Mood.

[raydofski87]

Hello my name is Ray,and I've been newly diagnosed with diabetes....well I say newly, I've had it for 4 years,and nobody told me.... until I ended up in hospital,I thought it was to do with my M.S.....but no....So now I stab myself every morning with insulin, because I have high blood sugars.... I've heard once from the diabetes nurse,I feel I'm just left to sort everything out for myself ....My moods have changed,I feel very down and depressed,is this to do with the insulin am taking ....if someone else is feeling like me, please let me know.....Thanks

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

Sorry to hear your diagnosis got overlooked for so long and that you ended up in hospital as a result of uncontrolled diabetes. Can you tell us a bit about how your admission came about? Did you have DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis)? If so, have they done any tests to assess if you might be Type 1 rather than Type 2. Type 1 diabetes often has a slower onset in more mature adults than it does in children, so it would not be impossible for you to have had a type of diabetes called LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) for 4 years before it came to a head. LADA is just a slow onset Type 1. Having the correct diagnosis is important because it can open doors to better support, technology and education, although sadly due to Covid many people are finding that they are being largely left to their own devices because the diabetes clinics are overwhelmed. The good news is that you can fill in a lot of the blanks here on the forum..... it is where I have learned the vast majority of what I know, having engaged with people here for the past 3 years.... it really is a goldmine of knowledge and experience and practical tips and support, so I am really pleased you have joined us.

Getting a diagnosis is overwhelming and you can go through a sort of grieving process because life is not quite the same again, so you grieve for your former relatively carefree existence. In that respect, yes it is normal to have a low mood or health anxiety or just a knock to your overall confidence. The important thing to know is that diabetes is a condition which can be well managed and should not stop you doing anything you want to but it will take a bit more thought and preparation. Personally, I am now fitter and healthier than I was prediagnosis because I now have to actively think about my health and make an effort to get more exercise and eat healthily and changing my diet has improved other aspects like I no longer get the joint pain that I was struggling with before and I no longer suffer migraines which had been a debilitating issue for more than 20 years and stopped the moment I changed to a low carb diet. These are just individual things to me but I can look back on my diagnosis as the kick up the backside I needed to make healthier lifestyle choices.

Anyway, do make yourself at home and feel free to ask whatever questions you have. Don't worry if they seem really basic or silly. We all started off knowing nothing and it is a very steep learning curve especially with insulin....
Talking of which, how are you managing with that and which insulin(s) have they given you?
Do you have a Freestyle Libre sensor or are you monitoring your glucose levels via finger pricks and a BG meter?

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi raydofski87, welcome to the forum.

Glad that you've found us as it's often the case that people are diagnosed then left to their own devices. It's perfectly normal to feel down when you have diabetes. It can be a lot to manage and get your head around without support so you're in good company.

I always think it's helpful to start slowly with where you are when first diagnosed. Here's a really handy chart you can use to track your food and mood for a week or two. You can then have a look at what you\'re eating and things that can be improved but also wether there's any correlation between your numbers and mood. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/resources-s3/2019-06/1766_Food and Mood diary_A4 landscape_HC_V4.pdf

Some great info and questions above feel free to share a bit more about you. We've got a wealth of info on the site and lots of knowledgeable people willing to help so please do reach out and let us know of any questions you have.

 

[Inka]

Hello my name is Ray,and I've been newly diagnosed with diabetes....well I say newly, I've had it for 4 years,and nobody told me.... until I ended up in hospital,I thought it was to do with my M.S.....but no....So now I stab myself every morning with insulin, because I have high blood sugars.... I've heard once from the diabetes nurse,I feel I'm just left to sort everything out for myself ....My moods have changed,I feel very down and depressed,is this to do with the insulin am taking ....if someone else is feeling like me, please let me know.....Thanks

Sorry you’re feeling so down @raydofski87 That’s probably more to do with your diagnosis and the change in your life than the actual insulin.

What insulin are taking? How are your blood sugars now?

One thing I will say is that if you feel a bit weepy and ‘off’ and panicky almost, do test your blood sugar as sometimes that can be a sign of low blood sugar