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Really down

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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worriedT1

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi All
I have had T1 for 15 years and not generally find it ok to deal with. Now with Covid 19 it's all too much. I was supposed to be getting married in April and having that called off has caused me to be really down, being unable to do all the things that didn't mark me down as being diabetic such as being able to eat in restaurants/ go out with friends/ go to concerts and being advised to self-isolate has made me feel more defined by my condition than ever. Added to having all my usual check ups cancelled when I have to wait 9 months for them as it is, and not knowing when it will end is causing me to not want to do anything other than hide under the covers all day. I am working from home but that isn't helping either as my boss is being over caring- ending pretty much every email with "take care as you are high risk!". Any thoughts/ coping strategies would be good
 
Hi, I’m so sorry your wedding has been postponed. I’m sure a lot of planning and excitement has gone into it having to call it off will be deflating even without the added isolation of not being able to go out. It’s a time of grieving for a lot of people for a lot of reasons and I think the desire to hide under the duvet is legitimate. Try to take it one day or one portion of the day at the time. Eat and keep on top of your insulin. Try and do something active if you can. But don’t push yourself to act as normal because this is not a normal time.
 
Hello @worriedT1.

That's not good but so glad you joined the forum, you can poor your heart out here at any time of the day. So sorry your wedding has been cancelled enough to make anyone feel low also your appointments being cancelled is not nice but you`ll find most of us have had cancellations of appointments. Your employer may be genuine in his response but being Diabetic does not entitle you to any special conformity of the new rules other than be extra awareness of social distancing and if you can self isolate. Try and keep in touch with your partner and family and friends as much as you can through whatever means that are available to you e.g. social media, skype etc. Try and get some exercise everyday and obviously if you feel unwell contact a HCP (Health Care Professional) and discuss your problems.

As @Thebearcametoo says this is not a normal situation so normal goes out the window, there are quite a few members in a similar position and hope you can take comfort in that you are not alone, please let us know how you are coping we look forward to hear from you, thankyou for your post.
 
Sorry to hear you are having a tough time @worriedT1

This is a difficult time for everyone, and I recognise that urge to ‘hide under the cover until it all goes away’ :(

Working from home can be tricky if you aren’t used to it, and it takes determination to push through the feeling that things have generally ‘shut down’.

It really is worth trying to give yourself a good routine though. It will make time pass more quickly, and helps to make you feel you are contributing, which is good for mental health.

These downloadable tips and suggestions are very helpful too.

Dr Rose Stewart - Coronavirus Toolkit

A selection of useful resources developed by clinical psychologist Dr Rose Stewart with the support of other healthcare professionals and Diabetes UK. Topics include reducing worry and anxiety, practical tips on self isolation, and improving sleep.
www.t1resources.uk www.t1resources.uk
 
Hi @worriedT1 Im sorry you’ve had to cancel your wedding. That can’t have helped how you’re feeling. You’re not alone. There are great, friendly people here to talk to who understand how wearing diabetes can be at the best of times.

I think anything that draws attention to it or reminds us about it, can make us feel down. Obviously, Covid is a massive thing, but, if it helps, people with Type 1 have had Covid and are now fine. We can help ourselves by reducing our risk of getting it and keeping good control of the diabetes. Think of that as a positive, practical thing not a chore. These are things within our control.

Apart from that, my coping strategies are trying to adjust my perception to look at things from a different angle eg your boss could just be being caring or inadvertently clumsy about mentioning your condition, or perhaps they think it’s a polite thing to do, or are just using it as a way to sign off conversations. Try to re-assess and put a positive spin on things.

Exercise and fresh air - I find this really helps a lot.

Relaxing and ‘me time’ - take time to do something nice for yourself. Watch a film, read a book, etc etc.

Mindfulness - a little bit of mental peace from the worries. It sounds daft but even 5 minutes of breathing and emptying your mind can be really calming.


Take care. X
 
KARNAK said:
Hello @worriedT1.

That's not good but so glad you joined the forum, you can poor your heart out here at any time of the day. So sorry your wedding has been cancelled enough to make anyone feel low also your appointments being cancelled is not nice but you`ll find most of us have had cancellations of appointments. Your employer may be genuine in his response but being Diabetic does not entitle you to any special conformity of the new rules other than be extra awareness of social distancing and if you can self isolate. Try and keep in touch with your partner and family and friends as much as you can through whatever means that are available to you e.g. social media, skype etc. Try and get some exercise everyday and obviously if you feel unwell contact a HCP (Health Care Professional) and discuss your problems.

As @Thebearcametoo says this is not a normal situation so normal goes out the window, there are quite a few members in a similar position and hope you can take comfort in that you are not alone, please let us know how you are coping we look forward to hear from you, thankyou for your post.
Click to expand...
Hi Karnak. Are we advised to isolate from our own partners? I am living with my husband who is currently off work but will have to go back at some time. I have T2 & high BP.
 
Cazzablanca said:
Hi Karnak. Are we advised to isolate from our own partners? I am living with my husband who is currently off work but will have to go back at some time. I have T2 & high BP.
Click to expand...

Noooooo! we're not! Unless they have symptoms of the lurgy, in which case, yes.
 
worriedT1 said:
Hi All
I have had T1 for 15 years and not generally find it ok to deal with. Now with Covid 19 it's all too much. I was supposed to be getting married in April and having that called off has caused me to be really down, being unable to do all the things that didn't mark me down as being diabetic such as being able to eat in restaurants/ go out with friends/ go to concerts and being advised to self-isolate has made me feel more defined by my condition than ever. Added to having all my usual check ups cancelled when I have to wait 9 months for them as it is, and not knowing when it will end is causing me to not want to do anything other than hide under the covers all day. I am working from home but that isn't helping either as my boss is being over caring- ending pretty much every email with "take care as you are high risk!". Any thoughts/ coping strategies would be good
Click to expand...
Really sorry to hear about your wedding I totally understand how you feel its a very worrying time and we cant do the things we really enjoy to take our minds of being diabetic being able to see our family and friends its really hard I have days that I dont want to get out of bed and crying all the time .

I had my blood tests and all scans cancelled 2 where very important ones and its the not knowing? we are here for you Lou
 
I am so sorry to hear about your wedding . We are so used to freedom to have it reduced is hard to deal with . My saviour is a walk in the morning going round the park in different directions each day . I don’t like being vulnerable or labelled as such . I think we are all having down days , but we have to believe that our freedoms will return . Thinking of you x
 
trophywench said:
Noooooo! we're not! Unless they have symptoms of the lurgy, in which case, yes.
Click to expand...
Sorry to keep on about this but isn't there a danger of them having it symptomless. This is really affecting my anxiety and I'm sure really not helping my blood pressure
 
Sorry you had to cancel wedding , I missed a big birthday celebration planned for year with all family plus company won’t give me refund plus trip to Venice and Budapest as well. So we are all having to cancel things that we have spent ages planning which would be hard at best of times, so it’s sad but our time will hopefully come again , this too will pass , look after yourself , I’m working from home and it’s tough being stuck on a laptop for hours on end but then I look at the news and think how many people would swap places with us! Best wishes and hang in there x
 
Cazzablanca said:
Sorry to keep on about this but isn't there a danger of them having it symptomless. This is really affecting my anxiety and I'm sure really not helping my blood pressure
Click to expand...
Are you going out? If so then there's a chance you could be the same, just saying
 
Hi @worriedT1, so sorry to hear that you have had to cancel your wedding. Have you been able to move the booking to a future date? It is so difficult to adapt to such a big changes that came on us so quickly and even harder where you had an event which will have involved so much planning. This will end.

Working from home can be difficult. It may help to work to a timetable and to also set aside time to have breaks set into the day, perhaps with something specific to do. This may help you to manage your diabetes more easily with some consistency in the day, but I can understand how a duvet day can seem a much better option.

Take care and keep in touch.
 
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