels are and how to bolus in case I was high and couldn’t for some reason. Them asking showed me how much they care about my well being.
Develop healthy habits/routine
- When going through difficult times, we can often forget to eat, get sufficient sleep, etc. A few months ago, I went through a slightly tough experience and didn’t eat really anything at all for a week. I could feel my body becoming weak.
- This is bad! Your body needs fuel from food and sleep. It also needs you to consciously take care of it.
Read about ways that can help you (shift mindset, understand mindset, etc.)
- I’ve always been really interested in reading about why our minds work the way they do. I finally decided to buy a book about it instead of having 50 tabs open on my phone.
- This has really helped me understand myself and my mind better and in turn helped me shift my mindset.
Talk to a therapist
- I feel like there is a lot of stigma against going to see a therapist. I don’t know if it is just me, but it’s always sounded so serious if you go see one.
- But therapists can be really, really helpful! Having a third party listen and you explain can be beneficial to understanding situations.
- Getting a professional’s perspective can also provide you with information you didn’t know about.
Above all else, make sure to do anything in your power to not let your mental health interfere with your diabetes management
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