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Managing mental health is an essential part of managing diabetes. Sweet Life CEO and co-founder Bridget McNulty shares some practical tips for how to manage mental health with diabetes – from her own experience.
Living with a chronic condition can be exhausting. We are slowly getting better at talking about mental health and diabetes – and the reality of diabetes burnout, which affects pretty much everyone with diabetes at some stage of our journey. And it’s not just once, either! Coming in waves, diabetes burnout occurs when the overwhelm just gets too much.
“As people with diabetes, we’re at a high risk of developing burnout, but also clinical depression and anxiety disorders. If you don’t know how to move forward, it’s important to ask for help. Ask a friend, family member, doctor or therapist. You are not alone in this.” Daniel Sher, clinical psychologist living with diabetes.
Take it one step at a time
You don’t have to master all of diabetes in one day – it’s impossible, and too much to even try. Consider one small change you can make today that might make things easier. Could you check your blood sugar more often so you have a clearer picture? Choose a healthier option for lunch? Think of one thing that won’t overwhelm you.
There’s no such thing as perfection when it comes to diabetes. All you can do is to try your best today, and then try your best tomorrow – for all the todays and tomorrows to come. That is all you need to do! We don’t need to attach emotion to the numbers: they really are just numbers.
Whether it’s with a close friend, partner or family member, on a diabetes WhatsApp group, or to a trusted social media community (like South Africans with Diabetes), it can be so helpful to share how you’re feeling. Trying to figure diabetes out in your head – on your own – is a recipe for mental confusion. When you share that some days it sucks, confuses you, or makes you angry, it will help you to see that you’re not alone… we all feel like that.
One step at a time, without judgement, together. We can do this!
Support for people with diabetes, from people with diabetes
Sweet Life is an online diabetes community that empowers people to live healthier, happier lives through easy-to-understand information on healthy eating, exercise, mental health and the basics of diabetes. Connect with other people with diabetes and get mental health support by joining their community on Facebook and Instagram, or find answers to your diabetes questions on www.sweetlife.org.za
Image credit:
Sweet Life on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@sweetlifediabetes