Mentioning 'highs and lows' with reference to Type 1 Diabetes, it would be natural to think the discussion was about blood-glucose. However, the psychological highs and lows involved is an issue which I believe unjustly receives scant attention. In Diabetes and Wellbeing: Managing the Psychological and Emotional Challenges of Diabetes Types 1 And 2(2nd Edition)(2013) Jen Nasher states that "The link between diabetes and depression was recognised as far back as the seventeenth century when English physician, Thomas Willis observed in 1674 that diabetes often manifested in patients who had experienced significant sadness, life stress, or a long period of anguish."(49) It's not just the cause and effect relationship between emotional well-being and the development of diabetes that fascinates me, but the way in which diabetes and depression can fuel each other. Nasher comments on this, saying that "Diabetes is a chronic illness that involves a high degree of self-care tasks and is a demanding condition to manage. Diabetes and depression often interact with each other, exacerbating the downward spiral of mood."(56) It can be a vicious cycle. You feel depressed and feel less desire to look after yourself. Your blood sugar rises as a result, leaving you feeling chronically fatigued and irritable. Low mood perpetuates and you feel even less desire to take care of yourself.
Last week I appeared on Channel 5's GPs Behind Closed Doors, a fly on the wall documentary showing consultations between patients and their GP's at my local Putney Mead Medical Practice. In the episode you see me and my GP Dr A Helm discussing my referral for psychotherapy, and the impact of my diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes on my mental health.
An ability to laugh at the macabre is one of the most essential life skills a Type 1 Diabetic can develop. In Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies(2007). Dr Sarah Brewsher et al states that "If you have diabetes or any other chronic disease for that matter, keeping a sense of humour makes the inconveniences and associated complications much easier to bear... Rather than an apple, 'a laugh a day keeps the doctor away'"(23). While I'm not convinced that joke a day is going to prevent me from needing to see my GP regularly, I am sure that a positive mental attitude can be an invaluable ally in the fight against Type 1 Diabetes.
Last week I appeared on Channel 5's GPs Behind Closed Doors, a fly on the wall documentary showing consultations between patients and their GP's at my local Putney Mead Medical Practice. In the episode you see me and my GP Dr A Helm discussing my referral for psychotherapy, and the impact of my diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes on my mental health.
Dr Helm hits the nail on the head when she says "Illness is not your fault" and I honestly feel blessed to have such an amazing GP. A large blame culture exists in the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes, often most acutely felt by the patient themselves (we're all our own harshest critic at the end of the day). Even if a patient isn't suffering from depression, they could be experiencing what I mentioned in the clip: 'diabetic burnout'. Nashler comments on this saying "individuals may be struggling with diabetes-specific distress, coined diabetes 'burnout'(Polonsky, 1999). Diabetes burnout occurs when a person feels 'overwhelmed by diabetes and the frustration of diabetes self-care'"(56). If you're a type 1 reading this and identify with any of what I've described, it's really important to recognise that none of this is your fault and that it's OK to ask for help.
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