Looking for advice

[Laura9876]

Hi guys, I’m new to the forum and looking for advice! I was diagnosed with type 1 when I was a toddler but I’m still pretty young and I’m starting to feel very overwhelmed by all the work that is constantly involved with trying to control diabetes and the prospect that there is no break from it and I’m feeling quite down and anxious about it, so I was wondering if anyone had any advice about dealing with these feelings? Or can point me in the direction of where to go for help? Sorry for the lack of positivity in this post but I’ve never felt this way until recently despite having type 1 for all these years so I would be very grateful for any help! 🙂

 

[Inka]

It sounds like burnout @Laura9876 I had that a few years ago and it’s hard. It’s like the weight of looking after the diabetes becomes crushing.

My advice is to speak to your DSN and get some support. Also, be kind to yourself. Try to minimise stress in all areas of your life not just the diabetes. I found Mindfulness helpful in relaxing.

Think of practical things you can do to make life easier eg eat the same breakfast and a similar lunch each day so you don’t have to think so much.

You’re not alone. Many, many people here understand the pressure of it all. X

 

[Laura9876]

It sounds like burnout @Laura9876 I had that a few years ago and it’s hard. It’s like the weight of looking after the diabetes becomes crushing.

My advice is to speak to your DSN and get some support. Also, be kind to yourself. Try to minimise stress in all areas of your life not just the diabetes. I found Mindfulness helpful in relaxing.

Think of practical things you can do to make life easier eg eat the same breakfast and a similar lunch each day so you don’t have to think so much.

You’re not alone. Many, many people here understand the pressure of it all. X

Thank you so much, I didn’t know this was a common thing (or that it even had a name) so it’s so so nice to know I’m not alone in it! And that’s amazing advice thank you! I really appreciate it x

 

[Inka]

No problem 🙂 Diabetes U.K. have an info page on it:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/emotions/diabetes-burnout

but do speak to your DSN. They’ll be familiar with burnout and could have suggestions tailored to you. And don’t be worried about having a rant or a moan here, or asking any questions you want. We all understand the daily pressure.

Is there any particular aspect that’s getting to you? Eg carb counting or blood testing? Or just the whole thing?

 

[Laura9876]

No problem 🙂 Diabetes U.K. have an info page on it:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/emotions/diabetes-burnout

but do speak to your DSN. They’ll be familiar with burnout and could have suggestions tailored to you. And don’t be worried about having a rant or a moan here, or asking any questions you want. We all understand the daily pressure.

Is there any particular aspect that’s getting to you? Eg carb counting or blood testing? Or just the whole thing?

Thank you so much for all this help! It’s nice to not feel alone in it 🙂

The whole thing is getting me down a bit but I am getting overwhelmed and down about carb counting more than anything else to be honest

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

I found following a low carb way of eating helped me because I could have a meal which was essentially insulin free. If I could fit a brisk walk or run into every day, I could have every evening insulin free, which kind of made me feel like I was only part time diabetic. I injected my morning Levemir and Fiasp, had a good breakfast and skipped lunch, had my exercise and then had a low carb evening meal. Sometimes I mght need a small correction during the day but sometimes I could just get away with 2 injections of insulin in the morning and no more after that. It took a bit of mental effort to plan my exercise and low carb meals but since I follow a low carb way of eating anyway, it wasn't a big deal. Maintaining the daily exercise was most challenging and I fell off the wagon a boit with that when the weather turned bad so I have been needing more insulin since then, but must try to get back on track. Anyway, that was a strategy which worked for me. I really liked the idea of just being diabetic in the morning, so to speak. It took a lot of that constant pressure off. I am sure the exercise was also good for helping to alleviate the mental stress and made me sleep so much more soundly, which meant I woke up refreshed and better able to cope.

 

[Inka]

Ok - well, you could try doing what I do. I pretty much always have the same breakfast so that way I don’t need to count anything. I usually weigh my cereal but sometimes I just do it by eye. So I don’t have to count the carbs - I just know them and know how much insulin to inject.

I do the same for lunch most of the time - have a sandwich with the same bread, vary the filling, then keep the rest of my lunch the same and just vary the fruit but keep the same carbs for it, if that makes sense.

For my evening meal I have various things but take shortcuts like always having the same amount of pasta so I know the carbs. I’ve built up a whole lot of meals which I just know by heart and that makes it easier.

I’ve had Type 1 almost 30 years and it is a pain in the behind, but removing some of the mental load by doing the above helps me.

I eat a wide variety of foods and a good amount of carbs and I don’t feel deprived at all. I eat pasta, rice, bread, cereal, desserts sometimes. Eating reasonably normally helps too because then you feel more normal - quite apart from the benefits of a balanced diet. I know in advance how much of the carby stuff I’m going to have and so my brain is already ready with the carb info and I don’t have to do many calculations at all.

If what you’re really referring to is having to think about everything we eat rather than just being able to sit down and eat without any thought like non-D people, then yes, that can be hard and it’s one thing I struggled with. I often wish we could have a weeks holiday from diabetes every year. We can’t, of course, but we can be kind to ourselves and know that we can’t be perfect and that Type 1 has to fit into our lives not the other way around.

 

[Laura9876]

Thank you so much for all the advice! I will definitely try your suggestions after talking to my DSN. I really appreciate the help, you’ve made me feel a lot calmer about it 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Glad to hear the replies were helpful @Laura9876

Diabetes burnout is increasingly recognised as a really significant challenge for people managing their diabetes for a number of years.

Some clinics are able to offer specialist psychological support, with for people with diabetes. Might be worth asking to see of your clinic can offer anything like that?