Diabetes & Mental Health

Untreated mental health issues can make diabetes worse, and problems with diabetes can make mental health issues worse. Fortunately, if one gets better, the other tends to get better, too.

Depression is a medical illness that causes feelings of sadness and often a loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy. It can get in the way of how well you function at work and home, including taking care of your diabetes.

Sometimes people with diabetes feel discouraged, worried, frustrated, or tired of dealing with daily diabetes care, like diabetes is controlling them instead of the other way around. Maybe they’ve been trying hard but not seeing results. Or they’ve developed a health problem related to diabetes despite their best efforts.

People with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression than people without diabetes.  25 – 50% of people with diabetes who have depression do not get diagnosed and treated. But treatment – therapy, medicine, or both, is usually very effective. Without treatment, depression, and diabetes both often get worse – not better. When you can’t manage your diabetes well, your risk goes up for diabetes complications like heart disease and nerve damage.

For more information on diabetes and mental health support go to: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/mental-health.html