Burnout :(

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elizabethpe596

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Type 1
Hey everyone!
I’m reaching out on here because I’m experiencing diabetes burnout at the moment, and I’ve never had it like this before. It’s causing anxiety attacks, I’m so worried about a “good number” and my time in range that it’s driving me crazy. My cgm has given me terrible distress that I want to take it off and go back to the old fashioned finger stick way. Has anybody done this for their mental health? Some kind words and advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Welcome @elizabethpe596 Sorry to hear you’re suffering from burnout. I’ve had it and it’s horrible. To answer your question - yes! Take your CGM/Libre off if it’s stressing you. It’s supposed to be a helpful tool not a divine judgement and punishment machine. Take it off and feel the freedom for a while 🙂

It also helps to increase your target range slightly ie don’t see a 12 as awful. See it as a temporary blip. The relief in broadening your target range (in your head, remember, because you’ve removed the CGM/Libre 🙂 ) is enormous - a small change can have a big effect on your mental peace.
 
Inka said:
Welcome @elizabethpe596 Sorry to hear you’re suffering from burnout. I’ve had it and it’s horrible. To answer your question - yes! Take your CGM/Libre off if it’s stressing you. It’s supposed to be a helpful tool not a divine judgement and punishment machine. Take it off and feel the freedom for a while 🙂

It also helps to increase your target range slightly ie don’t see a 12 as awful. See it as a temporary blip. The relief in broadening your target range (in your head, remember, because you’ve removed the CGM/Libre 🙂 ) is enormous - a small change can have a big effect on your mental
Inka said:
Welcome @elizabethpe596 Sorry to hear you’re suffering from burnout. I’ve had it and it’s horrible. To answer your question - yes! Take your CGM/Libre off if it’s stressing you. It’s supposed to be a helpful tool not a divine judgement and punishment machine. Take it off and feel the freedom for a while 🙂

It also helps to increase your target range slightly ie don’t see a 12 as awful. See it as a temporary blip. The relief in broadening your target range (in your head, remember, because you’ve removed the CGM/Libre 🙂 ) is enormous - a small change can have a big effect on your mental peace.
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Just to hear this message gave me so much mental relief already. Something that is meant to be giving me management assistance is making me feel like I’m in a prison and I’m fighting it. Which is so silly, really, but feelings are feelings.

I am going to go to the l traditional tried and tested method until I can calm the information overload from the cgm to my brain. It’s given much such great distress and it makes me feel “normal” to hear your words.

It’s like I’m failing.

I’m nervous, but I think I need to learn to trust myself again.

Being a diabetic is so hard
 
It is hard and it’s exhausting sometimes too @elizabethpe596 It can mess with your head very easily if you dwell on it too much. I don’t know how long you’ve been diagnosed, but when I was first diagnosed almost 30 years ago, we were only told to test before meals and bed - so only a handful of tests a day (plus if you’re feeling ‘off’ at all, of course).

In addition, although we often test after meals now, the Type 1 targets don’t have a target for that - just for before the next meal. Simplifying life like that can be such a help. I was really busy the other day and didn’t scan or test anything like as much as usual, and I felt so much more relaxed. My sugars were fine too - probably helped by me being relaxed.

Burnout is a sign to ease off a little. Yes, you still need to do the tedious diabetes chores, but ease off on the targets slightly, and focus on your life outside diabetes. The mental break is refreshing both physically and mentally. Remember too that there are people here who were diagnosed 50 or more years ago. They didn’t even have blood testing machines for decades and they’re ok.

Everything is about balance - push your Type 1 down a bit and relax a little. I’m sure you’re doing absolutely fine 🙂
 
elizabethpe596 said:
I am going to go to the l traditional tried and tested method until I can calm the information overload from the cgm to my brain. It’s given much such great distress and it makes me feel “normal” to hear your words.
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It's a known thing and an obvious issue with technology (even if it's not the kind that produces alarms at inconvenient times). It was mentioned a few times during the recent type 1 technology conference.
 
Inka said:
It is hard and it’s exhausting sometimes too @elizabethpe596 It can mess with your head very easily if you dwell on it too much. I don’t know how long you’ve been diagnosed, but when I was first diagnosed almost 30 years ago, we were only told to test before meals and bed - so only a handful of tests a day (plus if you’re feeling ‘off’ at all, of course).

In addition, although we often test after meals now, the Type 1 targets don’t have a target for that - just for before the next meal. Simplifying life like that can be such a help. I was really busy the other day and didn’t scan or test anything like as much as usual, and I felt so much more relaxed. My sugars were fine too - probably helped by me being relaxed.

Burnout is a sign to ease off a little. Yes, you still need to do the tedious diabetes chores, but ease off on the targets slightly, and focus on your life outside diabetes. The mental break is refreshing both physically and mentally. Remember too that there are people here who were diagnosed 50 or more years ago. They didn’t even have blood testing machines for decades and they’re ok.

Everything is about balance - push your Type 1 down a bit and relax a little. I’m sure you’re doing absolutely fine 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words, I have to be reminded these things when the walls are closing down on me. I’ve been T1 for 16 years next month. And when the anxiety panic attacks happened I thought my diabetes was killing me . I am exhausted and because I’m so worried I’m not sleeping great which is just feeding the cycle. Just talking to someone with double my experience and who has been through it all, makes me feel just a bit more sane that I can start moving forward.
 
Bruce Stephens said:
It's a known thing and an obvious issue with technology (even if it's not the kind that produces alarms at inconvenient times). It was mentioned a few times during the recent type 1 technology conference.
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I didn’t even know of such a thing as a diabetes tech conference!
 
So sorry to hear you are working through a period of burnout @elizabethpe596

I’ve split your post and replies into a thread of your own, so that they don’t get mixed with the other posts 🙂

It’s a real swine, and you certainly aren’t alone in having to wrestle with it.

Be kind to yourself, and try to recognise that your thoughts come and go, but they are not you. Events happen, but the way you respond to those events it not fixed or unchangeable.

Have you ever tried mindfulness? Or some of those meditative / breathing techniques? You might find you could use some of those approaches to respond to your thoughts in a more open and neutral way. To slow your thoughts and help them not to spiral?

Hopefully you’ll find that a break from CGM will give you a bit of a breather, and a bit more head space.

Hang in there. You can get through this, and learn coping skills along the way.
 
elizabethpe596 said:
Hey everyone!
I’m reaching out on here because I’m experiencing diabetes burnout at the moment, and I’ve never had it like this before. It’s causing anxiety attacks, I’m so worried about a “good number” and my time in range that it’s driving me crazy. My cgm has given me terrible distress that I want to take it off and go back to the old fashioned finger stick way. Has anybody done this for their mental health? Some kind words and advice would be greatly appreciated.
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I would just take it off or if you’re unable to feel a hypo then set your alarms to only go off for hypos.
 
Lucyr said:
I would just take it off or if you’re unable to feel a hypo then set your alarms to only go off for hypos.
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I did try this the last few days, but the subconscious thought of it there tracking me was making me feel terrible. So I just took it off completely
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
So sorry to hear you are working through a period of burnout @elizabethpe596

I’ve split your post and replies into a thread of your own, so that they don’t get mixed with the other posts 🙂

It’s a real swine, and you certainly aren’t alone in having to wrestle with it.

Be kind to yourself, and try to recognise that your thoughts come and go, but they are not you. Events happen, but the way you respond to those events it not fixed or unchangeable.

Have you ever tried mindfulness? Or some of those meditative / breathing techniques? You might find you could use some of those approaches to respond to your thoughts in a more open and neutral way. To slow your thoughts and help them not to spiral?

Hopefully you’ll find that a break from CGM will give you a bit of a breather, and a bit more head space.

Hang in there. You can get through this, and learn coping skills along the way.
Click to expand...
Thankyou so much for your reply! It really means alot that people reach out and just support me with words so I don’t feel alone and like I’m failing.

I’m trying some meditating and breathing techniques through apps and will get some counselling too.

The hardest thing is I really battle to sleep which just makes the whole situation even worse. But I am hoping this too shall pass and is just temporary
 
Inka said:
It is hard and it’s exhausting sometimes too @elizabethpe596 It can mess with your head very easily if you dwell on it too much. I don’t know how long you’ve been diagnosed, but when I was first diagnosed almost 30 years ago, we were only told to test before meals and bed - so only a handful of tests a day (plus if you’re feeling ‘off’ at all, of course).

In addition, although we often test after meals now, the Type 1 targets don’t have a target for that - just for before the next meal. Simplifying life like that can be such a help. I was really busy the other day and didn’t scan or test anything like as much as usual, and I felt so much more relaxed. My sugars were fine too - probably helped by me being relaxed.

Burnout is a sign to ease off a little. Yes, you still need to do the tedious diabetes chores, but ease off on the targets slightly, and focus on your life outside diabetes. The mental break is refreshing both physically and mentally. Remember too that there are people here who were diagnosed 50 or more years ago. They didn’t even have blood testing machines for decades and they’re ok.

Everything is about balance - push your Type 1 down a bit and relax a little. I’m sure you’re doing absolutely fine 🙂
Click to expand...
Hey @Inka may I ask you to explain a bit more about your comment about “in addition though we often test after meals now type 1 don’t have targets for that”
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
So sorry to hear you are working through a period of burnout @elizabethpe596

I’ve split your post and replies into a thread of your own, so that they don’t get mixed with the other posts 🙂

It’s a real swine, and you certainly aren’t alone in having to wrestle with it.

Be kind to yourself, and try to recognise that your thoughts come and go, but they are not you. Events happen, but the way you respond to those events it not fixed or unchangeable.

Have you ever tried mindfulness? Or some of those meditative / breathing techniques? You might find you could use some of those approaches to respond to your thoughts in a more open and neutral way. To slow your thoughts and help them not to spiral?

Hopefully you’ll find that a break from CGM will give you a bit of a breather, and a bit more head space.

Hang in there. You can get through this, and learn coping skills along the way.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your reply. When you struggling, hearing words of calm and wisdom really help.

It is a real swine you’re right
 
elizabethpe596 said:
Hey @Inka may I ask you to explain a bit more about your comment about “in addition though we often test after meals now type 1 don’t have targets for that”
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Of course 🙂 I simply meant that nowadays we test, test, test and agonise over all our results, including after-meal numbers but actually, unlike Type 2 diabetes, the Type 1 targets don’t mention after-meal targets. All we have to do is be back in range before our next meal:

  • when you wake up and before meals: 5 to 7mmol/l
  • before meals at other times of the day: 4 to 7mmol/l
I’d also add that the above are targets - things to aim at. Nobody - and I mean nobody - achieves them all day, every day. For example, I woke in the 7s today - technically above target but I don’t give it a moment’s thought. I didn’t do anything ‘wrong’, and it’s not like I woke at 17.

So, focus on fewer tests (as long as you’re safe) and remind yourself that the above targets are things to aim at and that’s all. We have to live our lives. Perfection is impossible, and stressing about our blood sugar can’t help our general health.
 
elizabethpe596 said:
I did try this the last few days, but the subconscious thought of it there tracking me was making me feel terrible. So I just took it off completely
Click to expand...

Remember that we’re all different. You don’t have to have anything you’re not happy with. All these things are tools for you to choose from. If it’s not for you, ditch it. It’s your diabetes and your life 🙂 You’re in charge.
 
I sometimes get a bit chewed off with Libre and feel like it is looking over my shoulder and judging me and that is when I need a break from it. For me, a week off and I come back to it with renewed appreciation and enthusiasm, but I would not say that I am suffering "burn out" by any means, so you may need longer or perhaps even never go back to it, but I think it is a really useful tool if you can cope with it.
When I was prescribed Libre, I ensured that my consultant was happy for me to take breaks from it when I needed to (I had been self funding for a while and had figured out quite early on that I needed this) before I accepted it because I knew I would need time away from it occasionally and whilst the breaks are becoming fewer and further apart, I do still need them now and then. As you say, it is also helpful to remind yourself to listen to and have trust in your body and we can sometimes lose that trust when we become so reliant on the technology. I always find the prospect of the first night without Libre quite scary, but after that I am usually fine.

I hope having a break helps you feel a bit better soon. Sending virtual (((HUGS))) because it sounds like you could do with them.
 
@elizabethpe596 - Virtual hugs from me too. Luckily I’ve not experienced burnout to the degree you are at the moment, but I get it. There are days when I feel so fed up with never being able to just sit down and eat something without all of the decisions, calculations, etc. There are days when I just say “Stuff it, I’ll eat what I want and not bother about insulin” or the opposite of taking loads of insulin in anger to get a high BG down. These are just thoughts and I still do take care.

I can see that the Libre information overload could be problematic, at the moment I’m enjoying having that extra information but don’t let it rule me.

There have been some wise words above from others and hopefully you will have taken some comfort.
 
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Definitely experienced information overload a few times when I first started on it. Add to that a work phone (that doesn't work properly) plus a personal phone with the Libre on and a issue with OCD and obsessive checking and you have a recipe for disaster.

I've felt like I've been hovering on the edges of burnout off and on for the last 5 years but I've found not over reacting to Libre results to be helpful and, after the last sensor not behaving itself towards the end of its life, my current sensor seems to be playing ball...and I feel quite calm.

Glad the words of wisdom from the hive mind have helped.
 
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