Signs of Depression in Diabetes
Feeling down once in a while is normal. But some people feel a sadness that just won’t go away. Life seems hopeless. Feeling this way most of the day for two weeks or more is a sign of serious depression. At any given time, most people with diabetes do not have depression. But studies show that people with diabetes have a greater risk of depression than people without diabetes. There are no easy answers about why this is true.The stress of daily diabetes management can build. You may feel alone or set apart from your friends and family because of all this extra work.
If you face diabetes complications such as nerve damage, or if you are having trouble keeping your blood sugar levels where you’d like, you may feel like you’re losing control of your diabetes. Even tension between you and your doctor may make you feel frustrated and sad. Depression and diabetes are two conditions that can sometimes go hand-in-hand. First, diabetes can increase the risk of depression, according to a growing body of research. In fact, having diabetes doubles the risk of depression, compared to people who don’t have the disease. Conversely, depression also can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, research shows.
It’s often a vicious cycle. Depression can get worse as the complications of diabetes get worse, and being depressed can stop people from managing their diabetes as effectively as they need to, which can lead to increased incidence of long-term complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy or nephropathy.
Depression can strike anyone, but people with diabetes, a serious disorder that afflicts an estimated 18 million Americans, may be at greater risk. In addition, individuals with depression may be at greater risk for developing diabetes. Treatment for depression helps people manage symptoms of both diseases, thus improving the quality of their lives.
Causes underlying the association between depression and diabetes are unclear. Depression may develop because of stress but also may result from the metabolic effects of diabetes on the brain. Studies suggest that people with diabetes who have a history of depression are more likely to develop diabetic complications than those without depression. People who suffer from both diabetes and depression tend to have higher health care costs in primary care.
People with diabetes try to keep blood glucose (also called blood sugar) from rising too high or falling too low. When blood glucose levels drop too low from some medicines a condition called hypoglycemia—a person can become nervous, shaky, and confused. Judgment can be impaired, and if the level is low enough, a person can faint. High levels of blood glucose, called hyperglycemia, cause tissue damage and lead to debilitating complications. Associated with acute long-term complications, the disease can lead to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, strokes, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage.
Uncontrolled diabetes can complicate pregnancy. Because a large part of the population is aging and Americans are increasingly overweight and sedentary, the prevalence of diabetes is predicted to increase.
