It’s tough enough if you’re either clinically depressed or diabetic, what more if both applies to you? You eat more because you’re depressed and then you’re depressed because you keep on eating more, thus creating a vicious cycle. A cycle that can lead to diabetes and later on, fatal complications.
But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom! The first step is always to admit to yourself that you need help and take steps yourself to get said help – from your family, friends, and healthcare provider. Their help can be very crucial in times like this. To help get you started, we’ve listed several ways below on how to deal with both depression and diabetes.
1. Commit to Lifestyle Changes
Other than admitting to yourself that you have a problem, the next hardest thing to do is to actually commit to lifestyle changes prescribed by your doctor.
Breaking the habit that ultimately led you to where you are now is an uphill task and will need all of your willpower. Other than the dietary requirements, you will also need to be more active. Regular exercise, at least 30 minutes per day, is the usual minimum. However, this is where it gets a bit tricky.
Depression is hard to explain to people who don’t have it or are on denial, but the feelings vary, more often than not, it’s just emptiness and fatigue that wearies them to the bone. It is hard to be even remotely excited about anything, much more to radical lifestyle changes.
The key here is, other than the full support of your family and friends, is to keep yourself motivated enough to start the ball rolling. After that, it becomes routine and then second nature. You will still tired or wearied but at least you’re losing calories too.
2. Regularly Take Your Prescribed Medication
While this is somewhat of a commonsensical advice, we felt that we need to stress the importance of this item. Skipping on your medication will almost certainly increase your blood sugar level to dangerous proportions.
It would be better if you’ll get a family member who will remind you every once and then to take your medication. Buying a pill caddy can also be of immense help. Although, as always, you need to sufficiently motivate yourself to do this, much more follow a schedule.
3. Try Psychotherapy
As we mentioned before, depression can seriously affect a diabetic’s self-management routine. Being wearied and tired all the time might take away the will or want of a diabetic to stick with the prescribed diet, medication, and exercise regimen. You can take depression meds, but then, most people actually prefer therapy to more drugs included in their pill caddies.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a treatment that’s been proven to ease depression in people with a variety of health complications, such as diabetes. This therapy encourages diabetics to do activities that they want and to get out of their bad moods by only thinking of good thoughts.
Another type of therapy is the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). This treatment focuses on the ability of the diabetics to be more aware of how they are feeling at the present moment. The therapists also encourage yoga exercises and meditation for them so that they can learn to recognize and accept their negative emotions.
4. Practice Diabetes Self-Management
This step is perhaps a bit hard for diabetics who are severely depressed since they will have extreme difficulty in following the prescribed programs set by their doctors. However, that doesn’t mean that diabetic self-management programs are impossible.
Those who are still on the onset phase can definitely try self-management first – diabetic programs that focus on modifying behavior have been shown to be very successful in helping diabetics manage weight loss, increase their fitness levels, and improve their metabolic control.
5. Reach out to Family and Friends
The easiest step, although some find this to be terribly hard, reaching out to family and friends can definitely lighten the immense load of prediabetes, diabetes, and depression. The presence of a support group that will be with you all the way is something that no amount of therapy or lifestyle change can match in terms of helpfulness.
This support group can also be good for your motivation, they will remind you about your medication, your diet, and even exercise schedule. Also, it would be easier for diabetics to cope with their condition if the people around them are also subscribing to the same exercise and diet regimen.
You’re Not Alone
The most important thing for diabetics with depression have to keep in mind is, basically, this: You are not alone.
You will never be alone when fighting both diabetes and depression. You have a support base that will always be by your side, that believes in you. You have healthcare providers that will always give you optimal prescriptions and advice when it comes to your health. There are trusted herbal supplements for diabetes like Ampalaya Plus that you can tap to supplement your medication.
You have everything going for you. All that you need is the willpower to change and the desire for a healthier version of you.
