Anxiety and high blood sugar

[Teapot99]

Hi everybody,

I was wondering if anybody could suggest things for me to try and help myself. I am still struggling with anxiety quite badly and with high blood sugar. I feel like I might be close to having panic attacks sometimes with my blood sugar, they are still running quite high but I worry when they go down to a 'normal level' for me (between 8 - 12) and then I eat and try and sort it.

I am currently having chats with my DSN about having a pump and I am waiting for her to get back off of holiday next week in order to progress with that. I am that anxious in the mornings that I eat my breakfast but then start to gag and struggle to eat, not everyday but sometimes, then at lunch time I am fine and then get a bit anxious again around dinner time. I am on the path to speaking to my GP about anxiety (I have an appointment over the phone on Tuesday) and how they can help me and I am also looking at talking therapy through the NHS. I am struggling quite a bit and I don't want to seem like a burden to my fiancé who is in a good job and is struggling a bit at work with his workload, my Mum is always there for me but my fiancé gets frustrated with me when I don't speak to him as much as my Mum as he thinks that 'I don't trust that he can help me', which I know he can! I have always been through my diabetes with my mum by my side so she is my 'default'.

I am also on the path to speaking to the NHS about talking therapy to see if that would help, I had an assessment the other day over the phone and I was offered a few things, the lady on the phone explained that if her supervisor doesn't think these options are best for me, then it could be considered that I speak to somebody who specialises in diabetes talking therapy. Something I think that would really help me and then it's specific to my needs too. Since having that phone call, I feel like my anxiety has got worse after it was improving. I feel a bit hopeless and lost, I have many supportive people around me but I feel like I try and be supportive towards myself and it doesn't seem to be working, although sometimes it does.

I'm not really sure why I am still anxious when I know I can sort my hypos if I get them, but I haven't had a hypo in over a month, I've had a lot more hypers - both of which I don't want. I keep telling myself that carb counting is to help reduce both hypos and hypers so you stay in a normal range and that does help to calm me sometimes. I have got to the point where I don't scan my CGM until half an hour after eating to see how my bloods are doing (I scan them just before too) and I wait to make sure they're coming up before I inject. I also try not to scan too often so I don't get into my own head as I tend to scan every few minutes if I do. I have also noticed that sometimes I do half doses and I don't end up needing the second half - is this normal? It has happened a few times to me in the last two weeks and this is with carb counting too. I am very much on carb counting now - which I am happy with. I also haven't slept properly for the last 3/4 weeks, due to heat and our kittens and I have had an upset stomach all of this time too. I am trying breathing exercises but I worry they just don't help.

I was just wondering if anybody has had similar issues with high blood sugar, anxiety and speaking to people about your issues? Sorry for the rant, I just feel a bit lost and hopeless, this forum really does help though so thank you to everybody that has been messaging me and replying to my threads.

Thank you

 

[Teapot99]

Update: I have just been told I will have CBT with somebody who know roughly about diabetes but it is a 2 month waiting. list for my area so I have been given other resources to help me in the meantime

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Great to hear you are reaching out for extra support @Teapot99

Diabetes can be all consuming at times and you certainly aren’t the only person to have struggled with diabetes, mental health, and managing your emotions.

Not least because the body can provide unhelpful surges of hormones (false hypos) when your levels drop from high to being ‘in range’ if your body has got used to the higher levels - and those sensations (fast heart beat, anxiety, tingling, trembling) can be pretty unpleasant/triggering.

Hopefully CBT will help you observe your thinking from the outside, and understand some of the common spirals / circular thinking patterns which can run amok at times. Being able to think about your thinking is a really powerful technique.

Keep up with the breathing too. It’s a practice. Sticking with it and making time for yourself - acknowledging and observing your thoughts and feelings with curiosity, rather than trying to change them, and then returning your focus to the breath… These are techniques with proven clinical benefits.

 

[Teapot99]

Great to hear you are reaching out for extra support @Teapot99

Diabetes can be all consuming at times and you certainly aren’t the only person to have struggled with diabetes, mental health, and managing your emotions.

Not least because the body can provide unhelpful surges of hormones (false hypos) when your levels drop from high to being ‘in range’ if your body has got used to the higher levels - and those sensations (fast heart beat, anxiety, tingling, trembling) can be pretty unpleasant/triggering.

Hopefully CBT will help you observe your thinking from the outside, and understand some of the common spirals / circular thinking patterns which can run amok at times. Being able to think about your thinking is a really powerful technique.

Keep up with the breathing too. It’s a practice. Sticking with it and making time for yourself - acknowledging and observing your thoughts and feelings with curiosity, rather than trying to change them, and then returning your focus to the breath… These are techniques with proven clinical benefits.

@everydayupsanddowns thank you for messaging!

I think the sensations you are describing with the dropping from high to low is exactly what I am feeling and I think this may be a reason I am struggling so thank you for acknowledging that and for reaching out to me.

I really appreciate your message so thank you. I know that having people message really helps me. I have just got back from watching the new Superman film, and I was fully immersed in it. I felt like myself again for a while which was nice

 

[silver minion]

@everydayupsanddowns thank you for messaging!

I think the sensations you are describing with the dropping from high to low is exactly what I am feeling and I think this may be a reason I am struggling so thank you for acknowledging that and for reaching out to me.

I really appreciate your message so thank you. I know that having people message really helps me. I have just got back from watching the new Superman film, and I was fully immersed in it. I felt like myself again for a while which was nice

I have had CBT in the past which really helped me deal with my anxieties at the time. They weren't diabetes related but the process of recognising your reactions and getting a different perspective does work although it can take some time.
Have you thought of taking up something like Tai Chi ? It focuses your mind and the precise movements and breathing techniques are calming. You need to concentrate on the flow of one movement to the next which makes it difficult for unwanted thoughts to intrude so by the end of the session you feel relaxed. Our instructor does on line videos we can access between classes.

 

[Inka]

Another recommendation for Tai Chi (and also Qigong). They’re not just exercise. Taught properly they’re empowering and grounding. They totally amazed me.

 

[SB2015]

Hi @Teapot99 I took a long time before I asked for help through my D consultant and then GP, so I am really pleased that you have had that conversation with your GP. I have used CBT and found it very helpful in getting me to accept that perfection was impossible.
I mapped my progress on here in this link.

Thread 'Successful strategies so far in dealing with depression and Diabetes'

Apr 29, 2017

I found it tempting to hide away over the last couple of months.

After 9 years of Diabetes I finally hit a wall as HbA1c reached the mid 40s and so no longer improved, spinal stenosis gave me numb feet over night, an MRI showing lesions on the brain and I watched my Mum die of Dementia. Depression descended.

Thanks to Rosie on here I eventually asked for help, but there was a one year waiting list for any talking therapies. I was able to pay for counselling and I thought I would be up front about some of the strategies that I have already found helpful in the hope that these may be of...

• SB2015
• Replies: 75
• Forum: General Message Board

• 

I hope that it is of some help

 

[Teapot99]

I have had CBT in the past which really helped me deal with my anxieties at the time. They weren't diabetes related but the process of recognising your reactions and getting a different perspective does work although it can take some time.
Have you thought of taking up something like Tai Chi ? It focuses your mind and the precise movements and breathing techniques are calming. You need to concentrate on the flow of one movement to the next which makes it difficult for unwanted thoughts to intrude so by the end of the session you feel relaxed. Our instructor does on line videos we can access between classes.

Hi @silver minion thank you for messaging,

Thank you for suggesting Thai Chi, I haven’t tried it before but I have heard that it is meant to be good. I didn’t realise that it could help to settle anxieties so I will definitely look into it 🙂

 

[Teapot99]

Hi @Teapot99 I took a long time before I asked for help through my D consultant and then GP, so I am really pleased that you have had that conversation with your GP. I have used CBT and found it very helpful in getting me to accept that perfection was impossible.
I mapped my progress on here in this link.

Thread 'Successful strategies so far in dealing with depression and Diabetes'

Apr 29, 2017

I found it tempting to hide away over the last couple of months.

After 9 years of Diabetes I finally hit a wall as HbA1c reached the mid 40s and so no longer improved, spinal stenosis gave me numb feet over night, an MRI showing lesions on the brain and I watched my Mum die of Dementia. Depression descended.

Thanks to Rosie on here I eventually asked for help, but there was a one year waiting list for any talking therapies. I was able to pay for counselling and I thought I would be up front about some of the strategies that I have already found helpful in the hope that these may be of...

• SB2015
• Replies: 75
• Forum: General Message Board

• 

I hope that it is of some help

Thank you @SB2015, I felt a bit weird asking for help, I feel like sometimes there’s a stigma around it? I am speaking to my GP tomorrow to see what she says and I am also having my first councilling session tomorrow too (luckily I was able to go privately with some help from family).

I will definitely have a read into your thread, thank you for linking it on here for me to read

 

[SB2015]

Thank you @SB2015, I felt a bit weird asking for help, I feel like sometimes there’s a stigma around it? I am speaking to my GP tomorrow to see what she says and I am also having my first councilling session tomorrow too (luckily I was able to go privately with some help from family).

I will definitely have a read into your thread, thank you for linking it on here for me to read

Really pleased that you have been able to arrange counselling yourself.
I think there used to be stigma around asking for help but I feel that has changed. It didn’t make it any easier for me to ask for help at the start.

I was quite concerned at the start as my counsellor knew nothing about diabetes, but I still remember the first session where she asked me to explain what I did day to day and to explain the pressures that I found in doing this. She told me it was no surprise that I found it difficult and at times overwhelming as it sounded like it was hard work. ….
We worked together for many years and I only stopped when she retired. I feel armed with strategies to recognise when I find I let D take over too much of my life and ways to out it back in perspective.
For me looping with my pump was the biggest help, as I find that it has massively reduced the amount of time I spend thinking about Diabetes.
Let us know how you get on

 

[Bloden]

I felt a bit weird asking for help,

I'm so glad you did @Teapot99. I struggle with the mental side of diabetes but also struggle to put how I feel into words. The more conversations we have about mental health and chronic illness, the easier the conversation will become

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hope you are able to recognise your own resilience, and bravery @Teapot99

Reaching out for help, and sharing your concerns is a pretty big step - but you’ve seen that what you are feeling and experiencing is not at all unusual. Many (most?) of us have had our MH struggles with our own diabetes from time to time, but there are techniques and tactics we can use to help, and there is support available.

It can take time to develop the practice, change the ways of thinking, and build the toolkit of strategies and tactics, but making a start on that means you are already on the journey to a better way of living with your diabetes.

 

[squidds]

Hi everybody,

I was wondering if anybody could suggest things for me to try and help myself. I am still struggling with anxiety quite badly and with high blood sugar. I feel like I might be close to having panic attacks sometimes with my blood sugar, they are still running quite high but I worry when they go down to a 'normal level' for me (between 8 - 12) and then I eat and try and sort it.

I am currently having chats with my DSN about having a pump and I am waiting for her to get back off of holiday next week in order to progress with that. I am that anxious in the mornings that I eat my breakfast but then start to gag and struggle to eat, not everyday but sometimes, then at lunch time I am fine and then get a bit anxious again around dinner time. I am on the path to speaking to my GP about anxiety (I have an appointment over the phone on Tuesday) and how they can help me and I am also looking at talking therapy through the NHS. I am struggling quite a bit and I don't want to seem like a burden to my fiancé who is in a good job and is struggling a bit at work with his workload, my Mum is always there for me but my fiancé gets frustrated with me when I don't speak to him as much as my Mum as he thinks that 'I don't trust that he can help me', which I know he can! I have always been through my diabetes with my mum by my side so she is my 'default'.

I am also on the path to speaking to the NHS about talking therapy to see if that would help, I had an assessment the other day over the phone and I was offered a few things, the lady on the phone explained that if her supervisor doesn't think these options are best for me, then it could be considered that I speak to somebody who specialises in diabetes talking therapy. Something I think that would really help me and then it's specific to my needs too. Since having that phone call, I feel like my anxiety has got worse after it was improving. I feel a bit hopeless and lost, I have many supportive people around me but I feel like I try and be supportive towards myself and it doesn't seem to be working, although sometimes it does.

I'm not really sure why I am still anxious when I know I can sort my hypos if I get them, but I haven't had a hypo in over a month, I've had a lot more hypers - both of which I don't want. I keep telling myself that carb counting is to help reduce both hypos and hypers so you stay in a normal range and that does help to calm me sometimes. I have got to the point where I don't scan my CGM until half an hour after eating to see how my bloods are doing (I scan them just before too) and I wait to make sure they're coming up before I inject. I also try not to scan too often so I don't get into my own head as I tend to scan every few minutes if I do. I have also noticed that sometimes I do half doses and I don't end up needing the second half - is this normal? It has happened a few times to me in the last two weeks and this is with carb counting too. I am very much on carb counting now - which I am happy with. I also haven't slept properly for the last 3/4 weeks, due to heat and our kittens and I have had an upset stomach all of this time too. I am trying breathing exercises but I worry they just don't help.

I was just wondering if anybody has had similar issues with high blood sugar, anxiety and speaking to people about your issues? Sorry for the rant, I just feel a bit lost and hopeless, this forum really does help though so thank you to everybody that has been messaging me and replying to my threads.

Thank you

My average mmol was 19.2 five weeks ago with a highest reading of 27.1 knew nothing about it till the Dr put me on a monitor, already I'm down to 9.1 just reduce the carb levels. I have cut out bread potatoes and rice now I will look to see how I much I can add back in and stay in the green zone

 

[helli]

@squidds well done on your impressive BG reduction. It looks as if you have type 2 diabetes, whereas Teapot has Type 1.
These are different conditions that are managed differently. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition which kills off all cells producing insulin. It is treated with injected insulin with the same healthy diet as someone without diabetes. It cannot be managed by reducing carbs.

 

[Teapot99]

Really pleased that you have been able to arrange counselling yourself.
I think there used to be stigma around asking for help but I feel that has changed. It didn’t make it any easier for me to ask for help at the start.

I was quite concerned at the start as my counsellor knew nothing about diabetes, but I still remember the first session where she asked me to explain what I did day to day and to explain the pressures that I found in doing this. She told me it was no surprise that I found it difficult and at times overwhelming as it sounded like it was hard work. ….
We worked together for many years and I only stopped when she retired. I feel armed with strategies to recognise when I find I let D take over too much of my life and ways to out it back in perspective.
For me looping with my pump was the biggest help, as I find that it has massively reduced the amount of time I spend thinking about Diabetes.
Let us know how you get on

Hi @SB2015, thank you so much for saying that. I said that I found it quite hard to my councillor but I know it’s actually quite common for people to speak to them when they’re struggling.
I felt the exact same when I had my first session. She also said she didn’t fully understand but can understand why I am so stressed. I found out recently that diabetics make 200 more decisions a day than ‘normal’ people and that is also why I was getting so stressed at the time.
That’s also great to hear so thank you. I have been told to decide on whether I want the Medtronic pump or the pump that is legal for pregnancy, I’m not looking at starting a family yet, but it’s so when the time comes, I don’t have to change pumps. This was advised by my DSN as she knows I’m not good with change so I’m working out which is best for me. I’ve been told that it won’t be until November I’ll be able to get a pump, which has frustrated me a bit, but I am still thinking about the pump positively

 

[Teapot99]

I'm so glad you did @Teapot99. I struggle with the mental side of diabetes but also struggle to put how I feel into words. The more conversations we have about mental health and chronic illness, the easier the conversation will become

@Bloden I agree with you 100%. I have been speaking a lot to my close family and friends so they understand more about where I am mentally. It seems to be working alongside the counselling at the moment which is great.

I think diabetes and mental health should be spoken about a lot more. I agree 100% 🙂

 

[Teapot99]

Hope you are able to recognise your own resilience, and bravery @Teapot99

Reaching out for help, and sharing your concerns is a pretty big step - but you’ve seen that what you are feeling and experiencing is not at all unusual. Many (most?) of us have had our MH struggles with our own diabetes from time to time, but there are techniques and tactics we can use to help, and there is support available.

It can take time to develop the practice, change the ways of thinking, and build the toolkit of strategies and tactics, but making a start on that means you are already on the journey to a better way of living with your diabetes.

Thank you @everydayupsanddowns that means a lot to hear 🙂

Yes it’s good to see that it’s not just me, not that I thought it was but it makes me feel as though I have more support behind me than I had originally thought, so thank you all.

Thank you ☺️

 

[Inka]

All pumps are legal for pregnancy @Teapot99 🙂 I’ve had different pumps for my pregnancies and my control has been excellent. I think you might mean the loop? They recommend a certain loop but that doesn’t mean you can’t use others - or, indeed, not loop at all and just use your pump like I did and like thousands of other women have done before. Remember - it’s you who are in charge of your diabetes.

Actually, that applies to a lot of other things in life too! Never let yourself be pushed around or led towards things you don’t really like or want, and never do what you think you should instead of what you want. As the quote says, “You are the captain of your own ship; don’t let anyone else take the wheel”.

I’ve had counselling too. Not for diabetes, for something else. The first few sessions were hard and I felt a bit wary and awkward, but then it all came together and I had some brilliant sessions, which really helped 🙂

 

[Teapot99]

All pumps are legal for pregnancy @Teapot99 🙂 I’ve had different pumps for my pregnancies and my control has been excellent. I think you might mean the loop? They recommend a certain loop but that doesn’t mean you can’t use others - or, indeed, not loop at all and just use your pump like I did and like thousands of other women have done before. Remember - it’s you who are in charge of your diabetes.

Actually, that applies to a lot of other things in life too! Never let yourself be pushed around or led towards things you don’t really like or want, and never do what you think you should instead of what you want. As the quote says, “You are the captain of your own ship; don’t let anyone else take the wheel”.

I’ve had counselling too. Not for diabetes, for something else. The first few sessions were hard and I felt a bit wary and awkward, but then it all came together and I had some brilliant sessions, which really helped 🙂

Hi @Inka yes that’s exactly what I meant! I meant for use using a HCL pump I agree with you. When the time comes I’m going to see what my options are, I just know that I struggle keeping my blood sugars level by myself - something I am still working on each and every day.

I really like that quote, thank you for your support, it means a lot

That’s great to hear about counselling too. I found the first session quite relaxing after a while so I will see how I get on next time. The person I am seeing makes everything seem very peaceful which is nice

 

[SB2015]

Hi @SB2015, thank you so much for saying that. I said that I found it quite hard to my councillor but I know it’s actually quite common for people to speak to them when they’re struggling.
I felt the exact same when I had my first session. She also said she didn’t fully understand but can understand why I am so stressed. I found out recently that diabetics make 200 more decisions a day than ‘normal’ people and that is also why I was getting so stressed at the time.
That’s also great to hear so thank you. I have been told to decide on whether I want the Medtronic pump or the pump that is legal for pregnancy, I’m not looking at starting a family yet, but it’s so when the time comes, I don’t have to change pumps. This was advised by my DSN as she knows I’m not good with change so I’m working out which is best for me. I’ve been told that it won’t be until November I’ll be able to get a pump, which has frustrated me a bit, but I am still thinking about the pump positively

Think of the time between now and November as time to do some research. It will come along quickly.